ABSTRACT
The relation between gender and recognition is this chapter’s focal point. It looks to literary depictions of motherhood that allow for engagement with central themes in the field of gender studies. Maja Lucas’ collection of short prose Mother - A story about blood text details the minutiae of invisible and emotional labor associated with motherhood and consequently, her call for recognition can be read as a plea for parenting tasks to be reorganized. Meanwhile, Rachel Cusk’s essayistic memoir A Life’s Work: On Becoming a Mother touches on existential matters insofar as having a baby makes the speaker lose her sense of self. From these readings, and via a critique of the concept ‘narrative’ selfhood, I emphasize the gendered dynamics of recognition accounts that emphasize unity and coherence. Many people do not have this privilege of feeling like ‘whole’ persons or ‘unified’ selves - and it is therefore inherently problematic to make the experience of personal consistency a prerequisite for getting recognition
