Motherhood, Feminist Theory, and Access: A Sociological Reading on Salvage the Bones

Assignment from professor:

This essay should be between 5-7 pages, double-spaced, in 12pt font. That’s 1,250—1,750 words. It needs to be in MLA format (see here for help: MLA guide) Use no more than 3 outside sources outside of the novel chosen. I have attached the secondary and third sources to be used. In other words, choose a text that interests you, and present an argument. You should use “I” to argue your point (ex “I think”). In my Case, I chose Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward. I am going the sociological route on context and/or culture and agree with the scholarly article (see below from my proposal) Do not begin paragraphs with quotations. Include connotations/denotations. Interepret the citations used and explain further. Its okay to use “[]” and “…” when used properly.

How to Incorporate Research 101:

Cite source in MLA, and include in your works cited page
Read the essay carefully. Write a brief summary (1 paragraph) of author’s main points, write what you think the thesis is, and choose 1-3 quotations from the article.
Decide whether you agree, disagree, or would like to add to their argument, or agree in general but take issue with one point.
In your final:
1. provide author’s name, title of publication, & date.
2. Include 1-3 sentences that summarizes the article.
3. Include 1-2 direct quotations.
4. Add your own thoughts: “I agree w/ Last Name, and would add . . .” or “I disagree w/ Last Name because . . .” or “While Last Name has many good points, they neglected to examine . . .”

Writing your Essay:

Thinking is always the first step. As begin, have some questions in mind about the text. Questions such as: How does the time period explain the characters, allusions in the text, or particular scenes? What does an intersectional analysis reveal about systems of power and oppression? What does womanhood/being a man look like in this text, and why? What does childhood look like? What does access look like? Generational trauma? What comes into more focus if I focus only on minor characters? How are the characters racialized, or defined through each other? What does friendship look like?
As you discover more about the text, you will begin to develop a thesis. Your essay should make an argument about the novel, story, or play. Don’t simply state what is similar and different, but also what difference those similarities and differences make to our understanding of the story.
Gather evidence from the text to support your argument.
Cite passages from the written text. You may quote sparingly, but you should have evidence to back up your claims.
Analyze your evidence as fully as is necessary to make your point. This means going beyond presenting details to saying what those details mean in relation to your argument.

What your essay needs

Bare minimum:

Creative title. This can be anything EXCEPT “Paper 1” or the name of the text you are writing about. A good trick is to use a quote from the book. For example, “China is blooming: Motherhood in Salvage the Bones (When you quote from the text in the title, you don’t need to cite the page number). —I already have a title

Direct quotations. You are telling your reader how you are analyzing the text. The only thing you have to back yourself up is the text itself. When you say something like, “Esch struggles with expectations of motherhood” or “Jim Williams is haunted by his past” you need to have a direct quote that illustrates and gives an example of what you mean.

Critical Analysis: This is important. Go beyond summary, and analyze HOW the text makes meaning. For example, in “Streetcar” Stanley is violent towards both Blanche & Stella. What might this reveal, or illuminate, about gender roles then, and now? About sexual violence? Why is Stanley so angry? Or, think about how the south is represented in “Salvage” Who is represented, and who is left out? What picture does this paint? Why, and how?

A thesis: A thesis is your argument. This is my formula for a great thesis: it has three main parts to it: A + B + C.

Research: At least one source, including citation, direct quotation, and your argument/thoughts.

This essay requires at least one secondary source. A secondary source is your research. I chose the scholarly article: Each
Unbearable Day’: Narrative Ruthlessness and Environmental and Reproductive
Injustice in Jesmyn Ward’s Salvage the Bones by Annie Bares (https://doi.org/10.1093/melus/mlz022). If you can provide text, direct quotes from: Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment by A. Collins (1999) that would be great.

When including terms like motherhood, sociological lens, feminist, etc. Define what it means to you, not the oxford dictionary definition for example.

