Tiger Mom Versus Mama Grizzly

January 24, 2011 by J. E. Dyer

Continued from Page 1

They had never known a man like this Man—there never has been such another. A prophet and teacher who never nagged at them, never flattered or coaxed or patronised; who never made arch jokes about them, never treated them either as "The women, God help us!" or "The ladies, God bless them!"; who rebuked without querulousness and praised without condescension; who took their questions seriously; who never mapped out their sphere for them, never urged them to be feminine or jeered at them for being female; who had no axe to grind and no uneasy male dignity to defend; who took them as he found them and was completely unselfconscious.*

The West's Mama Grizzly has a sense of herself as a serious, transcendent actor, standing athwart God, history, and human society on behalf of her children. In its way, this role is as intense and exacting as the Tiger Mom's. It can be misdirected and lose its balance. But it has produced many people of noble character, resilient spirit, and goodwill. Like the Tiger Mom, the Mama Grizzly is a product of her culture. She has weaknesses that have to be made up by other elements of society. But she also has great and enduring strengths.

* Quoted from Dorothy Sayers, Are Women Human?, originally published in 1947. Excerpted in numerous fora online (e.g., here).

Page: 2 of 2

1/24/2011 5:00:00 AM

Evangelical

The Optimistic Christian

gender

History

Parenting

politics

Christianity

Evangelicalism

more at patheos

10 Things I Wish Older Christians Told Me

Frank Viola

Gospel-Centered Service Develops Holiness

Michele Howe

Society as Children in a Market

Herb Montgomery

Jesus es la Puerta

Father Pablo Migone

About J. E. Dyer

J.E. Dyer is a retired Naval intelligence officer and evangelical Christian. She retired in 2004 and blogs from the Inland Empire of southern California. She writes for Commentary's CONTENTIONS blog, Hot Air's Green Room, and her own blog, The Optimistic Conservative. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Patheos Logo Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos