The ambivalences of motherhood: an analysis of Anna in Com Armas Sonolentas by Carola Saavedra

Abstract

It is through the body and sexuality, taken as aspects that demarcate the negativity and inferiority of the female subject, that women are oppressed and dominated. In this context, issues related to motherhood were constructed under the pillars of patriarchy, a discourse that historically subjugated and silenced the female subject. Motherhood has been constituted as an exercise of selflessness and devotion by the woman, who is primarily responsible for caring for her offspring. There is a certainty that a mother’s love is innate and unquestionable. Furthermore, the achievement of motherhood is understood as a confirmation of femininity, and failing to fulfill this role is seen as a mark of deviance. However, nowadays, maternal status is being reviewed to understand that the construction of the woman-mother permeates a multiplicity of experiences. The present work aimed to reflect on the construction of the mother-subject in the work Com armas sonolentas, published in 2018, by Carola Saavedra. The study, which focuses on the motherhood of the character Anna, points to the perception that the narrative analyzed presents a form of motherhood that deconstructs the ideals reserved for this institution, thus exposing the ambivalences and multiple experiences involved in this activity. The discussion is based on the theoretical contributions of Nancy Chodorow (1978), Elizabeth Badinter (1985), Adrienne Rich (1986) and Orna Donath (2017).