Mothers in Literature

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With Mother's Day this past Sunday, we've been looking at examples of Mothers in Literature.  From cozy, sweet mothers like Kanga in Winnie The Pooh to some of less savory fare.

Starting with the above illustration and going left to right, there is Mrs. Bennet from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.  She is an indomitable force in the battle for eligible husbands.

Next comes the Evil Queen from Snow White.  From the eponymous Evil Step Mother murderous plots emerge in a doomed battle of beauty.

Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina is third, with her heart wrenching decision between her son and her lover.  Fourth is Olive Kitteridge and  her self-induced sabotage in regards to the relationship with her son.  Lastly, Lily Benewski in Geek Love and her enthusiasm in intentionally producing elite carnival freaks.

Not pictured, but included in our pantheon of Literary Mothers are:

Ma in Emma Donoghue's Room.
Emma Bovary in Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary.
Queen Gertrude in William Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Mother/ Stepmother in The Brothers Grimm's Hansel and Gretel.
Corinne Dollanganger from V.C. Andrews' Flowers in the Attic.
Petal from Annie Proulx' The Shipping News.
Mother in Sapphire's Push.
The Other Mother in Neil Gaiman's Coraline.
Grendel's Mother in Beowulf.
Mrs. Wormwood in Roald Dahl's Matilda.
Caroline Ingalls from Laura Ingalls' Little House on the Prairie.
Molly Weasley from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter.

Good, bad, evil, indifferent, doting, smothering, neglectful, we remember and imagine all mothers today and their depictions in literature.