Atypical Mother Figures in Literary Works: A Case Study of an Everlasting Life

Abstract

In contemporary society, as more women join the workforce, a growing number of mothers are also taking on the responsibility of financially supporting their families. However, in the workplace, mothers still face numerous challenges concerning their work-life balance, and their decisions are often influenced by family and societal pressures. This paper uses Ai Wei's work An Everlasting Life as a case study to analyze the text and explore the portrayal of atypical mother figures in literature. This paper analyzes the mother figure in the work from the perspectives of the male gaze and a more objective, rational standpoint. It finds that, the mother’s imperfections that are from the male perspective are in fact a natural manifestation of natural humanity, and that an imperfect mother represents the genuine mother figure who should be embraced by society. Ultimately, the mother in this work An Everlasting Life is accepted by both her family and society. This study is significant in addressing the gap of analyzing the mother figure in works from a single perspective and in advocating for the social acceptance and recognition of ordinary mothers.