Read the passage and answer the questions. A woman who rides the success wave as an underwater photographer or a pilot, financial adviser, management consultant, pearl diver, bartender, bus driver or police officer, is very often suddenly swung back looking for answers after she becomes a mother. And there comes a phase when she has to choose between motherhood and a thriving career. The former takes precedence for many as it becomes the purpose for the latter to exist. To work or not to work: this Hobson’s choice imposes a high cost on both individual and society. As a result, many professionals reject motherhood entirely. Others delay child-bearing for so long that they are forced into the arms of the booming fertility industry. Some choose not to work at all, representing a loss to collective investment in talent. But a choice must be made! Conventionally, a mother is seen putting the others before herself. She is known for slaying her own sphere bit by bit to build a new world for her child. Thereupon, motherhood and sacrifice get conjoined in a way that both become inseparable. What merits attention is to understand a woman’s struggle of answering the individual within her! Her circumstances post-delivery (over which she hardly has any control) conveniently rob her of the goalpost she fielded half her life, that is, her career. Neither money nor family can restore what is lost when she loses her career. To map the paradigm of this loss-gain conundrum, let’s examine women in the empowered and non-empowered categories. The first lot have financial, ideological, emotional resources to re-create a career. It is the latter that gets sandwiched between their call for motherhood and a slipping career. Noticeably, education is the least responsible factor for their deplorable situation. Instead, it is the educated bunch who are more frustrated than their uneducated counterparts; the ones who had carefully worked on a skill and climbed up the success ladder, only to embrace identity crises. It is important to close the vacuum of a lost career as soon as it appears. At risk is a woman’s individuality, her self-esteem that constitutes the very purpose of her being. Else, a long hiatus from work can consume even a well-minded woman and push her into depression.
What does the writer mean when he/she says: slaying her own sphere bit by bit
A woman sacrificing her individuality on becoming a mother.
Understanding "Slaying Her Own Sphere Bit by Bit" in the Passage
The passage discusses the challenges women face balancing a thriving career with motherhood. It highlights the societal expectation that a mother will prioritize her child, often at the expense of her own professional and personal identity. The phrase "slaying her own sphere bit by bit" appears in this context:
Conventionally, a mother is seen putting the others before herself. She is known for slaying her own sphere bit by bit to build a new world for her child. Thereupon, motherhood and sacrifice get conjoined in a way that both become inseparable.
Let's analyze the options based on this context:
- Option 1: A woman not being allowed to assert herself. While motherhood might lead to situations where a woman finds it hard to assert herself, the phrase "slaying her own sphere" implies an action or a process initiated by or expected of the mother, rather than simply being disallowed something. It suggests a dismantling of her existing world or identity.
- Option 2: A woman not being able to balance work and home. This is a consequence of the situation described in the passage. However, "slaying her own sphere" refers more fundamentally to the act of giving up parts of her life (like a career or personal pursuits) for her child, which then makes balancing difficult or impossible. The phrase describes the sacrifice itself, not the resulting imbalance.
- Option 3: A woman sacrificing her individuality on becoming a mother. This aligns strongly with the context. "Her own sphere" can be interpreted as her world, her identity, her career, or her personal space and time. The passage explicitly states that "motherhood and sacrifice get conjoined" and later mentions that a lost career puts "a woman’s individuality, her self-esteem" at risk. "Slaying her own sphere bit by bit" perfectly captures the gradual process of giving up aspects of her pre-motherhood identity and pursuits for the sake of her child and the role of a mother.
- Option 4: A woman struggling to re-create her career after child birth. This struggle happens *after* the initial phase described by "slaying her own sphere." The slaying is the act of dismantling or giving up parts of her career/identity upon becoming a mother; the struggle to re-create it is a later challenge resulting from this act or the hiatus it causes.
Based on the surrounding text, the phrase "slaying her own sphere bit by bit" directly refers to the sacrifice a woman is conventionally expected to make upon becoming a mother, leading to a loss of her previous life, including her career and individuality, to build a new world centered around her child. Therefore, sacrificing her individuality is the most accurate interpretation.
The final answer is A woman sacrificing her individuality on becoming a mother.
Revision Table: Key Concepts from the Passage
| Concept | Description in Passage |
|---|---|
| Motherhood vs. Career | The difficult choice many professional women face. |
| Hobson's Choice | The high cost dilemma of working or not working after becoming a mother. |
| Sacrifice | Conventionally associated with motherhood; putting others before self. |
| "Slaying Her Own Sphere" | Giving up parts of her life/identity/career for her child. |
| Individuality/Self-esteem | At risk due to lost career and long hiatus from work. |
| Educated Women | Often more frustrated by the situation and identity crises. |
Additional Information: Women, Career, and Motherhood
The passage touches upon a significant societal issue regarding women's roles and expectations after becoming mothers. Here are some related points:
- Societal Expectations: Traditional views often place the primary responsibility of child-rearing on the mother, leading to assumptions that she will step back from her career.
- Career Break Impact: Taking a break from a career, especially a long one, can make it challenging for women to re-enter the workforce at the same level due to lost skills, network, and industry changes.
- Identity Crisis: Women who have heavily invested in their careers may face an identity crisis when their professional identity is diminished or lost after becoming mothers.
- Support Systems: The availability of affordable childcare, supportive partners, and flexible work arrangements can significantly impact a woman's ability to manage both motherhood and a career.
- The "Motherhood Penalty": This term describes the disadvantages women face in terms of pay, promotions, and job security after becoming mothers compared to childless women or fathers.
Understanding these aspects provides a broader context for the challenges discussed in the passage, particularly how societal norms and lack of support structures contribute to the difficult choices women face and the potential loss of talent for society.
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Important Questions from Reading Comprehension
- Which framework globally guides national policies on Community Centered Disaster Risk Reduction?
- In the context of disaster governance, which principle emphasizes empowering local to take the lead in risk mitigation strategies?
- What distinguishes participatory disaster management from top-down approaches?
- Which of the following is a major barrier to effective local disaster risk reduction implementation in developing countries?
- How can technology most effectively support community-based disaster resilience?