Incorporate elements from my proposal which includes my thesis already, “In “‘Each Unbearable Day’: Narrative Ruthlessness and
Environmental and Reproductive Injustice in Jesmyn Ward’s Salvage the Bones”
(Annie, Bares, 2019), Bares investigates deep into the themes constructed
throughout Ward’s interpretation of post-Katrina in Mississippi. Bares indicates
how this setting becomes a powerful factor throughout her article for examining
the complicated connection of environmental and reproductive injustices faced
by marginalized communities. At the heart of Bare’s analysis is Esch, the young
protagonist. Bare argues that Ward’s portrayal of Esch “…connects the
debilitating character of Esch’s pregnancy to legal and extralegal restrictions
to accessing knowledge about reproductive health (Bares 28).” Bare focuses on
the physical and emotional burdens of motherhood due to the lack of access to
resources, particularly healthcare and support systems, in an impoverished,
racially marginalized community. Bare concludes that Ward’s narrative
ruthlessness in portraying these injustices highlights the broader
socioeconomic and racial struggles that shape the lives of the Batiste family,
especially Esch as a young woman caught between her emerging maternal role and
the societal forces that limit her access to support.

In Salvage the Bones, Ward digs into themes of
motherhood, feminist theory, and access by stressing how Esch’s experiences
with pregnancy in an under-resourced, racially oppressed community reflect
broader social injustices that women of color encounter. By focusing on the
limited access to reproductive health, the absence of institutional support, and
the physical and emotional toll of motherhood, Ward’s novel exposes the
combined challenges that women like Esch face in their struggle for intervention
assistance and survival.

This article will strengthen my argument by analyzing how Salvage
the Bones reveals environmental and reproductive injustices through Esch’s
experience of motherhood. Bare’s analysis of the narrative’s “ruthlessness” and
its effects on the reproductive lives of marginalized women will also align
seamlessly with my focus on the societal barriers that define Esch’s motherhood.
I can further strengthen my argument regarding the intersectional obstacles
Esch faces and how these issues hinder her access to essential resources,
especially reproductive health services.”

You may use ideas from the text below ensuring to use direct quotations from the text. The quotes are not entirely accurate from the texts provided.

Paragraph 1: The Intersectionality of Motherhood in *Salvage the Bones***

*Esch’s experiences of motherhood are shaped by the intersectionality of race, gender, and class.*

Esch Baptiste’s navigation of impending motherhood is informed by a series of intersecting social pressures. As a young, Black, working-class girl living in a poverty-stricken area in the South, she faces societal expectations of motherhood that are complicated by her race and class. This resonates with the feminist frameworks proposed by both Adrienne Rich and Patricia Hill Collins.

In *Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution* (1976), Rich argues that “Motherhood as institution has been and remains one of the primary means of control over women” (Rich, 1976, p. 13). Rich suggests that societal institutions often shape motherhood, creating expectations that limit women’s autonomy. In Esch’s case, her pregnancy is not the product of a deliberate choice but is thrust upon her, revealing how the institution of motherhood can sometimes control women’s bodies and futures without their full consent. Esch’s struggle with these imposed expectations is evident throughout the novel. In one scene, Esch reflects on her changing body and the reality of her pregnancy: “I am afraid of being this pregnant. I am afraid of being this girl” (Ward, 2011, p. 171). This internal conflict underscores her vulnerability, as she is expected to take on the responsibilities of motherhood despite her emotional unpreparedness and lack of choice.

Patricia Hill Collins, in *Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment* (2000), offers a critical framework for understanding Black motherhood. She emphasizes that Black women’s experiences of motherhood are shaped not only by gender but also by racial and economic oppression. Collins writes that “Black women’s mothering practices have been shaped by historical and contemporary forms of racial and economic oppression” (Collins, 2000, p. 185). Esch’s experience in *Salvage the Bones* mirrors this framework. As a young Black woman in a marginalized community, she is subjected to both the structural oppression of racism and the socio-economic challenges of poverty, which complicate her ability to fully embrace or control her role as a mother-to-be. The absence of her mother, who died when Esch was young, further intensifies her vulnerability. Esch’s maternal identity is shaped by resilience—she has to mother her younger brothers, despite being ill-prepared for her own pregnancy.

