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C H A P T E R 9 "THE ANCHO R O F M Y LIFE" : TOWARD A HISTORY O F MOTHER DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP S T HE tas k o f analyzin g th e natur e o f interpersona l relation ships in th e pas t pose s a formidable challeng e fo r th e histo rian wh o mus t carefull y perus e a rang e o f personal , social , and cultura l document s i n searc h o f tha t which i s not sai d a s well a s that which i s clearly articulated. Historicall y as well as in the contem porary era, the mother-daughter relationshi p has been characterize d by a n intricat e mi x o f socia l an d persona l expectation s tha t hav e rendered i t exceedingly complex . I n a sense, th e historica l examina tion o f mother-daughte r interaction s raise s mor e question s tha n i t answers, since i t is impossible t o fully explai n th e precis e interactio n of particula r historica l circumstances, specifi c familia l environments , and th e mercuria l an d uniqu e qualitie s o f individua l huma n beings . Nevertheless, th e precedin g chapter s hav e presente d a rang e o f re vealing data that clearly indicate the need fo r a reexamination o f th e facile assumptio n tha t conflict, antagonism , an d guil t necessaril y de fine th e moder n mother-daughte r relationship . Whil e th e experi ences o f middle-clas s America n daughter s betwee n 188 0 an d 192 0 frequently differe d substantiall y fro m thos e o f thei r mothers , thi s divergence di d no t generall y resul t in a relationship transforme d b y fundamental antagonism . Althoug h conflic t certainl y existe d a s daughters evolve d int o "new women," and eve n whe n the y followe d more traditiona l paths , th e source s consistentl y revea l tha t middle class mother s wer e fa r mor e toleran t o f untraditiona l choice s an d activities than the contemporary periodica l and advice literature sug gested . Indeed , the y appea r t o hav e provide d essentia l suppor t i n *93 194 "THE ANCHO R O F M Y LIFE " more tha n a few cases , which ma y actuall y explain wh y some youn g women's choices could b e particularl y untraditional . Eve n in the English context , wher e mother-daughte r relationship s wer e shape d b y different socia l and cultural influences , thi s type of maternal suppor t was not completely unusual . Like th e precedin g fort y years , th e post-192 0 decade s witnesse d developments tha t furthe r segregate d th e experience s o f daughter s from thos e o f thei r mother s and , accordin g t o som e contemporar y observers, produce d a n unprecedente d femal e generatio n gap . During thes e years , a n increase d emphasi s o n socia l lif e an d pee r rela tions , as well as a closer father-daughte r connection , ma y have mod erated th e intensit y tha t ha d characterize d earlie r middle-clas s American mother-daughte r relationships . Bu t a less intense relation ship is not necessarily a hostile relationship. Indeed, close interactions with othe r significan t famil y member s an d friend s ma y hav e con tributed t o th e maintenanc e o f harmon y betwee n mother s an d daughters.1 Even i n th e contex t o f th e cataclysmi c socia l an d cultura l event s that followe d th e ostensibl y "normal " 1950s , th e mother-daughte r relationship apparentl y wa s no t define d primaril y b y conflic t an d hostility. Fo r example, Kennet h Kenisto n ha s suggested tha t th e activities o f th e radica l student s wh o activel y oppose d America n...

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