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vivienong 's review for:
The School for Good Mothers
by Jessamine Chan
“THE MOTHERS AREN’T SUPPOSED TO CELEBRATE THEIR BIRTHDAYS. They can only talk about themselves in relation to their children.”
This is a dystopia of the extreme policing of mothers. If you slip up even for a second, you’re sent to reform school where humanity is industrialised - human interactions, emotions, heart rate, speech, EVERYTHING is quantified and filed as data.
Oh you’re upset (because you’re separated from your child)? That’s bad parenting. Mothers are not supposed to be upset. Oh you’re heartbroken (because you’re separated from your child)? Based on our rubrics that’s a sign of depression, and puts you in the fair-to-poor bracket as a parent. Oh you think that’s unfair judgement and you’re angry (Because it is ridiculous to and unfair)? Rage will give you extra demerit points. You just lost the right to call your child for the next three months. The program that is meant to “help” you ends up keeping you there. Once you enter the system you are doomed to stay in the system.
It is also a commentary about the gender biases when it comes to parenting- dads get away with bad behaviour but mums are criticised to death for even breathing wrong. The expectations of mothers are that they have to be infallible- available, sharp, basically omnipresent, and paying attention to the smallest of detail- machines of their own. They are MOTHERS, therefore they are not allowed to complain/be tired/slip up like we all do. Once they become MOTHERS, they simply aren’t allowed to just be human.
I liked this read. It was infuriating and made me seethe. Would have been 5 stars if the reform school part didn’t feel so dragged out and repetitive. Overall still a very good read!!!
This is a dystopia of the extreme policing of mothers. If you slip up even for a second, you’re sent to reform school where humanity is industrialised - human interactions, emotions, heart rate, speech, EVERYTHING is quantified and filed as data.
Oh you’re upset (because you’re separated from your child)? That’s bad parenting. Mothers are not supposed to be upset. Oh you’re heartbroken (because you’re separated from your child)? Based on our rubrics that’s a sign of depression, and puts you in the fair-to-poor bracket as a parent. Oh you think that’s unfair judgement and you’re angry (Because it is ridiculous to and unfair)? Rage will give you extra demerit points. You just lost the right to call your child for the next three months. The program that is meant to “help” you ends up keeping you there. Once you enter the system you are doomed to stay in the system.
It is also a commentary about the gender biases when it comes to parenting- dads get away with bad behaviour but mums are criticised to death for even breathing wrong. The expectations of mothers are that they have to be infallible- available, sharp, basically omnipresent, and paying attention to the smallest of detail- machines of their own. They are MOTHERS, therefore they are not allowed to complain/be tired/slip up like we all do. Once they become MOTHERS, they simply aren’t allowed to just be human.
I liked this read. It was infuriating and made me seethe. Would have been 5 stars if the reform school part didn’t feel so dragged out and repetitive. Overall still a very good read!!!