Her letters to Franklin belie a thoughtful introspection that Franklin seems incapable of entirely. It is Franklin who is oblivious to the role of father. Eva is expected to take control of all nurturing activities in the family, leaving daddy to be playtime manager. Kevin likely loses respect for his father, who becomes so completely distant emotionally as to never assume an ounce of responsibility for his son's behavior. Eva, on the other hand, is like Atlas bearing the weight of the world on her shoulder. Kevin is serving time, but so too is Eva.

We Need to Talk About Kevin therefore highlights key feminist theories of motherhood. Motherhood has become the province of patriarchy, as Adrienne Rich points out in Of Woman Born. Midwives, roles fulfilled my females, have been steadily replaced by physicians, a role unfortunately filled primarily by men. When men are in control of women's bodies,...
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