Reading this section of The Awakening, there was a distinct heaviness. In chapters 29–39, watching Edna detach from everything that is supposed to define her, like motherhood, felt uncomfortable but also powerful. The book kept reminding me how much pressure she is under to be what everyone expects. When she says she would give up her life for her children but not herself, that line really stuck with me. I felt like that perfectly encapsulates the conflict she is dealing with. She loves her children, but she doesn’t want to completely erase herself for them. That made me think about how even today, moms are still expected to sacrifice everything without question.
In Johnson’s “Motherhood,” I felt like the idea of motherhood being more of a social role than just a biological thing really stood out to me. That was the first thing I saw while reading. It made me realize how much of what we think of as “natural” about mothers is actually shaped by culture. It was kind of frustrating reading it because it made me think about how women are trained to believe that motherhood should be their fulfillment as good citizens and women in general. And if they don’t feel that way, something is wrong with them. This connects so much to Edna, because she doesn’t feel that “mother-woman” identity at all, and people see her as selfish for it.
Brooks’ “The Mother” (the poem) made the idea of motherhood feel intense and almost overwhelming. Its sad because it talks about loss and choice in such a personal way. It made me think about reproductive choice in a way that isn’t political first, but emotional first. I felt like it showed how complicated these decisions are. It’s not just right or wrong, it’s layered with so much regret and pain and love. That made me think about how society often debates reproductive rights in a loud, angry way, but doesn’t always center the actual feelings of the women involved.
Pollack’s “Milk” made motherhood look and feel very physical. I felt like it brought the body back into the conversation. Sometimes discussions about motherhood are so idealized, but this reading reminded me that it’s also bodily. It made me think about how much women’s bodies are monitored and judged, especially when it comes to pregnancy or choosing not to have children.
Tying this to today, I feel like these readings are still extremely relevant. Reproductive choice is constantly being debated, and women’s autonomy over their own bodies is still questioned. I feel like Edna’s struggle is not just about the 1800’s. It GENUINELY feels modern. Still, women who openly say they don’t want children, or that motherhood isn’t their whole identity, get judged. And at the same time, mothers are expected to do everything perfectly, work like they don’t have kids, and parent like they don’t have jobs.
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