Monstrous Maternities: Motherhood, Mothering, and Ectogenesis in “MOM” by Nieves Delgado
摘要
Science fiction is a genre often used to explore the possible creations of humanity. In some cases, the subject matter can become quite dark and reflect the most twisted aspects of human nature and make us, as readers, reflect on our own humanity. One of the themes that has been explored in science fiction is ectogenesis, which consists of fertilization, gestation, and birth outside the mother’s womb. This chapter focuses on the short story “MOM” by Nieves Delgado, a text which deals with a pregnant woman who faces the decision of having to transplant the embryo she is carrying into an artificial womb. The objectives of this chapter are explaining what the society represented is like and how it affects people, analyzing the relationship between parent and offspring in the story, and finally, exploring what motherhood means in the world that the author presents.