literaturesworstmothers

posts about #literaturesworstmothers more →
Mommie Dearest

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

FashionShowAtLunch
05/11/09

In reply to Mommie Dearest
Come on- Emma Bovary didn't make that list?
Reply

FashionShowAtLunch was starred

PhDork
05/10/09

In reply to Mommie Dearest
Jocasta? Really? It's not like she chose to have her infant exposed, or knew that Oedipus was her kid when she married him (not that she had any say in the matter, anyway). Medea, as NellMood said, maybe (although she argues that she's saving them from a terrible fate as outcasts, etc.), but not Jocasta. And hello, Clytemnesta?
Reply

PhDork was starred PhDork was unstarred

hej hej
05/10/09

In reply to Mommie Dearest
There were lots of bad moms in Charles Dickens' works. Arthur Clenham's mother was terrible. And Miss Havisham messed Estella up pretty bad.
Reply

hej hej was starred hej hej was unstarred

NellMood
05/10/09

In reply to Mommie Dearest
Medea. Medea was a mean mommy. Um, old Medea. Not the Medea from those movies.
Reply

NellMood was starred NellMood was unstarred

MsTriste
05/10/09

In reply to Mommie Dearest
I would put the mom from White Oleander at the top of the list. The most pathologically narcissistic person in literature, and a killer to boot.
Reply

MsTriste was starred MsTriste was unstarred

Ipomoea
05/10/09

@MsTriste: Ingrid. She was horrible. I love that book.
Reply

Ipomoea was starred Ipomoea was unstarred

midwesternmom
05/10/09

@MsTriste: Most of the foster mothers could qualify for Honorable Mention. That book was heartbreaking.
Reply

midwesternmom was starred midwesternmom was unstarred

AnotherJenn
05/10/09

In reply to Mommie Dearest
Sarah from Little Children? Really? I mean, yes, she's not a terribly engaged mother and she does have an affair but she's not that bad. Anna Karenina abandoned her child and would barely be in the presence of her subsequent children. Surely that's worse. There are so many worse examples of adulterous, bad mothers than Sarah. That's just lazy list-making. Or slut-shaming. Sounds like the real problem is that she had an affair at all.
Reply

AnotherJenn was starred AnotherJenn was unstarred

BellaTricks
05/10/09

@AnotherJenn: Yeah, the inclusion of Sarah made me sad. I saw Sarah's major conflict as finding a balance between being a mother, being a wife, and having separate personal identity. Unless I'm remembering incorrectly, she never neglected her child while she was having the affair, so I have trouble agreeing with her status on the list.
Reply

BellaTricks was starred BellaTricks was unstarred

AnotherJenn
05/10/09

@BellaTricks: She didn't neglect her child. She doesn't exactly thrive in her daughter's presence, but she doesn't abuse her or do anything near what the other mothers on the list do. She kind of used Lucy as a pawn to go to the pool and get close to Todd, but the affair is carried on while Lucy and Todd's kid nap and they have fun together. She also brings Lucy to the park with her when she plans on running off with Todd, so no abandonment.

It seems like her major sin in the list-maker's eyes is having an affair at all. Probably also the whole not being 100% fulfilled just from being a Mommy. Because, you know, only horrible mothers struggle with finding room for themselves and their own dreams after becoming mothers.
Reply

AnotherJenn was starred AnotherJenn was unstarred

BellaTricks
05/10/09

@AnotherJenn: The selfish sluts!
Reply

BellaTricks was starred BellaTricks was unstarred

kelsium
05/10/09

@AnotherJenn: Yeah, that bothered me too.
Reply

kelsium was starred kelsium was unstarred

misspell
05/10/09

In reply to Mommie Dearest
I would add Gregor Samsa's mom to the list, but yikes, I think I might've reacted the same way she did.

Also there's this really long book that I haven't read, and there's a woman in it called Eve who is supposedly the mother of everybody, and a few people have told me that she wreaked quite a bit of havoc on civilization.
Reply

misspell was starred misspell was unstarred

Ipomoea
05/10/09

@misspell: Yo, that bitch is crazy. Her husband's first wife is pretty bad as well, from what I understand, what with birthing demons and all.
Reply

Ipomoea was starred Ipomoea was unstarred

BellaTricks
05/10/09

In reply to Mommie Dearest
I'd also like to nominate Lila Wingo from The Prince of Tides for an honorable mention.
Reply

BellaTricks was starred BellaTricks was unstarred

FurrierAndIves
05/10/09

@BellaTricks: I miss Pat Conroy.
Reply

FurrierAndIves was starred FurrierAndIves was unstarred

NellMood
05/10/09

@FurrierAndIves: I agree. Isn't it time for a new book from him? I can't believe Beach Music was his last novel.
Reply

NellMood was starred NellMood was unstarred

Antrack
05/10/09

@NellMood: I saw on Amazon one is coming out this summer. Check their beach read preview.
Reply

Antrack was starred Antrack was unstarred

NellMood
05/10/09

@Antrack: Oh, thanks! That's great news!
Reply

NellMood was starred NellMood was unstarred

FurrierAndIves
05/10/09

@NellMood: Among other motivators, the novel made me want to move to Rome. Still want to.
Reply

FurrierAndIves was starred FurrierAndIves was unstarred

NellMood
05/10/09

@FurrierAndIves: Rome wouldn't be too bad. I grew up in South Carolina, and Pat Conroy's books so perfectly capture the mood and feelings of my hometown. He's so great at setting the scenery in his books.
Reply

NellMood was starred NellMood was unstarred

midwesternmom
05/10/09

In reply to Mommie Dearest
Another non-fiction nominee--the mom from A Boy Called It. That woman deserves a special burning place in hell for all she put her son through.
Reply

midwesternmom was starred midwesternmom was unstarred

Triphena
05/10/09

In reply to Mommie Dearest
Non fiction, but the mom from The Glass Castle really wins an award. (We'll save the hate for the dad until Father's Day.)
Reply

Triphena was starred Triphena was unstarred

margareita metermaid
05/10/09

@Triphena: Bad fathers in literature are too easy! :)
Reply

NellMood
05/10/09

@Triphena: It was painful to read about that mother. I got really angry reading that book.
Reply

NellMood was starred NellMood was unstarred

Triphena
05/10/09

@NellMood: When I got to that total WTF?! with her mom at the end I actually had to put the book down and go for a walk. I've never had any sort of reaction to a book like that before, like just incensed. How you could ever put your children through all that knowing full well you could stop it is beyond me.
Reply

Triphena was starred Triphena was unstarred

NellMood
05/10/09

@Triphena: Yeah, I had to take a break, too. I don't think I'd ever be able to forgive my parents if that had been my life. That level of selfishness just makes me ill.
Reply

NellMood was starred NellMood was unstarred

margareita metermaid
05/10/09

In reply to Mommie Dearest
I loved Flowers in the Attic. VC Andrews was the author we traded around in sixth grade, pre internet, when ya still had to find your scandalous/titillating moments in books/movies.

in terms of shitty moms, I'd say in real life, Joan Crawford, Nico, and the woman who was on Jez awhile ago who wrote an article in the newspaper about how she didn't love her daughter, along with a pic. of her and her daughter.
Reply

BellaTricks
05/10/09

In reply to Mommie Dearest
HOW did the mom from Sybil not make this list?!
Reply

BellaTricks was starred BellaTricks was unstarred

Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion

#literaturesworstmothers

Jezebel

SUBSCRIBE TO Jezebel

Mommie Dearest

Login

Reset Password

Register

Submit Your Comment