Abstract
Whether to ensure humanity’s survival or to host other species, reproduction has been a steady pretext to (ab)use women in sci-fi. Though their bodies do not serve to reproduce, female gendered artificial beings have, on the other hand, rarely been exempt from hypersexualization. In I Am Mother (Grant Sputore 2019, Released on Netflix January 25. https://www.netflix.com) a non-sexualized yet “female” AI-robot and her human “daughter,” linked by a unique family bond and common maternal role, are the only guarantors of humankind’s future. Making use of this novel scenario, the chapter explores the ontology of motherhood and its value as constitutive of femininity. The film also serves to discuss the intersections of biology, technology, and ethics in the forthcoming formulations of mother, family and human identity.
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Notes
- 1.
A notable twist to this would be David in Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), also artificially created, but to be the object of maternal love in this case.
- 2.
According to the International Fertility Law Group website, “Today there are an estimated 600,000 to 4 million frozen embryos stored in the United States that are abandoned or unclaimed, representing an enormous burden for clinics and storage facilities,” https://www.iflg.net/abandoned-embryos/ (last retrieved 16/08/2020).
- 3.
Although the inside of Mother’s body is articulated by actor Luke Hawker, the characterization of the role through the voice is female.
- 4.
The film might be suggesting that Woman was discarded as a baby, but deliberately kept alive to play her role in Mother’s plan. The resemblance between Woman and Daughter could be hinting at their biological kinship.
- 5.
During the process of publication of this book, HBO Max released Raised by Wolves (Aaron Guzikowski 2020). The series’ premise resembles I Am Mother in many ways and develops similar themes, particularly the exploration of the maternal role and figure of an artificial mother raising human children herself.
- 6.
Although it will not be explored in this chapter, a queer reading of Mother’s character and the whole treatment of gender in the film might be relevant.
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Pérez, J.E. (2022). Motherhood Beyond Woman: I Am [a Good] Mother and Predecessors Onscreen. In: Vint, S., Buran, S. (eds) Technologies of Feminist Speculative Fiction. Palgrave Studies in Science and Popular Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96192-3_7
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