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Gwendolyn Brooks Mother

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In 'The Mother' by Gwendolyn Brooks, the complexities of motherhood are explored. Exploring the emotional adventure of a girl who has experienced more than one abortion, exposes the complicated layers of emotion and experience that accompany it. Through bright imagery and profound reflection, the author demands traditional ideas of motherhood, inviting readers to confront the raw and often painful realities confronted by women who've gone through such procedures, instead of offering a clean solution or moral judgment, the author challenges us to confront the messy, uncomfortable truths that creep beneath the surface of societal expectations. The author explores the complicated emotions of a woman who has had multiple abortions. The speaker of the poem is struggling with the …show more content…

The establishing themes of the poem set the tone for this exploration: "Abortions will not let you forget. You remember the children you got that you did not get." (5) These phrases bring a weight of sorrow and regret, capturing images of the endless existence of the unknown within the speaker's existence. Throughout the poem, the author uses powerful and provocative imagery to deliver the speaker's emotional state. She describes the aborted kids as "ghosts," emphasizing their spectral lifestyles inside the speaker's mind. This haunting imagery serves as an effective metaphor for the long-lasting effects of abortions. The use of the word "ghosts" additionally highlights the experience of loss and lack that permeates the speaker's lifestyles, as she wrestles with the void left through her unborn kids. Despite the heaviness of the difficulty, Brooks infuses the poem with an experience of strength and defiance. The speaker refuses to be described entirely through her actions, declaring her enterprise and reclaiming her title. She declares, "Believe me, I love you

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