Love and Hate in James Cain's Mildred Pierce

Love and Hate in James Cain's Mildred Pierce

Some may say that the character Mildred Pierce of the novel, Mildred

Pierce by James Cain, may be a good role model for an entrepreneur or a

single working mother. Some may say that she was hopelessly devoted to

her ungrateful daughter, Veda. Some may also argue that Veda was a

terrible daughter who lacked compassion, sincerity, and most of all,

respect. As true as that may all be, the candlelight glowing about the

flawless, sugar-coated heroine shall be blown out. Fluorescent lights,

please.

Mildred Pierce loved her daughter. Perhaps she had loved Veda too

much. One questions how a woman can love such a bitch - a coloratura

soprano. Could it have been another type of love? Mildred had an

exaggerated sense of self-importance. She felt the need for attention and

admiration from others, particularly Veda. Mildred Pierce took people for

granted or exploited them with an unusual coolness. Had Mildred Pierce

been a real person, and ever introduced to Sigmund Freud, the verdict

would be in. Mildred Pierce suffers from Narcissism. Another kind of

love, indeed! She simply had fallen in love with her reflection (as the

disorder was named for the mythological Narcissus, who fell in love with

his own reflection) - Veda Pierce, that is.

In 1991, Sophie Freud, granddaughter of Sigmund Freud, explained that

the narcissistic mother has a great investment in her daughters. The

survival of women greatly depends on loving, and whether she is loved.

Narcissistic actions are ambivalent. "In order to develop into a woman

[the narcissist mother believes] a daughter needs sufficient libidinal

resources to identify with her female partner [mother]..." (Fenchel).

Mildred Pierce fits the description. That must explain the sensual vibes

- but unfortunately Veda was not the type of daughter to want to identify

with her mother. Mildred's character ached for approval from Veda.