The Impacts of Hustle Culture on Motherhood in Jessmine Chan”s “The School For Good Mothers”

Abstract

This study examines the representation of hustle culture in the portrayal of the mother figure in Jessamine Chan’s The School for Good Mothers. The novel depicts a dystopian society in which motherhood is strictly monitored and evaluated through state-imposed standards of perfection. By analyzing the main character, Frida Liu, this research explores how the ideals of productivity, self-discipline, and constant performance core values of hustle culture are internalized within the realm of motherhood. Using a cultural and feminist literary approach, the study reveals that Chan’s narrative portrays motherhood as a form of labor shaped by neoliberal expectations of efficiency and moral excellence. The mother figure becomes both the subject and victim of a system that equates maternal worth with productivity and compliance. Ultimately, the novel exposes the dehumanizing impact of hustle culture on maternal identity, illustrating how the pursuit of the “good mother” ideal erases emotional authenticity and individual agency. Through this portrayal, The School for Good Mothers critiques contemporary society’s obsession with productivity and perfection, particularly as it pertains to women’s roles in both public and private spheres.