the problematics of motherhood in twentieth century women's fiction

abilities to get gratification from it are strongly
internalized and psychologically enforced by being built
into the feminine psychic structure
/
The malor points of focus of this chapter are the ways
In which feminlne motherhood socially conditions mothers
through reductive images of motherhood that override a
women's personal Self, ldentlfies women wlth thelr motherrole
and values them only for thelr chlld-bearing
capacities, demands a renunciation of aims, desires and
careers of mothers, inculcating in them the ability to
relate to others only through their familial role, lnstlls
In mothers a deslre for sons rather than daughters so that
the patriarchal rule is perpetuated, confrnes them to the
domestic sphere, creating 'The Angel In the House', asserts
that mother-love is supposed to be unconditional as female
anger threatens the lnstitutlon of motherhood, uses
religion, myth, customs and rltuals to determine famllial
structures that subordinate women
The varying degrees of conformity to feminine
motherhood are also indicated --- while
Rukmani of Nectar
in a Sieve is a meek model of the feminine mother, Saru's
mother in The Dark Bolds No Terrora 1s an assertive,
domineering and vicious one
Kate in The Summer Before the
Dark relinquishes her role when she reallzes lts strategic
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