The Literary Mother: Essays on Representations of Maternity and Child Care

The essays in this book examine the various uses of the ideology of motherhood in British and American literature from the 16th to the 21st centuries. The book looks not only at the institution of motherhood itself, but also at the social and cultural dictates that patriarchal society places upon that institution. Presenting mothers whose roles are often empowering yet confining, these essays scrutinize motherhood from three distinct literary perspectives: social and cultural impact; significance of maternal absence; and, finally, motherhood as a manifestation of power.