Gender is denoted as socially constructed due to the outcomes of sub-cultural influences as well as thinking in human development. Gender is the race or social class that can be used to categorize individuals, leading to discrimination. As a way of trying to identify or categorize individuals into various sociological groups, it leads to discrimination and raises the aspect of one group feeling more special than the other.
Single Motherhood and Unequal Domestic Labor
Being a mother is explicitly the most laborious and difficult task. One is required to multitask from doctor appointments and daycare to work and try to make the most delicious meal for the husband and the children. Despite the fact that both the man and woman go to work in the evening, the man can still ask the wife for food or water to shower. However, the matter seems to be terrible for single moms who have to do all the things by themselves and carry out men’s tasks as well as those of a woman in the house. Additionally, if the child is in a private school, that seems to be a burden on top of the others. In Gilmore Girls, Gilmore, the main character, has stable parents who are in a position to help her and provide her with financial help. Therefore, whenever she needed money for her daughter’s tuition fees, her parents gave it to her on the condition that they visit for dinner every Friday. Her struggle is a clear indication of how a single mom suffers in society and has to walk a distance to beg for her daughter’s school fees (Collins, 2005).
The Political Invisibility of Single Mothers
However, society at large has closed its eyes on the matter, especially how single moms have to play the role of both the mother and the father in raising the kids. On national television, they have sublimed the issue and yet focus on the political aspects where the male has already dominated. Studies show that a female has a self-absorbed character that she cannot reveal or use in the political fields, which can be in a position to transcend their issues in the context of the political aspect. Gilmore Girls is one of the best examples of shows that portray how single mothers struggle to take care of their children while having other responsibilities (Keeler, 2010).
Self-Definition and Female Oppression
According to Patricia, she seems to be very concerned with self-definition, knowledge, and self-empowerment. It is the oppression of females that shows a woman who has been intimidated, and she is among the few authors who have come out to mention their experiences and share their stories in terms of gender discrimination. The Gilmore Girls show indicates some sort of discouragement when women are trying to conceptualize their issues as well as their sufferings. Therapy has been widely seen as a way of thinking about oneself or the whole society and how the community views or treats your gender (Calvin, 2008).
Cultural Judgments of Good and Bad Mothers
All the women are supposed to battle in the portrayal of being a mother. The definition of whether one is a good mother or not mostly depends on her marital status. Therefore, the way Lane’s mother sees herself as a good mother by keeping her off from boys is not all about being a good mother (Brodkin, 2007). Additionally, many married women believe that single women are evil, and they make poor decisions in giving directions to their children. Therefore, according to Lane’s mother, Rory and her mother are not doing the right thing by Rory socializing with boys. More so, there are many stereotypes that are a controlling image of the black women where they are believed to be hot mammas, matriarchs among others which are the predominant image stating a good or bad mother.
Lorelei and Rory’s Unconventional Mother-Daughter Bond
As a result of the closeness of age between Lorelai and Rory, they have a closer relationship whereby they share most of the things and secrets compared to other mother-daughter relationships. They gush over cute boys and complain about girls who do not understand them. More so, Lorelai is a single mother, and her bringing up Rory alone makes her feel like she is the only person she can share all sorts of her issues and problems. However, the age barrier between a mother and her child prevents them from having a closer relationship than Lorelai and her daughter. Despite the fact that Lane and Rory have been friends since childhood, they have some differences that are brought about by their upbringing. If Lane were to date, she would do it in secret without letting her mom know, compared to Rory, who can even discuss her love affair with her mother. Ms. Kim would not allow any man to date her daughter, and therefore, Lane could do it in secret (Belous 2017).
The Gilmore Girls and Twenty-First-Century Womanhood
In conclusion, there is an idea that was created by the characters in The Gilmore Girls that despite the fact that every television girl appears individualistic and their character appears isolated, their race, sexuality, as well as economic status go unrepresented by all women in general. It represented the single mom style, which was the American dream. It empowers women to ignore the negative forces, race relations, and social context and to work hard to achieve their thoughts as well as make a living. The Gilmore Girls is a complete definition of 21st-century women. Most of them are single, and their children depend on their hard work so that they go to school and have something to eat.
Works Cited
Belous, Christopher K., and Melissa L. Bauman. “What’s in a name? Exploring pansexuality online.” Journal of Bisexuality17.1 (2017): 58-72.
Collins, P. H. (2005). The meaning of motherhood in black culture and black mother-daughter relationships. Gender through the prism of difference, 285-295.
Brodkin, K. (2007). How Jews became white folks and what that says about race in America. T. Das Gupta, C. e. James, RCA Maaka, G. Galabuzi, & C. Andersen (eds.), race and racialization: Essential readings, 293-300.
Calvin, R. (Ed.). (2008). Gilmore Girls and the Politics of Identity: Essays on Family and Feminism in the Television Series. McFarland.
Keeler, A. (2010). Branding the family drama: Genre formations and critical perspectives on Gilmore Girls.
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