Abstract
This ethnographic essay intends to analytically explore the renouncing of the mother and its effects on certain state practices and constraints, while trying to dimension this “mother” as a subject who is deeply tied to our fragile democratic experience. The main hypothesis is that the most recent and sharp disputes over the limits of our democracy have projected the “mother” at the core of the issue. To this end, four narrative excerpts were analyzed. Two of them are Marcela’s narratives about her troubled relationship with Ricardo, her eldest son, a teenager. The two other narratives stem from episodes experienced during the 2018 electoral campaign, which led to Jair Bolsonaro’s election to the Brazilian presidency.
Keywords:
motherhood; violence; State; democracy