Norah Walker :Matriach?

Jessiel Gerena
Jeanina Perez
March 17 2010
WST 3015


Brothers and Sisters : Season One Episode One

When I saw this is assignment I was happy because Brothers and Sisters is my favorite show. The show Brothers and Sisters centers around William Walker and his family . William is the owner of a produce company, which gets him into financial trouble and maritial trouble .The episode centers around Kitty (oldest daughter) returning home for her birthday across the country from New York to Los Angeles . In this episode there is some tension between Kitty and her mother Norah because Kitty urged her youngest brother Justin to join the military right after 9/11. This episode is called Patriarchy it is called this because one of the main plots of is the Patriarch William Walker and the family business (Patriachy).
This show has an interesting depiction of women that can only be seen if one watches more then one episode. In the show Norah Walker is the mother of the Walker children and wife to William Walker. Norah is depicted as a homemaker wife who decided to stay home and care for the children while her husband is working at his company Ojai Foods. She finds out that her husband had a affair and keeps strong and hides the fact that she knows the truth. This show depicts how wifes are suppose to be the homemaker and the husband is the one is suppose to be the breadwinner.
In the article “Mommy tax talks about the expenses of being a mother. Sally field is depicted as being a mother and homemaker. Norah walker was seen as the one who took care of the kids while her husband ran the company. This is shows the depiction of the perfect family but on the inside its not. The company took time away from William and his wife and took his interest in Holly Harper. Norah rejecting having a career to have children . This depiction shows the class disparity when it come to the Mommy Tacx. The Walkers afforded the luxury to have kids and stay at home and take care of them .Though they could afford a babysitter/nanny they didn’t . She chose to stay home (Patriachy).

I like to give my input because though she is seen as the homemaker she evolves during the show. She eventually comes to terms with her husbands infidelities and death and assumes controll of the husbands company . She become the matriarch and quickly fills in the role of the strong leader of the walker family. I think this show that motherhood has a weak and strong role at the same time . At times the mother is strong and is the leader but initially is the weak supportive homemaker.








Works cited
Crittenden,Ann The Mommy Tax
"Patriachy." Brothers and Sisters. Television.