In Bastard Out of Carolina, Dorothy Allison introduces a mother figure, Anney Boatwright, who chooses to live with her husband, Glen, instead of her daughter, Bone, for her own good. Generally, an idealized mother ignores her own needs and sacrifices for her children, but Anney is not a perfect mother in fantasy but an imperfect mother in reality. As a single mother, economically, she needs some money to survive with her daughters, and socially, she craves protection from other men. Even though Anney herself supports Glen financially, she believes that a man can give such security to a woman. This illusion does not allow her to confront the crisis of her daughter. As a poor working class mother, her economic instability shrinks her maternal affection for her daughter. Moreover, the social convention of society for women forces her to seek a husband in order to acquire advantage from the patriarchal society. Therefore, Anney`s choice of Glen is for her own well-being rather than for her daughter`s; she determines to be a "woman" and a "wife," not a "mother." This essay does not criticize Anney`s behavior of abandoning her daughter and going away with her husband. Instead, this essay points out the oppression of the mother and suggests re-thinking about the notions of mothering and motherhood.