The Unique Role of the Mother Essay - 1550 Words

The Unique Role of the Mother The discussion about our mother always evokes strong emotions in us. And it should! After all, we lived in her womb for nine months even before we experienced the light of this world. When we try to explain to others what she means to us, or what a mother should be like or do, each of us has a different expression. Each mother is, after all, different. The unique role of the mother will be viewed through the inspection of three short stories: Boys and Girls by Alice Munro, The Boarding House by James Joyce, and I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen. The old, traditional view on the role of the mother is that of the female parent taking primary care of the children and the household. The mother is the†¦show more content†¦She looked out of place, with her bare, lumpy legs, not touched by the sun, her apron still on and damp across the stomach from the supper dishes. (529) It is overlooked that the father would also look out of place if he were inside the house during his workday, invading his wifes territory, unless it was, of course, to come in for his prepared meal at lunchtime. Through the daughters descriptions, the reader can see that the father does his imperative work outside the home, and the mothers job was not considered as being important: work done out of doors, and in my fathers service, was ritualistically important (530). It is evident within the happenings of the story that the mother is not necessarily appreciated for what she dutifully does for her family. My mother, I felt, was not to be trusted#8230;.You could not depend on her, and the real reasons for the things she said and did were not to be known (530). Yet, the narrators mother went out of her way for everyone else, neglecting herself. She would tie her hair up [in a kerchief] in the morning, saying she did not have time to do it properly, and it would stay tied up all day (5 29). She is too busy holding the never-ending task of mother hood and womanhood, carrying out her duties quietly and inconspicuously, knowing this is her job. Every mother wants the best for her child, and typically wants to ensure that her child has the life she could not,Show MoreRelatedSummary Of Girl By Jamaica Kincaid1204 Words   |  5 Pagesfind ways to satisfy society. Women have at times needed to follow particular guidelines in order to maintain standing in society. Jamaica Kincaid’s in her book â€Å"Girl† conveys a mother and daughter to represent particular social issues during post colonialism. In Girl the daughter serves as a representation of what the mother believes to be society’s ideal woman. 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