A comparative analysis of these works reveals several common themes. Firstly, the unconditional love and sacrifice inherent in the mother-son relationship are universal themes. However, the expression and implications of these themes vary significantly across different cultural and societal contexts. For instance, while Joyce's Ulysses presents a more introspective and psychological exploration of the mother-son relationship, De Sica's The Bicycle Thief portrays a more externalized and socially conscious depiction.
From Jocasta’s tragic embrace to Annie Graham’s demonic crown, from Gertrude Morel’s suffocating devotion to Mitzi Fabelman’s liberating gift of a camera—the mother-son relationship in art remains the most potent symbol of our deepest fear and our greatest hope: that the person who brings us into the world might also, intentionally or not, determine who we become.
In the 21st century, a new archetype has emerged: the son as caregiver. As populations age and conversations around dementia and end-of-life care become more public, stories have shifted to show adult sons tending to their aging mothers.
In Chinese literature, Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth (1931) shows the peasant mother O-lan who lives for her sons. They are her only route to status and security. But her fierce, silent love also breeds entitlement. When the sons become wealthy, they abandon their mother’s values—a quiet tragedy of success destroying the very bond that enabled it.
What will the mother-son relationship look like in the cinema and literature of tomorrow? As gender roles continue to deconstruct, we will likely see fewer stories defined by the son’s struggle for masculine autonomy and more stories about interdependence, emotional intelligence, and chosen family. We are already seeing narratives where the mother is not a saint or a monster but simply a person—flawed, tired, loving, sometimes wrong.
The recent film Aftersun (2022) hints at this future. Through the lens of adult daughter Sophie looking back at a holiday with her young father, it suggests that the most powerful bond is not defined by gender but by vulnerability. Yet, the mother-son dyad retains its unique power because it is the first relationship of dominance and submission, of nourishment and separation.
In Wela Katha , the father is often away working the fields or dealing with landlords, but the mother is the constant, stabilizing presence. She is the first storyteller, teaching her son the names of birds, the signs of rain, and the difference between good paddy and weeds. More importantly, she embodies sacrifice.