Mothers of disabledchildren come out of the shadows in Jacek Hołub’s reportage provocations

Abstract

The article concerns considerations on the analysis of selected reportages by Jacek Hołub from the collection of Żeby umarło przede mną. Opowieści matek niepełnosprawnych dzieci and Niegrzeczne. Historie dzieci z ADHD, autyzmem i zespołem Aspergera. The author focuses on the characteristics of the narrative maternity discourse carried out by women raising disabled children. Jacek Hołub, by giving mothers a voice, gives them the opportunity to publicize their perspective of experiencing motherhood. The text emphasizes the special role of the reporter who constructs a credible cultural description through “matrifocality” expressed through the empowerment of the mother in the narrative process. Conclusions prove that the story gives the opportunity for individual heroines of reportages to regain their own identity, and also develops the reader’s empathy and fights against social stereotypes.