Misguided Archetype

Much of my reading, writing, and research regarding motherhood shows either one or both sides of the juxtaposition of the expected appearance and behavior of mothers vs. the reality of, or how individual women would actually like to enact, motherhood. Women living motherhood right now often come up against this tension on a daily basis. In this module, we will explore the foundations of the fallacy of the perfect mother.

In 1941 Britain, as part of their welfare food initiatives, the Ministry of Food released this advertisement, urging women to best welcome their baby with “a beautiful body, a contented disposition and [as] a healthy, happy mother.” An actual advertisement for the “idea of maternal-health perfection”.

While this advertisement overtly exploits the idea of perfection for the sake of the offspring, it is but one block building the foundation of the misguided archetype of motherhood. Below are more contributing factors building the facade.

* above graphic inspired by information from Lehr and Cleghorn (see related reading) *

Post-war America (and Britain) in the 1950s was the fertile breeding ground for such an archetype – pun certainly intended, and some would argue socially engineered. Our soldiers were coming home, the roles that women had filled in their absence no longer went unfulfilled, and the population, affected by absence and casualties, needed boosting. Whether a Ruben-esque ploy to suggest fertility or stir soldiers’ loins, publications painted women as buxom nest-makers. A domestic intersection of motherhood, home economics, and beauty pageant.

So how did we get where we are today?

Obviously a lot happened in home life, work conditions, human rights, and legislation between then and now – and we will get into that in future modules – but history does form the basis for today’s image of the perfect mother.