Let’s be honest, none of us are perfect and while we’re lucky if we have a supportive mother, that isn’t the case for everyone. Thankfully literature represents everyone, from the perfect mother to the toxic mother, and whether it be through fiction or memoir, literature has its fair share of toxic parents.
We’ve previously written blogs on the best mothers from literature, but today we’re looking at the toxic mothers you love to hate, and there are plenty to choose from! We’re sure you’ll have your own suggestions, please tell us in the comments, but here are my top 5 toxic mothers from literature.
1.
Charlotte Haze – Lolita (Vladimir Nabokov)
You may have different ideas, but I can never understand Charlotte’s prioritising a man over her child. Charlotte has a yearning for sophistication, and Humbert manipulates her into believing this is what he offers. In the end it costs mother dearly, and costs Lolita her mother. It’s fairly clear to the reader that Humbert’s interest is in Lolita, not Charlotte, but this mother decides to ignore any truth that doesn’t fit her thinking and desires, and to my mind this makes her the most toxic mother of them all.
3.
Corrine Dollanganger – Flowers in the Attic (Virginia Andrews)
I loved these books as a teenager, but with dad dead in a car crash and the four Dollanganger children locked in the attic, Corrine gives the witch (and the stepmother) from Hanzel and Gretel a run for her money.
4.
Daisy Buchanan – The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
You might be wondering why Daisy made this list, after all there are no children featured in The Great Gatsby, but Daisy is indeed a mother and her chasing of Gatsby shows us that neglect and disinterest are maybe the most toxic traits of them all. They say that hate is the opposite of love, but I disagree, cold indifference is the worst way to treat anyone you’re supposed to cherish.
5.
Emma Bovary – Madame Bovary (Gustave Flaubert)
Motherhood isn’t always what we expect but to Emma Bovary it’s a complete disappointment, leaving her unhappy and dissatisfied. Maybe the mark of a good mother is to rise to the occasion even when the occasion isn’t what you expected, but she doesn’t manage this for long. After pretending to dote on the tiny child, soon enough she’s drawn into her vanity and unstoppable desires, eventually leading to her suicide.
We’re sure you’ll have your own favourite toxic mothers from literature, and if nothing else they may remind you to appreciate your own mother a little more!
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