Line #29 PlayingWith/MandatoryMotherhood


1	'''Basic Trope''': A character does not want kids, but society expects her (or him) to anyway.
2	* '''Straight''': Alice has no interest in carrying, birthing, or raising children, but her [[IWantGrandkids mother]] as well as the rest of her family demands that she does.
3	* '''Exaggerated''':
4	** Alice is getting this from everyone ''including'' her [[MoralEventHorizon gynecologist]].
5	** Alice gets this pressure the moment she starts puberty.
6	** Alice could actually be arrested if she is childless by age 25, unless she can prove that she is naturally infertile.
7	* '''Downplayed''': While Alice's mother respects her decision in not wanting kids, she insists that "she'll change her mind".
8	* '''Justified''':
9	** Alice is living AfterTheEnd, and reproduction is encouraged because the world is getting to AdamAndEvePlot population levels.
10	** Alice lives in a world where it's MateOrDie.
11	** Alice's {{Blueblood}} husband Bob needs [[HeirClubForMen an heir, especially a male heir]].
12	** Alice lives in a {{Dystopia}}n world where the refusal to procreate is against the law and incurs a severe punishment.
13	** Alice lives in a [[TheTheocracy theocratic state]] where religious law requires all citizens to have children.
14	** The government notices that there's an increasing rate of people choosing to opt out of parenthood, and believe that people having less children will result in serious consequences. In other words, less children means less people to benefit society, and less children means less workers to benefit the economy. So they decide to mandate laws to force people to reproduce in order to avoid a societal and economical collapse.
15	* '''Inverted''':
16	** MyBiologicalClockIsTicking
17	** Alice wants kids, but her society is discouraging her from breeding (for whatever reason(s)).
18	** ChildrenAreAWaste
19	* '''Gender Inverted''': Bob does not want kids, but is expected by society to have some anyways.
20	* '''Subverted''':
21	** Alice starts to ponder the possibility of having a baby.
22	** Alice already has a child, and Bob discusses the possibility of having another one.
23	* '''Double Subverted''':
24	** But then decides that it's not for her and probably never will be.
25	** Alice and Bob decide they don't want any more children.
26	* '''Parodied''': Alice has had a complete hysterectomy. She still gets pregnant.
27	* '''Zig Zagged''': Some are pressured to procreate, others are not.
28	* '''Averted''': Alice doesn't catch any flack for not having or wanting kids (or more kids.)
29	* '''Enforced''':
30	** The author wants to continue his series, so he plans on having others pressure Alice into having a child, who will carry on the series in the near future.
31	** The author, who is childfree, wants to make a protagonist dealing with an antagonist who forces them to have children.
32	* '''Lampshaded''': "You know, Alice, having a child is a wonderful thing, which is why you ''will'' have one."
33	* '''Invoked''':
34	** "What? You don't want children? HOW DARE YOU, YOU SELFISH BITCH??!!! AREN'T YOU ASHAMED??"
35	** Alice's mother, who wants grandkids, bribes and blackmails Alice's friends and neighbors into pressuring her to have kids.
36	* '''Exploited''': To have Bob to herself, Carla convinced Bob that she herself wants to bear children when Alice doesn't.
37	* '''Defied''':
38	** Alice decides she'll be childfree no matter what anyone else thinks.
39	** Alice gets a full hysterectomy to ensure that she will ''never'' get pregnant no matter what.
40	** While others [[NotWantingKidsIsWeird frown upon Alice's decision to not have children]], they won't force her into having them.
41	* '''Discussed''': "I just don't think having children is for me. It's great that you [[BabiesMakeEverythingBetter have a purpose in your kids]], but I don't think that's my calling."
42	* '''Conversed''': "Why does it even matter whether Alice wants kids or not?"
43	* '''Implied''': When Alice's daughter Susan asks what made her decide to have her, Alice simply says "court order".
44	* '''Deconstructed''':
45	** Alice is being pressured to do something very life-changing (and costly in terms of time, effort, and money) that she doesn't want to do.
46	** Alice gives in to the pressure from her friends and family and has several children. Because she was pressured into it when she wasn't ready, Alice finds the children very burdensome and has trouble connecting with them, while her kids feel unloved and unwanted.
47	* '''Reconstructed''':
48	** Alice learns not to let others tell her what to do (or not do) regarding reproduction. She shows the naysayers that she leads a happy and productive life even without children.
49	** After discussing the issue with Bob, he decided to take care of the children most of the time, greatly lifting off parental burdens from Alice while she could go after her dreams.
50	* '''Played For Laughs''': "I don't want kids. Never have, never will." GilliganCut to Alice and Bob happily raising 10 kids.
51	* '''Played For Drama''': Alice is being taken by a MadScientist or [[ANaziByAnyOtherName evil government]] to be forcibly used as a BabyFactory.
52	----
53	You don't want children? Tough shit, you're gonna have them! Now back to MandatoryMotherhood with you!
54	----
55	%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
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Context PlayingWith / MandatoryMotherhood