REIMAGINING MOTHERHOOD: MATERNAL ABSENCE AND THE POLITICS OF DISPOSSESSED MATERNAL IDENTITY IN LYNNE HUGO’S MOTHERS OF FATE
Keywords:
Maternal Absence, Dispossessed Motherhood, Marginalization, Mothering, Social Stigma, Sociocultural IdentitiesAbstract
Motherhood is traditionally celebrated as a sacred and naturalized bond; however, contemporary literature exposes its fragility under socio-political pressures. This study examines Lynne Hugo’s Mothers of Fate (2025) to explore the phenomenon of maternal absence and the politics of dispossessed maternal identity. The problem addressed in this research is the systematic marginalization of mothers whose identities and agency are disrupted by institutional, economic, and social structures, rendering their maternal presence precarious or erased. The main objectives are to analyze how the novel portrays maternal absence as a form of political and social control, to examine the lived experiences of mothers affected by incarceration and societal stigmas, and to understand how grief, resilience, and maternal agency emerge within these constraints. Employing Julia Kristeva’s theory of abjection and Margaret D. Jacobs’ concept of dispossessed motherhood, the study frames absent and dispossessed maternal figures as both culturally marginalized and politically situated. Kristeva’s abjection illuminates the symbolic and psychological dimensions of maternal erasure, while Jacobs’ framework highlights the structural and systemic factors that undermine maternal identity and agency. The research demonstrates that Hugo’s narrative not only exposes the socio-political mechanisms that govern motherhood but also reimagines maternal identity as a site of resistance, emotional complexity, and subversive care. By situating Mothers of Fate within broader discourses on reproductive justice and maternal politics, this study contributes to literary scholarship on motherhood, showing how literature can interrogate, critique, and reconstruct the meanings of maternal presence and absence in contemporary society.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Tahira Parveen , Kashaf Zulfiqar , Dr. Rana Abdul (Author)
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