My Favourite Literary Mothers

To celebrate mother’s day this Sunday I thought I’d make a list of some of my favourite fictional mothers from literature. My list is quite eclectic and is not purely made up of ‘doting’ perfect mothers but instead a more real and authentic portrayal of motherhood alongside some who are just good, strong characters. There will be spoilers ahead.

Foster 

This may just be my new favourite book! Now for this list I’m not referring to our protagonist's actual mother but instead her aunt. She is a character who represents so many great things; patience, kindness and love. She looks after her niece with such genuine care and always has pure intentions. There is also tragedy underlining her character after the loss of her own son. There are moments where she perhaps projects her loss onto our protagonist, wanting to dress her in her son's clothes until her husband points out others' judgment. How desperate she is to give all her love to a child is palpable. It reminds me of how people often wonder where the love for someone they have lost goes. In this case it is clear. There is also a sense of guilt that can be felt especially when her niece has a dangerous accident. What makes her such an interesting character as a mother is her layers and the fact that she doesn't have a child to raise despite it being clear that she would be excellent at doing it if she had the chance. She is a great portrayal of a mother, one who is nurturing and patient. She is not perfect, but that doesn’t matter, her love for children is generous and over-rides her faults. 

Nightbitch  

This is one of the most brutally honest representations of new motherhood I have come across in fiction. The novel reflects the frustrations and exhaustions of motherhood; the loss of identity, the feeling of being a married single mother and also the fear of turning into a dog, of course. The book reaches for those primal maternal feelings that can be repressed. We witness and feel our protagonist losing the socialised human side of herself in the isolation that having a baby can evoke. Again, Nightbitch is by no means a perfect mother, she feeds her son raw meat and murders his cat. I doubt these things are recommended in parenting books. These scenes are brutal, sometimes quite sad but they are real. However, it is not all doom and gloom for Nightbitch. We are shown how in early motherhood there is a groove to be found, support to be embraced and you may just find yourself running with a pack of dogs in the night. 

The lovely Bones   

For those of you who have read The Lovely Bones, this may seem like a strange choice. Abigail begins an affair and literally abandons her family after her daughter is murdered. She is far from perfect and that's the point. She loses her personality, dreams and aspirations in order to pursue suburban motherhood. Then the family unit she has sacrificed herself for is destroyed. Although she harms her family in leaving, this allows her character to explore her depth. There is a repeated motif in Abigail's character of the ocean. She as an ocean is vast, deep and she is lost in herself. As she travels to California she reconnects with her free spirited self, rediscovering who she is away from motherhood. However, she realises her family is where the foundations of her life lie. When her husband becomes unwell she comes home and resumes her position in her family to help them finally heal too. Perhaps this return to suburban motherhood is bittersweet. Maybe she’ll have to lose herself again but I feel through her journey she is able to find a new healthier way to be with her family. The novel is from Susie’s, Abigail’s murdered daughter, perspective and by doing this we see a child realise how much mothers sacrifice to raise and love us. 

Pride and Prejudice 

Mrs Bennet is just a great character. She adds so much humour to the novel and feels very tangible. It’s good to know that ‘nervy’ mothers have lasted the test of time and I’m sure lots of us know some mothers who are just like her. She embodies a meddling mother who is constantly stressed out by her daughter's behaviour. I also love her and Mr Bennet's relationship and how he just about put up with her. Throughout reading Mrs Bennet’s little panics were what made me laugh the most. I also feel that she is a great character who obviously cares for her children and wants her daughters to achieve strong marriages so that they can live happy lives. The stress she feels is actually fairly justified even if how it’s written is very funny.

Normal People 

I am obviously not going to include Marinanne’s mother in this blog post. If I made a literary mums I hate list she’d be better suited there. Instead I’m talking about Connell’s mum, Lorraine. She is a single, working class mother who clearly has had some struggles with raising Connell alone but her financial and personal struggles do not impede on her morals. One of the best moment’s in the book is when she gets out of Connells car after finding out about how he’d been treating Marianne. She won’t defend her son's poor actions but is still a supportive mother who will always urge her son to do the right thing. I think by showing her being disappointed in her son reinforces the strong values she has tried to instill in her son as a mother. This also illustrates the frustration of motherhood; how you can try your hardest to raise a good person but the pressures of society, especially at a school age, can fight against you. Another great thing about her character is how she notices how Marianne’s family have treated her and essentially takes her in to offer some kindness where it had been lacking. She is a warm, friendly but strong character and this is reflected in how she mothers Connell but also Marianne in some ways.