“What you do to children matters”: motherhood in Toni Morrison’s god help the child
Motherhood is again at the core of Toni Morrison’s last novel, God Help the Child. Morrison deals with one typical African American family, a single mother, Sweetness, with a daughter, Lula Ann. Sweetness is a mixed woman who can pass for white, but becomes exposed as a result of the birth of her b...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidad de Jaén
2016-07-01
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| Series: | The Grove |
| Online Access: | http://revistaselectronicas.ujaen.es/index.php/grove/article/view/2519 |
| _version_ | 1798000445800579072 |
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| author | Manuela López Ramírez |
| author_facet | Manuela López Ramírez |
| author_sort | Manuela López Ramírez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Motherhood is again at the core of Toni Morrison’s last novel, God Help the Child. Morrison deals with one typical African American family, a single mother, Sweetness, with a daughter, Lula Ann. Sweetness is a mixed woman who can pass for white, but becomes exposed as a result of the birth of her blue-black daughter. Sweetness’s internalization of the racist views of a race-conscious America during the 1950s leads her to self-loathing and low self-esteem. Thus, she resorts to authoritarian parenting practices so as, she seems to believe, to protect her child from getting hurt, however, her toxic mothering has dramatic consequences. Lula Ann’s struggle to achieve self-definition requires assuming responsibility for her actions and Sweetness comes to realize that what you do to your child matters.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T11:20:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-38d7410f071f4ec4ad113d940999f469 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1137-005X 2386-5431 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T11:20:23Z |
| publishDate | 2016-07-01 |
| publisher | Universidad de Jaén |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Grove |
| spelling | doaj.art-38d7410f071f4ec4ad113d940999f4692022-12-22T04:27:06ZengUniversidad de JaénThe Grove1137-005X2386-54312016-07-0122“What you do to children matters”: motherhood in Toni Morrison’s god help the childManuela López Ramírez0Independent Scholar Motherhood is again at the core of Toni Morrison’s last novel, God Help the Child. Morrison deals with one typical African American family, a single mother, Sweetness, with a daughter, Lula Ann. Sweetness is a mixed woman who can pass for white, but becomes exposed as a result of the birth of her blue-black daughter. Sweetness’s internalization of the racist views of a race-conscious America during the 1950s leads her to self-loathing and low self-esteem. Thus, she resorts to authoritarian parenting practices so as, she seems to believe, to protect her child from getting hurt, however, her toxic mothering has dramatic consequences. Lula Ann’s struggle to achieve self-definition requires assuming responsibility for her actions and Sweetness comes to realize that what you do to your child matters. http://revistaselectronicas.ujaen.es/index.php/grove/article/view/2519 |
| spellingShingle | Manuela López Ramírez “What you do to children matters”: motherhood in Toni Morrison’s god help the child The Grove |
| title | “What you do to children matters”: motherhood in Toni Morrison’s god help the child |
| title_full | “What you do to children matters”: motherhood in Toni Morrison’s god help the child |
| title_fullStr | “What you do to children matters”: motherhood in Toni Morrison’s god help the child |
| title_full_unstemmed | “What you do to children matters”: motherhood in Toni Morrison’s god help the child |
| title_short | “What you do to children matters”: motherhood in Toni Morrison’s god help the child |
| title_sort | what you do to children matters motherhood in toni morrison s god help the child |
| url | http://revistaselectronicas.ujaen.es/index.php/grove/article/view/2519 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT manuelalopezramirez whatyoudotochildrenmattersmotherhoodintonimorrisonsgodhelpthechild |