The Nagging Mother Stereotype
Seminar Instructor: Maria Laura - Iuliana, II
Dana Mihailescu American Studies Department
“Ethno-Racial Identity Configuration in American Literature and Culture.
Cross-Cultural Encounters” Seminar
The Jewish Nagging Mother Stereotype in Delmore Schwartz` “America! America!”
The Jewish nagging mother stereotype is a concept that started developing at the beginning of the 20th century in America. This stereotype was constantly remodeled to suit a variety of circumstances in the development of the Jewish society. “Excessive, overprotective, neurotically anxious, and ever present, the Jewish mother became a scapegoat for ambivalent and hostile sentiments regarding assimilation in a new society, changing family dynamics, and shifting gender roles. At times, she also was an emblem of unstinting love and devotion. This combination of diverse and malleable characteristics allowed each generation to manipulate the Jewish mother image to suit its particular needs.” (Antler 2-3) “According to one description that appeared thirty years ago, the stereotypical Jewish mother hovers over her children, preventing them from achieving autonomy by interfering, cajoling, advising, and manipulating. Whether she is actually holding the spoon and urging them to take “just one more bite,” or operating through guilt—that most exquisite instrument of remote control—she is seen as ubiquitous and eternal.”(Baum, Hyman, and Michel, qtd. in Antler 3)
This stereotype was extensively analyzed in a number of writings but also in film and anthropological
Dana Mihailescu American Studies Department
“Ethno-Racial Identity Configuration in American Literature and Culture.
Cross-Cultural Encounters” Seminar
The Jewish Nagging Mother Stereotype in Delmore Schwartz` “America! America!”
The Jewish nagging mother stereotype is a concept that started developing at the beginning of the 20th century in America. This stereotype was constantly remodeled to suit a variety of circumstances in the development of the Jewish society. “Excessive, overprotective, neurotically anxious, and ever present, the Jewish mother became a scapegoat for ambivalent and hostile sentiments regarding assimilation in a new society, changing family dynamics, and shifting gender roles. At times, she also was an emblem of unstinting love and devotion. This combination of diverse and malleable characteristics allowed each generation to manipulate the Jewish mother image to suit its particular needs.” (Antler 2-3) “According to one description that appeared thirty years ago, the stereotypical Jewish mother hovers over her children, preventing them from achieving autonomy by interfering, cajoling, advising, and manipulating. Whether she is actually holding the spoon and urging them to take “just one more bite,” or operating through guilt—that most exquisite instrument of remote control—she is seen as ubiquitous and eternal.”(Baum, Hyman, and Michel, qtd. in Antler 3)
This stereotype was extensively analyzed in a number of writings but also in film and anthropological
Cited: 1. Schwartz, Delmore. “AMERICA! AMERICA” In Dreams Begin Responsibilities and Other Stories. ed. & introd. James Atlas. Foreword loving home. NY New Directions, 1978. 10-33. 2. Antler, Joyce. You Never Call! You Never Write! A History of the Jewish Mother. New York :Oxford University Press, Inc., 2007. 1-15.