Mother and Wife
It seems as though, especially in recent months, both the American people and worldwide media have demonized Hillary Clinton. In the wake of a whirlwind of harsh criticism against her, it is easy to forget that Clinton is not only a respectable politician, but also a dedicated wife to Bill Clinton, and mother to Chelsea Clinton.
Hillary’s marriage to Bill Clinton has been one of extreme adversity and unlikely recovery. Their conventionally flawed relationship was consistently exposed to the public, with every detail of the humiliating extramarital affair, career conflicts, and seemingly crumbling marriage being displayed under a media spotlight. At a time when many people believed that Bill’s unprofessional and scandalous acts of infidelity were grounds for impeachment, it was nothing short of baffling that his marriage with Hillary survived. I’d like to explore Hillary’s experiences as Bill Clinton’s wife from a feminist perspective. The way a woman chooses to cope with a husband’s affair is a deeply personal matter, and Hillary’s status as First Lady unjustly drove her decisions to be scrutinized by colleagues, other politicians, and American citizens. The fact that Hillary chose to stay with her husband has been portrayed as both an act of enablement, and unconditional love. Many people still criticize her for failing to hold Bill accountable for his shameful actions, and for setting a poor example for other women. It’s been said that their marriage is based on convenience, and a mutual understanding that, in many ways, their careers and ambitions come first. Does this inherently mean that Hillary Clinton lacks self-respect, or is by default unable to be considered a feminist? Or does it simply make her a woman who is able to look past her husband’s mistakes, move on with her marriage, and move forward with her life? Quite frankly, does it even matter? Hillary Clinton is an incredible example of a woman who handled adversity with poise, and built a commendable career while managing a devastating personal blow. We should celebrate her as nothing short of a loving wife, and learn to mind our own business. |
Many women feel the need to sacrifice either their career for their children, or vice versa. However, Hillary Clinton really does seem to be the epitome of “doing it all”. It is unsurprisingly extremely difficult to foster a career that requires extraordinary amounts of emotional maturity, dedication, responsibility, and ambition, while trying to raise a child who will undoubtedly grow up in the public spotlight. Granted, the Clintons possessed financially stability, and were not lacking the resources to raise a well-adjusted child, but a strong relationship with her mother certainly aided Chelsea to become commendably poised throughout her family’s highs and lows, and to establish an honorable career for herself. Hillary was known to shield Chelsea from the media in an attempt to allow her to live a relatively normal life, while simultaneously teaching her how to manage, and sometimes mask her feelings. These may not be the lessons you would immediately think of a “good” mother teaching her young daughter, but it is important to remember the context of their relationship. As both a First Lady and motivated woman, Hillary Clinton had unique insight on what it meant to be powerful and graceful. These characteristics were ones that she took great care to instill in her daughter, while concurrently providing her with the tools that she would need to thrive as a woman. Chelsea Clinton has become successful in her own right, and I have no doubt that this is largely due to the example that her mother set, and the time that Hillary took to raise her daughter to be strong, dignified, and motivated.
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