Motherly Love

 Wilhite1 

Antwon Wilhite  

Dr. Harris 

English 2017-64187 

30 April 2025 

Motherly Love 

For this project I want to focus on Eva and her motherly love. To me Eva as a mother  portrayed traits as someone who is protective and ruthless. Her motherhood is marked by  sacrifice, trauma, and survival in the face of systemic poverty and abandonment. 

Eva way of showing love was sacrificial. I say this because Eva sacrifices her own body  by getting her leg amputated to collect insurance money. Which she uses to support her children  and keep the household running. With her being a sacrificial mother, I have chosen four songs to  go with that. Frist one is “The Greatest Man I Never Knew” by Reba McEntire while centered on  a father, it indirectly portrays the mother’s silent sacrifices in a distant home. The next song is  also by Reba McEntire “I’m a Survivor “this song is basically about a single mother making  things works. “Oh Mother” by Christina Aguilera is a deeply emotional song about a mother strength and sacrifices. The last song is “Hey Mama” by Kanye West a heartfelt rap honoring his  mom Donda West and all her sacrifices. This act shows Eva fierce commitment to providing for  her family by any means necessary. 

Despite her sacrifices, Eva often comes across as emotionally distant or authoritarian. “Dear Mama” by Dax is a song that honors the strength and unconditional love of mothers  particularly for those who have raised their children alone and under challenging circumstances.  This song is also called “Dear Mama” but it's by 2Pac a classic tribute to his mother,  acknowledging both her struggle and her love. In the book Sula it states “We’re all your children,  Mama. Even the ones you had to leave.” This fits because this imagined sentiment speaks to the 

Wilhite2 

gratitude buried beneath the pain. Mama’s Hurt by Ghetto Twinz a song delves into the hardship  faced by a mother in a challenging environment. The song is a tribute to the enduring spirit  of single mothers capturing their struggles and unwavering love. Eva love is expressed more  through survival tactics than tenderness, reflecting the harsh world she and her children live in. 

When it comes to Eva and Hannah, her daughter, relationship it was clear tension. Her  relationship with her daughter Hannah is also strained. “A song for Mama” by Boys II Men offers a more loving, idealized tribute like how Hannah or others may have tried to remember  Eva, despite the pain. “Family Portrait” by Pink is a child’s view of a broken home might reflect  how Plum or Hannah felt growing up under Eva’s rule. In the book Sula it states, “Nobody knew  how or when the real break had happened in that house”. “I wonder” by Killie Picker is a  daughter's emotional perspective on being abandoned by their mother exploring the pain on both  sides. About how Hannah feels because Eva didn't have a mother daughter bond with her. Hannah questions whether Eva ever truly loved her children, to which Eva responds with a  defensive and wounded outburst, underscoring the disconnect between sacrifice and affection. 

Eva challenging tradition of motherhood. Her love is not nurturing in a conventional  sense. It's a survivalist kind of love, hard- edged and often brutal. Her character makes you think  about what it means to be a “good” mother in the world we in live in.

Wilhite3 

Mixtape 

1. John Lennon – Mother (1970) 

2. Reba McEntire – The Greatest Man I Never Knew (1992) 

3. 2Pac – Dear Mama (1995) 

4. Boys II Men – A Song For Mama (1997) 

5. Ghetto Twinz – Mama's hurt (1997) 

6. Reba McEntire – I'm a Survivor (2001) 

7. Sir Charles Jones – Take Care of Mama (2002) 

8. Pink – Family Portrait (2002) 

9. Kanye West – Hey Mama (2005) 

10. Christina Aguilera – Oh Mother (2006) 

11. Willie Clayton – Mother (2006) 

12. Killie Picker – I Wonder (2007) 

13. Dax – Dear Mama

Wilhite4 

WORKS CITED 

Morrison, Toni. Sula. Vintage, 1998. 

Motherly Love. Apple Music, created by [Antwon Wilhite], [2025],

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