motherhood

Confused and Lacking: “The Lost Daughter” Erases the Depth of Elena Ferrante's Book

By omitting the rich interiority of the main character, the film adaptation renders flat the book’s complex discussion of motherhood and class.

Policing Parents: Jessamine Chan’s “The School for Good Mothers” Imagines a Carceral State for “Bad” Moms

In Jessamine Chan’s debut novel, “The School for Good Mothers,” the question of how to punish bad mothers is answered by the state, in an America not much different from our own. Read more »

Women in the Picture: The Art Historian Challenging the Western Gaze Through a Feminist Lens

A new book explores the power of artistic imagery from Venus to Beyoncé. Read more »

Personal Parallels: Halsey’s Gothic Film Is a Gendered Journey Through Pregnancy

“I am not a woman, I’m a god / I am not a martyr, I’m a problem.” Read more »

Demon Seed: “False Positive” Treats Wombs as Receptacles for Terror

In each of these films, it’s the male ego that guides the doctors and fathers. Read more »

Mother Monsters: Two New Books Get Raw about Mothering as a “Natural” Role

“Maybe this was what happened to all moms and no one had told her.” Read more »

Bad (White) Moms Dominate Christmas Movies

Perhaps we’re not far enough removed from the bigoted assumptions that moms who don’t fit the mold aren’t parenting correctly. Read more »

Shot to Pieces: “Pieces of a Woman” Is a New Take on a Well-Worn Trope

What does it mean to make an “authentic” film about tragedy? Read more »

Abby Johnson Is Hiding Her Racism behind Her Black Son

“Statistically, my brown son is more likely to commit a violent offense over my white sons, okay?” Read more »

Why Is Activism Reserved for White Moms?

Black mothers have long been doing the work. Read more »

“Impersonation” Explores a Power Struggle Between Two Feminist Moms

What can a woman and a mother with no money afford to say no to? Read more »

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