The New Yorker: Fiction
Samantha Hunt Reads Yiyun Li
Dec 1, 2020
Author Yiyun Li joins Samantha Hunt to discuss 'A Sheltered Woman' and its exploration of motherhood, life and relationships, emotional detachment, identification and connection, the absence of men, disdain for storytelling, and themes of duty, love, and care in marriage and mothering.
01:05:02
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Quick takeaways
- The story explores the intersection of capitalism and motherhood, questioning the effects of capitalism on the responsibilities of motherhood.
- Chanel's ambivalence towards motherhood and her own past reveal complex attitudes about care and maternal instincts.
Deep dives
Auntie May's emotional detachment in caring for babies
Auntie May, a living nanny for newborns, maintains emotional detachment in her caregiving role. Despite being immersed in the vulnerable and emotional world of new mothers and infants, she refrains from forming attachments. She believes in strictly following routines and fulfilling her duties, rather than engaging emotionally with the families she works for.
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