the problematics of motherhood in twentieth century women's fiction

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of concentrating their energies only on children genetically
related to them.
3.7.2. In The Summer Before the Dark, the lack of the
father's co-operation contributes to the breakdown in the
famlly set-up. Michael "worked so hard that he had very
little emotional energy left to glve the family" (SBD 851,
and so Kate has to shoulder the physical, moral and
emotional responsibility of brlnging up her children. She
1s not able to cope with the psychological pressures that
motherhood brings with lt.
For why should it be necessary for a mother to be
there llke a grindstone at the heart of
everything? Look~ng back lt seemed as if she had
been at everybody's beck and call, always
available, always crltlclzed, always belng bled to
feed these -- monsters (SBD 86)
3.8.0. In the feminlst phase of motherhood, women
unaerstand that the instltutlon of motherhood denies them
access to the public sphere
Femlnlsts llke Virglnia Wcolf
have volced their protest against the concept of 'The Angel
ln the House', the Ideal woman of the Victorian age,
developed by Coventry Fatmore
'The Angel In the House',
Says Woolf, is the maternal angel. the figure who encourages
the woman wrlter to "be sympathetic, be tender, flatter;
deceive, use all the arts and wlles of your sex. Never let
anyone guess you have a mind of your own.
pure" (clted in Hirsch 1989 : 941.
Above all, be
Killing the 'Angel in