Deconstructing the Maternal

Sudha Murty’s The Mother I Never Knew (2014) utilizes a diptych of two thematically linked novellas to explore the multifaceted and often contested nature of maternal identity in contemporary India. This paper argues that Murty systematically deconstructs the monolithic, idealized archetype of the mother by dissecting it into distinct yet overlapping roles: the biological progenitor, the surrogate caregiver, and the lifelong nurturer. The novellas, “Venkatesh” and “Mukesh,” follow two men on parallel quests to uncover truths about their origins, forcing them and the reader to confront the disjuncture between biological fact and emotional reality. Through a close reading of the text, this paper analyzes how Murty challenges the primacy of biological motherhood, which is often depicted as a source of tragedy and social vulnerability. It posits that the biological mother, the eponymous “mother I never knew,” serves as a spectral presence whose absence is a catalyst for the protagonists’ identity crises. In contrast, the paper examines the figure of the nurturing mother—personified by Sumati and, in a different capacity, Gauri—who exemplifies that true motherhood is an active, conscious, and often sacrificial choice of caregiving, independent of genetic connection. Furthermore, the analysis identifies the unique and liminal role of the surrogate mother, Rupinder Kaur, who acts as a critical bridge between the biological and nurturing realms. By contrasting these archetypes with figures of transactional or failed motherhood like Shanta and Champakka, Murty critiques patriarchal structures and offers a humanistic redefinition of the maternal, grounding it not in biological determinism but in the profound, enduring act of love and nurture. The paper concludes that The Mother I Never Knew is a significant literary intervention that advocates for a more inclusive and compassionate understanding of family, where the bonds of affection and responsibility ultimately constitute the most authentic form of kinship

Archetype · Binary opposition · Liminality · Postmodernism · South Asian Cinema and Culture