Summary Of Queen Of Mold

In “Queen of Mold” the author speaks of her mother’s cooking habits, which differ from the traditional stereotype. Reichl speaks of how her mother would always be in the kitchen and loved to entertain guests, which are characteristics attached to the idea of a housewife. This view is often supported in our daily lives through commercials, TV-shows, and other mediums. However, in Reichl’s story there is an important twist, her mother is a terrible cook. Instead of contributing to the family by fulfilling her role as a housewife, the author’s mother puts people in danger, as exemplified in the passage where Reichl speaks about the things she learned by having her mother be a bad cook: “food could be dangerous” (Reichl, 28).
The essay not only contradicts the idea that a housewife should provide nourishment to her family, but also that a mother should protect her
The idea of a stay-at home mother is rare in 2016. While women might be expected to be good cooks and protect their children due to their portrayal in the media, my experiences show that this is no longer true. The percentage of women working has been increasing recently, and so has the percentage of stay-at-home fathers. I believe that in 1998, when this essay was written, this alternative portrait might seem illegitimate; nevertheless, it does fit today’s rather untraditional molds. Furthermore, Reichl’s description of her mother supports the idea that making mistakes and experimenting is acceptable, something the current generations pride. The idea of taking risks and experimenting is much more relevant and established than in 1998. Therefore, while I can not speak of whether this alternate portrait of a housewife was legitimate and compelling at the time the essay was published, I do believe it is an accurate portrayal of today’s housewife who often feed their children microwaveable