the problematics of motherhood in twentieth century women's fiction

254
conceivable human woe is attributed to the mother. The
father's failures are considered less serious than the
mother's mlstakes because fathers are out of the child's
life most of the time The mother, caught in a vicious
circle, is held responsible for the children's psychological
and behavloural problems. Kate and Sam comprehend that if
they work, they are accused of child neglect, if they stay
at home and devote themselves to the chlldren, they are
berated for smothering their offsprlng. The absent or cold
father 1s rarely seen as the cause of problem chlldren.
Mothers, on the other hand, are warned about the dlre
consequences of llttle or too much love and are therefore
told to perform thelr task wlth great diligence as even one
false move or dereliction of duty could mark the chlld for
ever.
6.6.2. Freudian psychoanalysls has been the chlef factor
in singllng out the mother for speclal attention
Freudlan m:croscope,
Under the
the mother became the scapegoat for
anythlng that went wrong in the famlly
comments In thls context
Betty Frleden
It was suddenly discovered that the mother could
be blamed for almost everything In every case
history of troubled child, alcoholic, suicidal,
schizophrenic, psychopathic, neurotlc adult,
Impotent, homosexual male; frlgld, promlscuous
female: ulcerous, asthmatic, and otherwise
drsturbed American, could be found a mother
[Frledan 1971:1891 .