Karen Rinaldi Motherhood Isn T Sacrifice Analysis

Often times people are influenced by society more than they may be aware of, especially in the current society where most are influenced not by experience but by the confines of societal norms. Biases are and opinions are formed but often times there is no complete understanding of those views. An example is social media where people are able to share their thoughts and have others pull their own basis of understanding. Ideologies can also stem from historical practices which in some cases can cause certain perspectives to become normal. New York Times author, Karen Rinaldi, touches on the subject of motherhood and how it is viewed by society in her article Motherhood Isn’t Sacrifice, It’s Selfishness. Rinaldi showcases her writing capabilities

The message is very simple, yet the author finds many ways to restate her claims and emphasize on her thoughts. She acknowledges how she could understand her mother’s concerns yet at the same time questions the nature of the question. In her mother's defense, she states, “still it wasn’t fair to blame her; she was merely parroting a common refrain” (Rinaldi). The idea of societal ignorance is emphasized using a metaphor to illustrate how society works. Rinaldi’s choice of words showcases her tone towards the subject. She clearly does not accept the way society views mothers. With further investigation, it was discovered that Karen Rinaldi has produced several works, some titles including What is Men For? and The End of Men, by reviewing some of her additional work it can be predicted that the author is somewhat of a feminist who supports better treatment of women. This can be seen throughout the entire piece. More of her views are shares as her argument continues to share how she believes society views mothers: “When a woman becomes pregnant, she seems to become public property” (Rinaldi). With this she is referring to how in some societies women are just seen as child bearers, just there to “ensure the continuation of the species.” Another device the author uses in the text is exemplification. When talking about women being viewed as objects and child bearers Rinaldi uses a story by Margaret Atwood titled “The Handmaid’s Tale” written thirty years ago and goes on to explain how women in the story were told that silence is and childbearing was the only way they could be saved. This is used as a comparison to how some women are still treated today. Rinaldi then transitions from explaining how women are treated to trying to clarify what the difference between sacrifice and being a mother