CONCLUSION (THESIS 21.6.15)
Poems by women writers on motherhood and mothering, discussed so far conform to the feminist theorization of motherhood both as a subjugating political institution and an enriching personal experience. The poems may not be exclusively written to expose or explore the themes of motherhood alone, but their approach to this topic is extra ordinarily rich and varied, offering fresh insights into how sexual politics and the related institutions, like marriage, religion, culture and patriarchy, as is believed, often interfere with and mar, the commonly understood, and purely personal experience of being a mother. The dual position on motherhood, as that of a political institutional and that of a personal experience, has …show more content…
This poem is a clear depiction of how various institutions, like patriarchy, marriage and religion as depicted in the poem, suppress women on account of their ability to reproduce. These institutions and their influence on reproduction have been discussed in , Chapter One : Introduction. The biological as well as the socio- cultural aspects of reproduction and motherhood, impact the lives of women. It is the influence of these aspects and their related outcome that shapes feminism’s theories on motherhood. The radical theory, the liberal theory etc are an outcome of such influences. Feminist literary criticism and aesthetics demonstrates the relevance of these theories and aspects on women. Although with the introduction of biological methods and innovations the reproductive ability of women has been reduced to a merely procreative role, as in surrogacy and other related techniques. But womanhood as is, commonly understood, will always remain associated with reproduction and motherhood. Anne Sexton’s poem, ‘In Celebration of my Uterus,’ is a powerful expression of the persona’s delight and celebration, where she romanticises the power of the most unique and wonderful organ the, ‘uterus,’ or the ‘womb, which has been ‘gifted’ to the entire female population. Sexton’s poem, ‘In Celebration of my Uterus’, is an exclusive discourse on this unique organ of reproduction, it celebrates the ‘uterus,’ as a source of power. Sexton evokes images of the ‘Uterus’ as an entity that is beautiful and powerful on its own. She celebrates womanhood in this poem, she says that the presence of the ‘Uterus’ unites all the women in the world, and this unique organ is rather a gift to the women as it enables her to become a mother. Motherhood or the ability to become a mother, as has been depicted here according to the persona, makes the life of a woman more
Poems by women writers on motherhood and mothering, discussed so far conform to the feminist theorization of motherhood both as a subjugating political institution and an enriching personal experience. The poems may not be exclusively written to expose or explore the themes of motherhood alone, but their approach to this topic is extra ordinarily rich and varied, offering fresh insights into how sexual politics and the related institutions, like marriage, religion, culture and patriarchy, as is believed, often interfere with and mar, the commonly understood, and purely personal experience of being a mother. The dual position on motherhood, as that of a political institutional and that of a personal experience, has …show more content…
This poem is a clear depiction of how various institutions, like patriarchy, marriage and religion as depicted in the poem, suppress women on account of their ability to reproduce. These institutions and their influence on reproduction have been discussed in , Chapter One : Introduction. The biological as well as the socio- cultural aspects of reproduction and motherhood, impact the lives of women. It is the influence of these aspects and their related outcome that shapes feminism’s theories on motherhood. The radical theory, the liberal theory etc are an outcome of such influences. Feminist literary criticism and aesthetics demonstrates the relevance of these theories and aspects on women. Although with the introduction of biological methods and innovations the reproductive ability of women has been reduced to a merely procreative role, as in surrogacy and other related techniques. But womanhood as is, commonly understood, will always remain associated with reproduction and motherhood. Anne Sexton’s poem, ‘In Celebration of my Uterus,’ is a powerful expression of the persona’s delight and celebration, where she romanticises the power of the most unique and wonderful organ the, ‘uterus,’ or the ‘womb, which has been ‘gifted’ to the entire female population. Sexton’s poem, ‘In Celebration of my Uterus’, is an exclusive discourse on this unique organ of reproduction, it celebrates the ‘uterus,’ as a source of power. Sexton evokes images of the ‘Uterus’ as an entity that is beautiful and powerful on its own. She celebrates womanhood in this poem, she says that the presence of the ‘Uterus’ unites all the women in the world, and this unique organ is rather a gift to the women as it enables her to become a mother. Motherhood or the ability to become a mother, as has been depicted here according to the persona, makes the life of a woman more