Free motherhood at the turn of the century: Yesterday's tales, today's issues

Many French novels from the beginning of the twentieth century bring mother hood into question. These novels "with a message" mark the birth of a new f orm of conscious motherhood at a time when abortion is practiced and scient ific progress makes contraception as well as artificial procreation a possi bility. These novels - where motherhood is at stake and a controversial iss ue in scientific and political circles as well as for individuals - pose, f or this reason, certain problems: the rhetoric concerning procreation, the multiplicity of viewpoints, the feminine or masculine focus.