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In some literary and cinematic works, the mother-son relationship is represented as a site of horror and abjection, where the mother figure is depicted as monstrous or suffocating. This trope is evident in works such as Shakespeare's Macbeth and H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu , where the mother figure is associated with darkness, chaos, and destruction. In cinema, films such as The Exorcist (1973) and The Witch (2015) feature maternal figures who are depicted as malevolent or demonic. These representations reflect cultural anxieties about the power and authority of mothers, as well as the fear of maternal dominance and control.
The relationship between mothers and sons is a foundational pillar of storytelling, serving as a lens to explore identity, dependency, and societal expectations. In cinema and literature, this bond ranges from the to the obsessive and destructive . Paper Draft: The Maternal Dyad in Narrative Art Abstract Deconstructing Images of Mothering in Media and Film Mom Son Incest Comic
Early cinema often replicated the Victorian ideal. In The Grapes of Wrath (1940), Ma Joad (Jane Darwell) is the stoic heart of the family. Her relationship with her son Tom (Henry Fonda) is one of quiet, unbreakable loyalty. When she tells him, “We’re the people that live,” she is not just encouraging him; she is defining his moral duty. Here, the mother is the keeper of conscience. In some literary and cinematic works, the mother-son