Global Journal of Human-Social Science, A: Arts and Humanities, Volume 22 Issue 11

Diversity of Maternal Image in Arundhati Roy’s The Ministry of Utmost Happiness Most. Umme Atia Khatun Keywords: motherhood, non-biological, queer motherhood, heteronormative, diversity. I. I ntroduction © 2022 Global Journals Volume XXII Issue XI Version I 31 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2022 A Author: Lecturer, Department of English, Pundra University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh. e-mail: atia.depub@gmail.com Abstract - Despite the rise of scholarly interest in maternal theory and observation, motherhood studies is a relatively new concern in India which has started over the last decade. Usually, the concept of “Motherhood” has the societal obsession with biological affinity associated with dominant social mores around “sacrosanct” marriage. Scholars of motherhood studies have tried to show the difference of mother, mothering and motherhood. They have included ‘non- biological mother’ in it, which has received less concern and, to some extent, no critical consideration. The theorization of “Motherhood”, mostly under feminist consideration, was dealt by renowned scholars like Adrienne Rich, Sarah Ruddick and, Barbara Katz Rothman, who have tried to show motherhood in a different light, unlike the traditional representation of it. Collecting information from motherhood studies and queer theory, this article will focus on the diverse images of motherhood sketches by Man Booker-winning Indian writer Arundhati Roy in her second novel, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. Apart from representing the traditional mother image as Jahanara Begum, this study will highlight non- biological and queer mother figures like Tilo, Anjum, Saeeda, Revaty and, Mariam Ipe to show the prevalence of diverse maternity outside the dominant paradigm of “Motherhood”. Moreover, the diversification of maternal image in this study will showcase how the ideology of “Motherhood” is stereotyped and influenced by the hegemonic forces that are supported by the heteropatriarchal institutions of power. The diverse ideas of motherhood in this study will also challenge the prevailing heteronormative motherhood in the patriarchal society. In her book Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution , Adrienne Rich states that, “All born of women are inevitably connected to motherhood, but cautions that the images, ideals, archetypes, and theories of the archetypal mother are sanctioned and promoted by patriarchal culture to reinforce the conservatism of motherhood as an ‘institution’ and so convert it to an energy for the renewal of male power” ( Rich, 15 ). This quotation of Rich suggests that, the concept of Motherhood is flavored with patriarchal norms and expectations of society. Hence, the common definition of Motherhood declares it as a collective group, to the state of being a mother, and to the qualities attributed to mothers. So, it is quite clear that Motherhood is not simply biological or innate, instead, it is also a social institution that functions ideologically and politically. However, the study of “Motherhood” has come to light in the last few decades. The Encyclopedia of Motherhood states that, Motherhood has emerged within the academy in the previous thirty years as a significant issue of scholarly inquiry ( The Encyclopedia of Motherhood , vol. 2, 831). Hence, with the advancement of time, the concept of Motherhood is also changing and expanding its consideration area. For understanding the true nature of motherhood , it is necessary to explore the use of the words: mother, mothering, and motherhood. These terms are interconnected but each of them underlines some different meaning and function. Mother is the individual, the identity of a person, and “mothering” can be defined as the action of taking care of the child. Lastly, Motherhood is generally understood as the social system in which mothering is performed. External forces like physical, social, emotional, and scientific forces are influential in the execution and establishment of the concept of motherhood. Motherhood in the patriarchal society is perceived as the biological inter- connectedness between the mother and child and, the mother is regarded as the sole caregiver of the child and the father is almost free from this responsibility. Sarah Hardy clarified this archetypical conception of motherhood by saying that, “the idea of a good mother is deployed through material and discursive spaces in order to mobilize subjectivities that are socially adapted and useful” ( Sarah Hardy, 16 ). Thus, in the heteronormative social system, Motherhood turned into an institution of child care almost only by the mothers. Adrienne Rich exclaimed that, “[motherhood], the institution, has been a keystone of the most diverse social and political systems” ( Rich, 13 ). The devaluation of motherhood in a patriarchal society is well described by Rothman, who stated, “Our bodies may be ours, but given the ideology of patriarchy, the bodies of mothers are not highly valued. The bodies are just the space in which genetic material matures into babies. In a patriarchal system, even if women own their bodies, it may not give them any real control in pregnancy. Women may simply be seen to own the space in which fetuses are housed” ( Rothman, 1994 ). From the traditional point of view, it is noted that, Motherhood is a set of ideals determined by the established traditions and inherited history of a society, which sees women as