Motherhood as Vocation

Of Woman Born motherliness as Experience and Institution reveals the trials and tribulations of mothers everywhere and across time through the voice and experiences of its author, Adrienne voluminous. This classic effect of feminist literature is an exceptionally relevant work even after the thirty years since its accredited publication. maternalism, as described by Rich, is a Sacred Calling with a healthy dose of irony. From this description it is non entirely clear the depth of Richs personal experience and perception of motherhood. In reading the book, though, her put across of motherhood as a skewed institution beats entirely clear.Rich describes her experiences in motherhood as being fairly forgettable save for the exception of anxiety, physical weariness, anger, self blame, boredom and divisions within herself. These feelings take c ar to sum up the experiences of many mothers and, yet, we also often hear of the fine points of mothering, as well. We hear of the joyous ness in hearing a childs first words. We hear of the fun in taking a tot to the park for exploration.Even the trials we hear of regarding the trouble-making teens seem laced with a subtle but happy schmaltzy reflection. Richs reflections on motherhood, though, only seem to fixate on the l wizliness, fears and negativity associated with the difficult occupation of motherhood. Readers are not privileged to the enjoyable aspects of her motherhood experiences. In fact, readers are made to conceive that, perhaps, all motherhood was for Rich was the trials and tribulations.The view of motherhood that readers get from Richs descriptions is that she feels put upon, oppressed by the institution of motherhood and a fate of a culture (motherhood) that is undervalued and under-appreciated. Yet motherhood is perhaps the most vital institution of all. So duration the integral components of this institution, the mothers, must embark on the grand journey for which they received the sacred calli ng, they are not estimablely rewarded but, instead, penalized for participating. Therein, perhaps, lies the biggest irony of all motherhood is the institution that keeps civilization running and, yet, this multifaceted position has become one of the least valued.Throughout history, as Rich sees it, mothers train not received the admiration they are due. Instead, they pull in been oppressed and treated as though their roles are to be evaluate but not appreciated. In addition to this hegemonically accepted perception of motherhood, women pass been made to feel as though their briny function as a human being is to reproduce. Thus, women have been made to feel as though they are only true women through the act of bearing and raising children.At the time of the books writing, the Womens effort was in full swing and the sad state of the institution of motherhood had become even more than pitiful. Although women were entering the workforce more and more, mothers were still being tre ated as second class citizens who were expected to maintain their roles of mother over all else. But, the situation was becoming even worse. Now, women were elated to be welcomed (or jolly welcomed) into the workforce and, yet, they were soon to be expected to take on everything in addition to motherhoodThings have progressively gotten worse for women in the institution of motherhood. With the Womens Movement and its combining with the established role of motherhood, women have bought in to the ideal that they are, in fact, expected to take on everything. Women have been allowed to work the long days and like men, but something is different between the sexes women are still expected to tend to the children and the household just as much as the pre-Womens Movement days.So, really, women are taking on the jobs of at least two people and being sold on the idea that this is the best of both worlds. Richs trials took place in the termination of her own household without the added tro uble of trying to incorporate her working life. In Of Woman Born Motherhood as Experience and Institution, Rich sounds most bothered, in her motherhood experiences, by the boredom of her life and the fateiness of outside outlets available to her. That is, Richs story appears to be one of a bored mother with only her children to direction on. For someone like Rich who had career aspirations and maybe didnt necessarily even possess the drive to have children, the institution of motherhood only served to hold her back and push her down.The institution of motherhood is one that is sure enough oppressive. I believe it is, as Rich suggests, a means by which patriarchal influences have maintain control over womankind. However, part of being a mother is the desire to want to mother. I believe that times have changed somewhat since the time of the writing and more and more women are seeing that they do not have to bear and raise children out of obligation. Of course, there is the new pro blem that women feel the need to be Superwomen and do it all, but at least the weight to bear children is a flexible one that can be lifted if desired.Hegemonic ideals will always dominate, but personal choice can have a greater influence if we have faith in ourselves and our roles in life. Although the institution of motherhood may always be tainted by the facets that serve to oppress mothers everywhere, personal choice can in the end dictate our place in the world, individual roles of motherhood and the ability to enjoy that role if it is ones true chosen path.