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the problematics of motherhood in twentieth century women's fiction

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161<br />

chlld, while advocates <strong>of</strong> technological mo<strong>the</strong>rhood believe<br />

that <strong>the</strong> roots <strong>of</strong> <strong>women's</strong> oppression are biological, and<br />

hence <strong>women's</strong> liberation requires a biological revolution.<br />

A discussion <strong>of</strong> this issue by fem<strong>in</strong>ist <strong>the</strong>orists would<br />

provlde <strong>the</strong> necessary background before study<strong>in</strong>g its<br />

flctlonallsation by Gllman, Piercy and Atwood.<br />

4.4.1. Critics <strong>of</strong> technological reproductlon argue that<br />

<strong>women's</strong> oppresslon 1s not caused by female biology <strong>in</strong> and <strong>of</strong><br />

~tself, but ra<strong>the</strong>r by man's control <strong>of</strong> that bloloqy - a<br />

control that could become total depend<strong>in</strong>g on how<br />

reproductive technology is developed Mary O'Brien asserts<br />

that if a woman 1s to free herself from man's control, she<br />

has to understand that <strong>the</strong> source <strong>of</strong> her oppresslon is also<br />

t3.e source <strong>of</strong> her liberation Despite <strong>the</strong> fact that <strong>the</strong><br />

process <strong>of</strong> reproductlon has been a bitter trap for women. it<br />

also contalns for her untapped possibilities and freedom<br />

(Tong 1989 78) O'Brlen analyses reproductlon through <strong>the</strong><br />

lens <strong>of</strong> male alienation from reproductlon. Man's allenation<br />

from reproduction, and from children, she says, rests on<br />

three factors First, <strong>the</strong> spatial and temporal cont<strong>in</strong>uity<br />

between <strong>the</strong> ovum and <strong>the</strong> result<strong>in</strong>g chlld is unbroken, taklng<br />

place <strong>in</strong>slde <strong>the</strong> woman's body, whereas <strong>the</strong> Spatial and<br />

temporal cont<strong>in</strong>uity between <strong>the</strong> sperm and <strong>the</strong> result<strong>in</strong>g<br />

child is broken, taklng place outside <strong>the</strong> man's body<br />

Second, women, not men, perform <strong>the</strong> fundamental labour <strong>of</strong>

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