—

Body Paragraph 2: Rich’s Critique of Compulsory Motherhood

Adrienne Rich’s concept of “compulsory motherhood” is central to understanding Esch’s complicated relationship with her pregnancy. Rich argues that “compulsory motherhood” is a social expectation that forces women into maternal roles, even when they may not feel ready or willing. This theory aligns with Esch’s experience, where societal norms about motherhood constrain her autonomy. In *Salvage the Bones*, Esch feels the weight of this societal expectation, even as she struggles with her own desires and fears. Her relationship with her pregnancy can be seen as a product of societal pressures, as she is not fully supported in her maternal journey. Esch’s lack of access to resources—emotional, medical, or financial—makes motherhood not only a challenge but an imposition. In one passage, Esch reflects, “I never wanted to be a mother, but I am pregnant, and that means I will be one” (Ward, 2011, p. 200). This resignation to her situation underscores the weight of “compulsory motherhood” in her life.

Rich’s feminist analysis highlights how motherhood can often be a means of control over women’s bodies, reducing their autonomy. Esch’s feelings of helplessness resonate with Rich’s critique of the limitations placed on women through the institutionalization of motherhood. Esch’s role as a caregiver and mother-to-be is not entirely her choice, but rather an imposition shaped by both societal expectations and the physical realities of her pregnancy.

—

Body Paragraph 3: The Role of Maternal Figures in Esch’s Life

In *Salvage the Bones*, Esch’s maternal role is complicated by the absence of her own mother. The loss of her mother, who died when she was young, forces Esch to define motherhood for herself. This absence is compounded by the presence of China, the family dog, who becomes a maternal figure in Esch’s life. The relationship between Esch and China is significant because it reveals the ways in which women—particularly Black women in marginalized communities—are often forced to take on maternal roles for themselves and others, without the support structures that might otherwise aid them.

As Esch cares for her brothers and watches China give birth to puppies, she finds herself thinking about what it means to be a mother. The parallel between Esch and China’s experiences underscores the novel’s exploration of motherhood as a complex and evolving role. As Esch observes, “China gives birth to puppies, and I give birth to a child, and neither of us has any choice” (Ward, 2011, p. 195). This scene reflects Esch’s sense of inevitability, as she, like China, must navigate the physical and emotional challenges of motherhood, even though she feels unprepared.

This theme of forced maternal responsibility echoes Collins’s framework of Black motherhood. For Black women, Collins argues, motherhood is often both a survival strategy and a means of resistance to oppression. Esch’s actions throughout the novel—protecting her brothers, caring for the animals, and preparing for the storm—embody this dual role of motherhood as both resistance and survival.

—

Body Paragraph 4: Environmental Context and Motherhood

The novel’s setting in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina is crucial to understanding the larger socio-political forces that shape Esch’s experience of motherhood. The impending storm symbolizes the external, uncontrollable forces that complicate her life and pregnancy. Esch’s maternal experience is shaped by both the environmental threat posed by the hurricane and the systemic social and economic barriers that restrict her choices. As she reflects on the storm, Esch says, “The hurricane is coming, and I am trying to hold on” (Ward, 2011, p. 220). This looming disaster serves as a metaphor for the instability and precarity that define Esch’s existence.

The hurricane also represents the broader political and environmental forces that disproportionately affect marginalized communities, particularly Black women in the South. Esch’s resilience in the face of these forces mirrors the survival strategies discussed by Collins, who argues that Black women’s motherhood often involves navigating not only personal adversity but also the external systems that seek to undermine their stability.

Get started

Recent Customer Feedback

See more customer feedback..

How our paper writing service works

Quick Links

Legal

Other