Child-Parent Relationships and Mourning

The bond between a mother and a son is like no other relationship. It is a special bond that bridges any gaps they might find. It is very different from a father-daughter bond. The son is supposed to be strong and independent while the mother is supposed to care for the son. If anything happens to the mother the son is supposed to be strong and not let his feelings show. This can be agonizing for the son because of that special bond that he and his mother share. There are many examples of this in the film Ararat. In the film there are many mother and son relationships that show these aspects. The first is between Raffi and his mother. Raffi goes to Turkey to try and discover his mother's past. Although their bond is not very strong in the beginning by the end they truly care about each other. The next mother-son bond is one that you do not get to see the whole story. It involves Egoyan who is directing the film within the film. He is directing the film to show his mother's story. He is trying to be strong and not let his emotions show. The third mother-son relationship is between Gorky and his mother. Gorky's mother is killed and Gorky is left alone. Gorky's feelings are displayed in the painting he creates of him and his mother. Although the painting is finished Gorky does not believe the painting is complete. Gorky goes back to his painting and erases the hands of his mother. This shows that Gorky is not happy with his severed ties with his mother and the fact that she is no longer there to help Gorky through his trials and sufferings. Another thing that shows how strong the mother-son relationship is, is the Third Symphony of the Polish Composer Henryk Gorecki. This song describes the agony that a mother is feeling towards the loss of her son. One part of the songs says how she is saddened that he can no longer sleep in his warm bed.
The mother-son bond is very powerful and can not be taken lightly. It is repeatedly said during the film and especially during the film within the film. It is a bond that can not be reproduced or easily broken. It is a bond like no other.