A Mother’s Hidden World

Happening

This relationship thread traces Annie Duchesne’s concealment from her mother and the symbolic separation created by abortion.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Monthly Visit The Monthly Visit from "Happening". The Monthly Visit Familiar Concealment Annie Duchesne continues visiting her parents with dirty laundry and returning with provisions.

The Monthly Visit from "Happening". The Monthly Visit Familiar Concealment Annie Duchesne continues visiting her parents with dirty laundry and returning with provisions.

The Monthly Visit Familiar Concealment Annie Duchesne continues visiting her parents with dirty laundry and returning with provisions. The practiced routine makes concealment possible without requiring an explicit confrontation. Maternal Surveillance She imagines her mother noticing her underwear while sorting the washing. The fear reflects a relationship built on unspoken rules about sex and shame.

Fear of Discovery Fear of Discovery from "Happening". Fear of Discovery A Hidden Pregnancy Annie Duchesne worries that her mother will ask why her period is late.

Fear of Discovery from "Happening". Fear of Discovery A Hidden Pregnancy Annie Duchesne worries that her mother will ask why her period is late.

Fear of Discovery A Hidden Pregnancy Annie Duchesne worries that her mother will ask why her period is late. She returns home for the holiday while carrying a secret she believes her mother would condemn. A Performance of Normality A smile and regular visits reassure the family. This performance keeps the mother close while preventing her from knowing the danger her daughter faces.

The Needles from Home The Needles from Home from "Happening". The Needles from Home An Ordinary Object Annie Duchesne brings home the blue knitting needles she had once intended to use for a cardigan.

The Needles from Home from "Happening". The Needles from Home An Ordinary Object Annie Duchesne brings home the blue knitting needles she had once intended to use for a cardigan.

The Needles from Home An Ordinary Object Annie Duchesne brings home the blue knitting needles she had once intended to use for a cardigan. They become instruments in a desperate attempt to control her body. A Private Break The transformation of a domestic object marks a break with the mother’s world of ordinary household life. Annie acts alone rather than disclose her situation.

The Mother Inside The Mother Inside from "Happening". The Mother Inside A Charged Image During the procedure, Annie Duchesne imagines Madame P-R giving birth to her.

The Mother Inside from "Happening". The Mother Inside A Charged Image During the procedure, Annie Duchesne imagines Madame P-R giving birth to her.

The Mother Inside A Charged Image During the procedure, Annie Duchesne imagines Madame P-R giving birth to her. The scene becomes entwined with a sense that she has killed her own mother inside herself. Separation The image expresses an emotional rupture as much as a physical event. Annie’s secrecy has made the abortion an inward break in the maternal bond.

A Different Body at Home A Different Body at Home from "Happening". A Different Body at Home Concealed Recovery After discharge, Annie Duchesne returns to her parents and pretends to have a cold.

A Different Body at Home from "Happening". A Different Body at Home Concealed Recovery After discharge, Annie Duchesne returns to her parents and pretends to have a cold.

A Different Body at Home Concealed Recovery After discharge, Annie Duchesne returns to her parents and pretends to have a cold. Her mother remains unaware of the ordeal and its aftermath. The Changed Daughter Annie remembers reclining in sunlight with legs that seem to belong to a different woman. The return to the family home cannot restore the earlier relationship to her own body.

Autumn 1963

November 1963

December 1963

January 15, 1964

Late January 1964