Jessica Lange's Portrayal Of Motherhood

Actress Jessica Lange once said, “The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. When you become a mother, you are no longer the center of your universe. You relinquish that position to your children. ” Lange’s statement implies motherhood comprises of selflessness, that women have a natural inclination to forswear their aspirations to assist their children to pursue their own. Nonetheless, other prevalent notions about motherhood share this same idiosyncrasy. Motherhood places the child’s needs above everyone else’s. Mothers who devote themselves to their children develop a large portion of their identities through their roles as mothers, sometimes to the point where they will do nothing else but raise their children. This is especially

true in Japan, where traditional gender roles present themselves in modern day society and young women stay home and raise their children.
Contrastingly, young, Japanese women today disagree with this vision society has for them to stay at home and solely focus on rearing children. Japanese women want to pursue further studies and procure work experience so they can provide for themselves, resulting in later marriages and a delay in child planning. This perspective change has engendered a decrease in Japan’s population, as the population is aging and not enough children are born. Yet what factors influenced these young women to transform their views on motherhood? The media, especially magazines and anime, play a salient role, as numerous people in Japan interact with these media outlets on a day to day basis. Magazines and anime have a preconceived definition of motherhood, often portraying the ideal version of motherhood or critiquing any change from the ideal. Seeing this image constantly, especially amongst a diverse population, brings forth mixed feelings about motherhood: a pressure to fulfill a societal role, but also anxiety about doing so incorrectly. Because of the strong ties motherhood has with identity, media outlets, such as magazines and anime, depict harsh critiques towards women who do not represent the “ideal” mother. This criticism discourages young women from forming their own families, ultimately leading to Japan’s diminishing population.
Countless parents read home magazines for parental advice and tips to make their child raising efficient. Japan does not differ in this respect. This is due to the validity of print media, especially periodical material, being regarded as more authentic than any other form . One notable aspect about these magazines regards the families portrayed. These parenting magazines depict a nuclear family that consists of a father, a mother, and one or two children; minimal variations exist on this depiction of family. Another notable detail regards the presentation of mothers. Magazines typically portray mothers as youthful and happy, and often display them with their problem free children . This attractive depiction of motherhood makes motherhood appear more enjoyable to women.
Despite this positive depiction, the image of motherhood presented fails in various aspects. To begin with, a diverse group of mothers may find it difficult to relate to this portrayal of motherhood. As women opt to have children later, a great deal of them are past the youthful ages typically shown in these magazines. This lack of diversity makes it difficult for mothers and mothers-to-be to fully relate to and conceive the notion of youthful motherhood. Also, magazines manifest mothers as jovial. These magazines disregard serious challenges a mother may face, such as raising a child with a disability or caring for children when going through a divorce. Not to mention, mothers facing these obstacles find it difficult to talk about with other mothers, as conversations do not revolve around these issues . This leaves numerous women feeling alone and like they have nowhere to turn. Due to this lack of relatability, magazines model motherhood as unappealing—no woman wants to be in a situation where she has nowhere to turn to when facing these challenges.
For the mothers that can partake in the advice, the advice given in the magazines have a prescriptive tone .

The tone given in the magazines makes the women feel like they must follow the advice given in the magazine if they want their children to grow up well and be productive members of Japanese society. Some magazines go as far as providing a time table to show mothers how to spend their day with their children. This time table appears controlling, as someone, who may not even have children, tells mothers how to spend their time. While home magazines intend to make motherhood more attractive, they do exactly the opposite through their inability to relate to the majority of readers. The portrayal of motherhood exhibits an unrealistic ideal—an ideal that a young, Japanese woman would consider unwanted. Conversely, other media, such as anime, demonstrate relatable mother figures, but also criticizes how these mother figures deviate from the

ideal.
Kawamoto Kihachiro’s animated work, The Poet’s Life, presents the viewer with a relatable mother figure: a working class mother that devotes herself to providing for her family.

However, the film criticizes the mother-figure’s social-economic status. In her essay, The Institutionalization of Motherhood in Japan: The Evolution of “Mother” Since the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Ninomiya Reiko writes: “Middle class is a matter of status as well as income and is signaled by subtler cues: how we live, what we spend our money on, and what expectations we have for the future .” Ninomiya’s comment states social class affects a mother’s ability to raise her children. Furthermore, Ninomiya’s comment implies that belonging to the middle (or upper) classes brings a status and respect the working class cannot attain. In this film, the mother has no option but to work to provide for her family. The Poet’s Life introduces the mother-figure spooling yarn during the evening while her son lies on the floor. From this short introduction, it appears the mother expects little in return from her son, as he just lies on the floor while she works. Nevertheless, tired as she may be, she keeps on working because of her devotion to her

family.
Eventually, the mother runs out of yarn and she, herself, transmutes into yarn and gets spooled. Her transformation into yarn illustrates the practicality of her role as a mother. Yarn serves useful during the cold weather because people can knit sweaters with it to stay warm. Likewise, a mother’s role serves beneficial, as mothers play an important role in socializing their children so they can thrive in society. The yarn’s ability to create other items suggests that a mother’s role has some versatility. Admittedly, limitations exist for a mother’s role. For example, yarn can only produce knitted products. Similarly, a mother can serve as a friend or confidante, but these roles do not deviate from the ideal notion of motherhood—in fact, they are expected!
However, the most notable aspect about the mother’s transformation regards her objectification and removal of human qualities. First, the mother’s transformation into yarn identifies her as a working-class woman, as she is transformed into the fundamental object of her job as a yarn spooler. This transformation into yarn criticizes the mother’s decision to work because it connotes work has taken over her life, as she becomes her work. Secondly, the mother undergoes another transformation under her yarn form: a sweater. This transformation establishes the ideal mother’s utmost quality: devotion to her children. When the mother, in her sweater form, finds her son in the gelid winter, their reunion demonstrates her ability to keep her son safe and warm. The mother’s instinct to find her son bespeaks her son comprises an integral part of her identity. The mother does everything to benefit her son. Albeit the mother still watches over her son while in her sweater form, she does not get the appreciation she deserves. This lack of appreciation parallels the lack of appreciation working class mothers (and mothers in general) receive. Their significant role in raising their children is overlooked, not just by outsiders, but by a mother’s own children as well.