I was, in reality, bred by my parents as my father's concubine... What we take for granted as the stability of family life may well depend on the sexual slavery of our children. What's more, this is a cynical arrangement our institutions have colluded to conceal.
Interpretation
The quote highlights the hidden complexities and sacrifices within family structures, suggesting a critique of societal norms regarding family dynamics.
Sylvia Fraser's quote challenges the conventional perception of family stability by revealing that it may often be built upon uncomfortable truths, such as the exploitation and oppression of individuals within familial relationships. It underscores the often unseen realities that can underpin family life, illustrating how societal institutions might contribute to the normalization of such arrangements, ultimately calling for a critical reflection on familial and social structures.
In practice
During a lecture on family dynamics, one could use this quote to illustrate the hidden sacrifices that families may endure.
Give me the life of the boy whose mother is nurse, seamstress, washerwoman, cook, teacher, angel, and saint, all in one, and whose father is guide, exemplar, and friend. No servants to come between. These are the boys who are born to the best fortune.
Grandmotherhood initiated me into a world of play, where all things became fresh, alive, and honest again through my grandchildren's eyes. Mostly, it retaught me love.
A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents will not have true respect for anyone.
Family dramas are tough, as a playwright. Most stories are about characters going on a trip or a new character coming to town, because that's how you learn information about them. But with family, they all know each other already. There's years of history in every interaction.
I think when you become a parent you go from being a star in the movie of your own life to the supporting player in the movie of someone else's.
Pregnancy seemed like a tremendous abdication of control. Something growing inside you which would eventually usurp your life.
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