Professor Steven Peacock English 1000 29 November 2010 The Joy of Motherhood The moment the child is born‚ the mother is also born. She never truly existed before‚ even though she has been carrying the child for nine months. The woman existed‚ this is certain‚ but the mother was an unknown character. A mother is something new‚ along with the new life she holds in her arms. The mother must learn to do just this‚ mother. Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers‚ but it is
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Slavery and Motherhood: Characterization of Sethe In “Slavery and Motherhood” Terry Caesar claims Toni Morrison’s novels pertains to the issues of violence from slavery but isn’t primarily historical or racial. Caesar focuses on the issue of infanticide to reveal the foundational basis of the narratives which are the “fundamental concerns of contemporary feminism‚ such as abortion and child abuse have”. Also Caesar argues that Morrison could only convey the hopes and fears of being a mother within
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Toni Morrison’s Sula revolves around the relationship of her two main characters‚ Sula and Nel. The childhood friends grow apart with age. Although it is indicated that their friendship is the most important relationship they participate in‚ they eventually betray each other and lead dishonest lives. Throughout the novel‚ we see their constantly deteriorating relationship as a result of absence of a family life. Sula is a novel about the influence family may have on the make up of someone’s personality
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Of all theoretical writings‚ those from psychoanalytic‚ sociological and feminist perspectives have proved the most useful in analyzing the representations of motherhood. Psychoanalytic theorists have examined the mother’s unconscious actions‚ exploring her deep attachment to her children. Sociologists have attempted to trace the mother’s actual experience of child rearing‚ identifying the way that society and culture have affected her behavior and her attitudes. Feminists‚ especially since the beginning
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they tend to relate the past with the present to get a sense of the story. However‚ in Toni Morrison’s “Beloved”‚ the novel is most importantly centered on the aspect of memory and history. The author does this not only by portraying the historical perspective of slavery but also the psychological and fictional point of view. Through the effective use of memory‚ images and literary devices “Beloved” focuses on the theme of racial discrimination and self-identity that is well accepted and enjoyed by
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The Influence of Cultural Storytelling Published in 1977‚ Ceremony‚ by Leslie Marmon Silko examines the life of Tayo‚ a mixed heritage World War II veteran. Silko‚ like Tayo is part Native American Indian and part white. Set on the Laguna Pueblo reservation‚ Silko weaves the beauty and mystic of the southwest with the darkness of Tayo’s post traumatic stress disorder. While this is a non-religious book‚ the Native American rituals border on religious symbolism and help the reader understand
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The Dirty Deeds of Motherhood No woman is required to build the world by destroying herself. ~Rabbi Sofer The famous reporter and feminist Betty Rollin wrote an Essay for Look magazine called “Motherhood Who Needs It?” it reflects on how motherhood is just a myth‚ and women don’t need to have children it’s a choice. Throughout the essay Rollin explains how a woman needing to have babies is something that is a psychological choice not biological. The author gives data from university studies explaining
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actions as they felt they were left with no other choice. Under desperation‚ others choose to leave and eliminate their past out of their lives. As the individuals had different takes on certain things negative activities flourished. In the novel Beloved‚ Toni Morrison portrays with close correlation
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From the beginning‚ Beloved focuses on the import of memory and history. Sethe struggles daily with the haunting legacy of slavery‚ in the form of her threatening memories and also in the form of her daughter ’s aggressive ghost. For Sethe‚ the present is mostly a struggle to beat back the past‚ because the memories of her daughter ’s death and the experiences at Sweet Home are too painful for her to recall consciously. But Sethe ’s repression is problematic‚ because the absence of history and memory
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unique role in the family structure as a result of the discrimination and prejudice that they have come to expect. A role that‚ though not outwardly feminine or gentile‚ is nonetheless very significant in the American story of motherhood. This new embodiment of motherhood questions conventional standards of behaviour‚ standards that associate maternity with specific behavioural traits. In The Bluest Eye‚ Morrison pokes fun at these traditional ideals of femininity and fragility that act to restrict
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