the problematics of motherhood in twentieth century women's fiction

manipulation of her self whereas Mrs Hill of Meridian is
unable to do so Though Sethe in ~eloved identifies herself
primarily as a mother, she 1s capable of translating
maternal silence into maternal anger
CBAPTER 111: FEMINIST MOTHERBOOD - The conflict between
women's desires and the domlnant values of feminlne
motherhood, which made women voice their protest, led to a
change in attitude towards motherhood, which one can term
the 'feminist' phase The transition from the 'feminine' to
the 'feminist' - which begins with the realization by women
that the patriarchal institution of motherhood is not the
natural human condition - forms the crux of thrs chapter
Feminlst motherhood signals a revolt of the
protagonists against their mothers which is not so much a
personal attack on the mothers as it 1s agalnst the
institution they represent, a debunking of the maternal
instinct, the myth/mystique of motherhood through the
protagonist's questioning/re]ection of the maternal role
foisted on her, an attempt to break free from the image of
the angel in the house whlch is crucial in placing the women
In a eocietal context beyond the role of a mother, a veering
towards a more personalised mothering that helps the mothers
gain a room of their own, an involvement of fathers too in