Allow me to issue a Parallel–Mothers-inspired correction to last week’s plea for more offspring-rejection in the arts:

In begging for an uptick in stories about parents who benefit from their decision to turn their backs on their own children, I did not intend to imply that estranged parents are a rarity in narrative art; in fact, they’re ubiquitous (for reference, please see: Parallel Mothers — orphans became an archetype for a reason).

BUT, the vast majority of these stories tend to be about the (usually negative) ramifications of this estrangement, on those left behind, AND on the escaped. But what about the process by which — and because of which — this estrangement occurs, not to mention its potential upsides? This portion of the estrangement is commonly relegated to being depicted in flashback, which positions the abandonment as a mere means to the actual story, and not the primary subject of the story.

Obviously these ramifications are a part of any estrangement tale…but too often they constitute the predominant focus.

Which is why I still stand by my plea for an artistic rebalancing.