Reckless Radicals: The Solo Mother in Fiction and Popular Culture

In this chapter, I explore how the Solo Mother by Choice (SMBC) is presented in mainstream film, television, and literature which have traditionally been preoccupied with dichotomies, notably the nuclear family utopia pitted against single-parent dystopia. Why does the “happy ever after” in fiction featuring solo mothers necessitate romance? In what ways is romance used as a plot device to “correct” the problem of solo parenting?