Rosemary's Baby

Various characters throughout Rosemary’s Baby idealize pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood, often acting protective and even worshipful of maternal femininity. However, the novel’s overarching vision of motherhood is a dark one in which the pregnant protagonist, through no fault of her own, loses all control over her body. Meanwhile, characters like Guy, the Castavets, and Dr. Sapirstein give voice to larger cultural and political fears about female empowerment and the separation of motherhood from institutional patriarchal dominance.

One way that the coven controls Rosemary’s pregnancy, and thus her own visions of motherhood, is through Minnie Castavet. As Rosemary and Minnie become closer, Minnie adopts a motherly role, making decisions about Rosemary’s body and giving her unsolicited advice. Even before Rosemary is pregnant, for example, Minnie says, “You’re young and healthy; you ought to have lots of children” (46), and later, “If your sisters have lots of children, chances are you will too” (59). After Rosemary becomes pregnant, Minnie becomes the delivery system for the coven’s control methods via the daily drink she makes Rosemary consume. While Minnie’s frequent visits and insistent questions about Rosemary’s well-being seem motivated by genuine care, she is using socially acceptable behaviors to exercise power over Rosemary’s experience of pregnancy and motherhood.