Memorable Mothers

Literature is rife with dead mothers, abusive mothers, saintly mothers... mothers of all shapes and sizes. Here's a post from BookFinder about the worst mothers in fiction. In honour of Mother's Day, here's my own list of fictional moms to remember:

1) Mrs. Weasley, the Harry Potter series. She always has room for a stray orphan or two, cooks up a storm and is kind of traditional. But she also sticks up for the ones she loves with such awesome lines as "Not my daughter, you bitch!" She's the emotional centre of the Harry Potter books, providing Harry with the kind of familial love he's never known.

2) Mrs. Bennet, Pride and Prejudice. Sure, she comes off as a desperate flirt who embarrasses her two sensible daughters on a regular basis. But she's also just trying to ensure that her girls have financial security - and marriage is really the only route to happiness for Austen's smalltown Bennet family. Whether you hate her or find her endlessly amusing, Mrs. Bennet is essential to much of the novel's satire.

3) Sophie, Sophie's Choice. Faced with an impossible decision, this mother is wracked by guilt for the rest of her life. Possibly one of the most famous mothers in fiction!

4) Wendy Darling, Peter Pan. She's not technically a mother until the very end of the story (when she decides to leave Never Never Land), but Peter and his Lost Boys call her their little mother and adopt her as a sort of protection against some of the sad and lonely aspects of childhood. She represents the comfort and security that real, grown-up mothers are supposed to give to their children.

5) Marmee, Little Women. One of the saintlier mothers in fiction, Marmee is a shining example of womanhood for her four daughters. She counsels the impulsive Jo, teaches fussy Amy to be kind, helps Meg in matters of the heart and comforts Beth on her deathbed. All while running the household in her husband's absence!

6) Anna Karenina, Anna Karenina. At first a devoted mother, Anna's passion for Vronsky causes her to abandon her son - a choice she goes on to regret, especially when she cannot feel the same love for her daughter as she did for her son.

An honourable mention goes out to all those dead mothers in fairy tales and young adult fiction. They may not be present in the story, but their very absence often leaves a gaping hole which with the young hero or heroine must contend. See: Bambi (of course), The Little Mermaid, I Capture the Castle, Beauty and the Beast, many 18th century novels about young girls making their way in the world (Evelina, The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless), Harry Potter again, and so on.

I am working on a post in defense of Oprah's book club. I think I might make it into a two or three part series, so stay tuned.