Tonight's reading was really interesting for other reasons than this, but I'm still confused about one thing. Why is Jack still breastfeeding? I don't know of any child his age that is breast fed. It's also advised to breastfeed your child for only around a year, as it provides nutrients for them that they otherwise cannot acquire during that time. It's not unheard of, breastfeeding a child until they are 5 or 6, but it certainly is odd in this situation, as Jack can receive all of the nutrients he needs through their vitamins.
Another interesting part about this prolonged breastfeeding is Jack's language in describing it. He never once says the word 'breast,' he just refers to it as an act in which he "has some." He doesn't say anything about Ma's reaction to this. Looking at this unusual act from Ma's perspective is also interesting. Women who breastfeed their children for longer than the usual year are sometimes accused of doing it in their interest, for the sexual arousal. Given the lack of similarly aged males (or females) Ma has nobody to share sexual pleasures with. Old Nick's habit of raping her also might drive her to seek refuge via breastfeeding Jack.
Maybe Ma wanted to provide Jack with some extra nutrition. But that doesn't make sense because its not like she's eating anything that Jack isn't, so I really don't understand why he's still breastfeeding and I wonder if that will be stopped towards the end of the novel.
ReplyDeleteI think it makes sense from a health perspective even as Jack is getting older. Milk is high in fat and protein, which Jack probably still isn't getting enough of as it is, and we've already seen that food is a resource entirely under Old Nick's control. Ma can at least provide for Jack in some way. I really disagree that Ma could be doing it for sexual gratification; considering Ma's amount of psychological control, I don't think she would ever use anything, especially Jack, for her own benefit.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly must help meet Jack's already shaky nutritional needs (and one more example of Ma's sacrifice, as these are nutrients she will be passing on to him), but it likely has a psychological effect as well. There's a lot of controversy around the topic of when it's appropriate to wean a child under ordinary conditions, and there are people who insist that the child must always wean him/herself. The extraordinary close proximity of Ma and Jack implies that the kind of independence that weaning signifies isn't available to him--this is one more way that he and Ma are very closely interdependent.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't see any evidence that Ma finds the experience gratifying or arousing in any way. It's always Jack's idea, usually when he's emotionally distressed (which is often when older children ask to nurse, when they no longer need it for their primary nutritional needs), and Ma always (sometimes hesitantly) complies.
I agree with previous commentors that Ma isn't doing it for sexual reasons. I have another couple ideas about why Mom may continues to breastfeed Jack. She may not intentionally do it for these reasons, but they are definitely positive offshoots. First, immunity is passed from mother to child via breastmilk. Jack would probably have already gotten sick in Outside if he hadn't been breastfeeding. Second, breastfeeding can prevent menstruation (which would be even more annoying in Ma's situation) and can serve as a natural form of birth control. Ma is already on birth control in Room, but it couldn't hurt as an extra precaution against having another baby in an 11x11 space
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