Abstract
This chapter analyses the young mother’s representation in contemporary German and Irish films in relation to stigma. Expanding on and developing E. Ann Kaplan’s discussion of six maternal discourses in American media in the 1980s this chapter focuses on a German and Irish discourse of non-traditional motherhood. The film analysis shows that mise-en-scène, editing and narration represent the young single mother as socially isolated, facing pressure and prejudices from society and institutions. Visually, she is positioned within liminal spaces that enhance her social isolation. The films represent young single motherhood as an economic threat particularly in relation to the working-class mother.
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Acknowledgements
My thanks go to Dr. Denis Condon and Dr. Valerie Heffernan for their continuous support of my PhD research, for their knowledge, patience and motivation.
Funding This work was supported by the Irish Research Council.
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Collins, K. (2021). Young Single Motherhood in Contemporary German and Irish Films: Lucy, Jelly Baby and Heartbreak. In: Åström, B., Bergnehr, D. (eds) Single Parents. Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71311-9_3
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