Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution by Adrienne Rich Book Analysis

The era of Postmodernism in American Literature is akin to that of an enlightenment among American writers. A stark contrast of the ethereal, romantic narratives of the literary eras that proceeded before, authors rather than writing the external reality surrounding their characters, instead give an introspective narrative that re-evaluates the nature of society - especially towards the historically marginalized. The demographic of these writers, on par with these growing narratives, is that of children of immigrants, many of whom consisted of Jews; African Americans; only a few generations away from slavery; and eventually, women; with the rise of the feminist movement, one of whom, being Adrienne Rich. Bringing in a pragmatic yet polarizing perspective of the idea of what it means to be the “modern woman,” the influence of Rich’s literary work on post-war culture and the progressive movement is unbounded. Underlying dynamics that defied the white, androcentric, and heteronormative narrative prominent around her time; once considered radical ideas has now paved into the very essence of social rhetoric not only in academia - but also onto mainstream culture. 

In 1976, Rich published Of Woman Born: Motherhood as an Experience and Institution, writing a vivid analysis of the meaning of motherhood, with careful consideration of the social, psychological, and historical dynamics that intertwined with her personal experience with mothering three boys. One aspect of motherhood harmful to mothers that Rich examined was biological mothers have the sole responsibility to intensively nurture their offspring, and "the almost complete dependence of children on mothers is a burden created by a patriarchal society” (O'Reilly 34). Writing about how “[she] was haunted by the stereotype of the mother whose love is ‘unconditional’ and by the visual and literary images of motherhood as single-minded identity” (23), while also identifying that “this circle, this magnetic field [of selfless mothers and needy children] in which [she] lived, was not a natural phenomenon” (23). She entails that loving and caring for children is imperative - it is patriarchal culture that demands biological mothers provide that nurturing and love under unconditional circumstances.

Rather than dissecting motherhood as a polar idea that either glorified or demonized motherhood “as the barrier to all those other things women could accomplish if they were not mothers” (O'Reilly 76),  Rich’s work offered feminists and scholars a greater understanding of the contemporary context that surrounds womanhood and its implications on mothers and society; leading to “a way of understanding and theorizing both the oppressive components of motherhood and the potentially empowering components of mothering… that stepped out of the intellectual and political thinking that [viewed] motherhood as only oppressive to women.” (O’Brien 23). Though as condemning and “nauseous” Rich’s work is upon her male critics, she pivoted awareness of an unwritten cathexis; as during a time of intense patriarchal institutionalization throughout the 1950s and 60s, women in the scholarly community had to curate their work to align to a particular narrative that endorsed a positive portrayal of marriage and womanhood; denying the systematic opposition they faced around this time period to receive respect from male critics.