Erewhon · Theme
Family and Parent-Child Relations
How Erewhon develops Family and Parent-Child Relations.
Erewhonian society enforces 'compulsory affection' through laws that punish children for disobedience, leading to strained family bonds, which critiques Victorian family dynamics and authoritarian parenting.
Where it surfaces
- XIV: Mahaina
The Nosnibor family dynamics are on display, with Zulora and her sister expressing differing views, and Mrs. Nosnibor guiding the conversation with charitable hypocrisy.
- XVI: Arowhena
Arowhena is put upon by her family but remains unselfish; the custom of marrying the eldest daughter first dictates family dynamics.
- Birth Formulae
The formula absolves parents of responsibility for their children's existence and defects, inverting typical family obligations.
- XIX: The World of the Unborn
The chapter critiques the arbitrary and often harmful nature of parent-child relationships, with the unborn forced to 'pester' random adults who may be unsympathetic or abusive.
- XX: What They Mean by It
The narrator contrasts Erewhonian parent-child relations with European ones, noting less affection and attributing it to parental forgetfulness of youth.