Motherhood——a natural vocation or a responsibility entrusted by society?

In the last episode of "On children" —— "ADHD Is Necessary", the story occurs in a dystopian society. Appraisal tests determine everyone's social status. Women must raise children by artificial insemination, and men are responsible for work. The protagonist Ruo-wa is not very capable of learning, but her grades are the factors that determine whether she and her mother can live in the affluent area. To motivate Ruo-wa, her mother took her to a slum and told her that if she didn't work hard, their future would be like the people here, living at the bottom of society, but Ruo-wa said: "Luckily, I'm a girl. No matter how bad my grades are, I can just receive an embryo and be a mom" And tell her mother: "I can raise my child well so my child can bring us back to where we live now".

In this show, women and children have become tools. Women are the tools of giving birth and raising children, and children have become their moms' instruments. Their mothers rely on their children's achievements to survive. In this civilization, the mother is held responsible for the child's success or failure. If the children's grades are inadequate, the mother must live in a slum and be considered a failure. This precisely reflects the Chinese concept of raising children to support their old age. The motivation for having children does not come from love, but rather from the dread of dying alone in the future.

In addition, this episode also reflects another question: is it a woman's bounden duty to raise children? This is also a question buried in my heart. My mother originally had a high-paying job, but she gave it up to devote her full attention to me; on the contrary, my father is just an ordinary clerk; shouldn't it be my father who takes care of me? Why is it necessary for my mum to give up her dream and all of her hard work? It is because supporting husbands and raising children is still a family obligation given to women by Chinese society today. Instead of telling the father how he educated the child, people will blame bad grades or regulations on the mother. Women are indeed more attentive than men, but men should also take care of their children. Couples need to divide labour properly. They should consider each other and effectively use the limited time, such as the housekeeping division. The focus of caring for children is no longer on women, which is true fairness.

The plot of the TV series may help us reflect, but we have the responsibility to be aware of what is happening in the world. Every global citizen should have a sense of societal responsibility and safeguard the environment, objects, and people around them.