Analysis of Mother-Daughter Relationship with reference to Oneness and Separateness; From Infant to Individual by Louis J Kaplan
Chapter 7: Coda- The Way of Life
“The cycle of female oppression will be reinforced as the mother turns away from her daughter when she does not embody the attributes the mother wished. Should the daughter strive to acquire such envied attributes, her mother will subtly undermine her ambition. Liberated women who have managed to soar above the commonplace traps of marriage and motherhood exhibit their … lofty contempt for domesticated women.”
Kaplan’s analysis of conflicting mother-daughter relationships is appropriate to consider when observing the relationship between Ana and her mother Jesusa. She bore little to no resemblance to the rest of her family, who were tall, light-haired and light-eyed men and women. The desire for a male heir made her feel both inferior and guilty as a young girl. She was blamed for her mother’s barren state, while being condemned for her gender. Ana’s childhood developed without a true female role model, for her own mother made sure to ignore her in both the public and private arena. “She wondered if other girls felt as she did, that she was of no consequence and unwanted by her parents. She resented Jesusa’s obvious detachment at the same time she tried, unsuccessfully to earn her love.” (pg 13)
With an imperious and criticizing mother, Ana strove to embody all the characteristics that her mother had not. In her teen years she developed an independent disposition that dared her to “take control of her own destiny.” Her unrelenting desire for adventure and individualism lead her to into libraries to acquire the knowledge that would separate her from her female peers. Complete independence of women in early 1800’s Spain was an unheard of indulgence, so she used charisma and intellect to manipulate her conservative society.
Nice work here!
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