Mildred Pierce as A Narcissist Mother

Narcissism embodies excessive admiration devotion to her monstrous child, Veda, the eldest (Cain p.12-16). The daughter's insatiable and interest in oneself, self-centeredness, and selfishness. A narcissistic mother invests hugely in her daughters, and their actions are ambivalent. In Mildred Pierce, we see Mildred's crippling appetite for status and fame ends up destroying their family. Generally, women's survival depends on how they are loved. Still, narcissistic mothers believe that their daughters need sufficient libidinal resources to identify with their female partners, in this case, the mother (Fine p.30). Mildred fits this description. If Sigmund Freud were to be introduced to the character, he would say she suffers from Narcissism. Indeed, another type of love, where she is in love with the reflection of herself.

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Narcissism is also shown in Mildred's relationship with her daughter; we see that Mildred has an excessive sense of self- importance (LaValley p. 35). She feels the need for attention and admiration from others, in particular, Veda. Despite Veda not wanting to identify with the mother, Mildred ached with Veda's need for approval. She seeks unrealistic approval, which exasperates the boundaries between them, almost wiping them completely. Through her need for Veda's approval, there are different elements of obsessive love (Krutnik p. 44). Mildred is unable to see Veda as a separate person and sees Veda as a reflection of herself; we see this when she thinks that if Veda were to become a statue of herself, she would regard it as a fulfillment frustration in her desire to shine. Mildred has issues with separation and mergers, making her unable to spate herself and Veda as two separate people.

Additionally, Mildred does not have respect for herself, but desperate Narcissism inspires her life. We see Mildred's narcissistic character when her idealized daughter, Veda, rejects her by telling her that she no longer has control over her and cannot make any decisions for her. Mildred erupts in rage, feeling humiliated and shameful; she asks Veda to move out of her house. Mildred is forced to experience herself and a separate person, but she cannot bear the feeling. She runs after Veda in desperation, calling her. When Mildred later learns where Veda lives, she stalks her in her new apartment (Cain p. 219-230). Mildred's intolerance for feeling secluded drives her in trying to repossess her daughter after having an altercation (Letort & Shannon p. 28). Mildred finally feels good when Veda makes an appearance and sings at her wedding.

In conclusion, Mildred exploited people with unusual coolness and took them for granted. The author portrays most of her narcissistic tendencies through Veda. For Veda she also portrays narcissism tendencies and tries to inflict pain to those she holds in contempt. In Glendale, love and hate rules and sometimes there is a thin line.

Works Cited

Cain, James M. Mildred Pierce. Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, 1989.

Fine, David M. "james m. cain and the los angeles novel." American Studies 20.1 (1979): 25-34.

Krutnik, Frank. "Desire, Transgression and James M Cain." Screen 23.1 (1982): 31-44.

LaValley, Albert J. "Mildred Pierce." Authorship in Film Adaptation (2009): 35.

Letort, Delphine, and Shannon Wells-Lassagne. "Reviewing Mildred Pierce (Todd Haynes,

HBO, 2011) in the Age of Postfeminism." Journal of Popular Film and Television 47.3 (2019): 171-178.