Plutarch writes of Caesar observing “certain wealthy foreigners in Rome carrying puppies and young monkeys about in their bosoms and fondling them.”
Caesar asked whether “the women in their country did not bear children … rebuking those who squander on animals that proneness to love and loving affection which is ours by nature, and which is due only to our fellow-men.”
For the growing multitude of women who have no children, and no plans to bear them, animals remain a popular surrogate. Dogs or cats, more often than monkeys.
Sometimes, the maternal instinct is grafted onto a product, or a musician, or even a Founding Father. Look no further than this infantilized, trans-ed version of Thomas Jefferson produced during Tumblr’s “Hamilton” heyday.
Often, the mothering instinct turns inwards, and the adult woman preoccupies herself with herself. See: A woman who collects dandelion-colored crayons, seemingly to the point of obsession, because they were her favorite as a child. See, also: The infamous “Gen Z boss and a mini” viral video, which led one commenter to conclude, “It’s like summer camp but in an office.”
But one surrogate surpasses all others in destructive power.