Motherhood in Book Clubs
COMM 411 Representations of Motherhood - Novel Assignment
The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls by Julie Shumacher
Julie Schumacher’s novel, The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls, provides an opportunity for us to look at modern day motherhood from multiple perspectives. The book club in which the novel is centered around is established by the moms of the teenage girls for their AP English class. This sets the scene as motherhood in 2012 serving a key role in their daughters’ lives – making education a priority, exposing them to friendships they otherwise wouldn’t have, and caring about their futures. However, motherhood is also seen through a lens of the typical teenage angst and rocky relationship that is common among teenage daughters and their mothers.
It is important to note that several of the mothers “forced” (6) their daughters’ membership in the book club. This fact shows us how motherhood is sometimes doing what is good for your children despite their immaturity or different opinions. It also indicates a role of a mother as having say, influence, or power in her daughter’s life which may not always be seen as positive. The fact that CeeCee “wouldn’t mind a father daughter book club” because they’re “not as annoying” (12) reinforces a typical teenage mentality that mothers interject themselves in their children’s lives. Their relationship serves to show us one situation where a controlling mother daughter relationship results in a rebellious teen. On the other hand, the absence of Jill’s mom at the book club meetings represents the absence of motherhood. Jill, the adopted Asian daughter of non-Asian parents, struggles in different ways because of her lack of supportive role model. Motherhood is seen not only in the physical absence of mothers, but also in the absent mindedness in Wallis’ mom. This situation, however, allows her to make her own decisions and gives her necessary freedom in the development of her character.
[1] P&G Motherhood Report in 2012