Introduction

This chapter explores the intersection of motherhood and monstrosity in cultural representations across time and media. Building on Barbara Creed's groundbreaking work on the monstrous-feminine and Julia Kristeva's concept of the abject, I examine how the figure of the monstrous mother emerges as both a product of patriarchal anxiety and a potential site of resistance and empowerment. By moving beyond the traditional good/bad mother dichotomy, I propose a more nuanced understanding of maternal monstrosity that encompasses both its transgressive potential and its role in challenging normative expectations of motherhood. The chapter traces how various theoretical frameworks, from psychoanalytic to feminist approaches, have contributed to contemporary understanding of maternal subjectivity and its relationship to monstrosity. I also argue that the concept of the “monstrous mother” serves not merely as a negative designation but as a tool for examining how maternal figures negotiate power, agency, and identity within patriarchal structures. By summarizing contemporary scholarship on motherhood and monstrosity, I want to show how the monstrous maternal continues to evolve and adapt across different cultural contexts and artistic media. This theoretical foundation sets the stage for the volume’s exploration of monstrous motherhood.