Theme and message

The main theme of the article “Mothers and teenagers: a modern tragedy” by Rachel Cusk is parent-teenager relationships. This theme is explored by mainly focusing on mother-daughter relationships, using motifs like conflict, identity, and independence.

In the article, the author presents the way both parents and children feel like victims in a generational conflict triggered by children becoming teenagers.

On the one hand, parents (particularly mothers), feel excluded and rejected by their teens. The article focuses on the way teenage daughters have a tendency to reject their mothers as a model and admire their fathers: “…unlike “she”, their fathers are hardworking, clever, successful, cool. (…) they describe them as if they’d discovered them, despite the conspiracy to keep these amazing creatures hidden.” (ll. 224-228)

At the same time, teenagers tend to disrespect parents’ authority and control. They rebel against the rules established by their parents. Under these circumstances, parents (mothers) feel like victims. They feel stripped of their well-intended power and control over their children: “Sometimes I feel it has displaced me as the navigator of our lives; it has become her compass....