Should Janeway have been a mother?

[weissmr]

When Voyager was lost in the Delta Quadrant and we met Captain Janeway, do you think the character should have been a mother?

She was around 40 years old at the time. Engaged to Mark. Does this make sense? I understand life spans are longer in the 24th century, but are child bearing years extended? Is it possible to fight a natural desire to reproduce? If we found out 20 years on that she had a child that was raised by the father, would our perceptions change? (Kirk/David)

Can a woman have it all? A career and a family in the 24th century?

 

[TheGoodStuff]

When Voyager was lost in the Delta Quadrant and we met Captain Janeway, do you think the character should have been a mother?

She was around 40 years old at the time. Engaged to Mark. Does this make sense? I understand life spans are longer in the 24th century, but are child bearing years extended? Is it possible to fight a natural desire to reproduce? If we found out 20 years on that she had a child that was raised by the father, would our perceptions change? (Kirk/David)

Can a woman have it all? A career and a family in the 24th century?

You know, I'm going to blow your mind here and say even now, some woman actually choose NOT to have a child. I know right? Who can believe it but I assure you it is true.

 

[weissmr]

You know, I'm going to blow your mind here and say even now, some woman actually choose NOT to have a child. I know right? Who can believe it but I assure you it is true.

mmmmhmmm...

I'll take that as a no. And truthfully, you may be absolutely right about Janeway. Nonetheless, most people do have children. It is just a necessary quality of a species.

 

[hux]

She never struck me as someone who wanted kids (can't recall if she ever spoke about it). I can't imagine many captains would be the type to want family life. It's hard to judge how things like this work in the Trek future as they tended to avoid looking too closely at it. There still seems to be a very traditional heterosexual, monogamous, gender role conventionality to it all though

Janeway will probably live to 135 so kids could come much much later if she wanted.

I was hoping this thread was gonna be about "should they have written Janeway as a mother". That might have been interesting. Thinking about it, none of the crew were trying to get home to any children, were they. Seems like an obvious character backstory to look at when considering the shows premise. It was all just partners and parents

 

[weissmr]

There still seems to be a very traditional heterosexual, monogamous, gender role conventionality to it all though

Right? The only active parent that leads a show is Sisko who just so happens to be a commander when we meet him.

Janeway will probably live to 135 so kids could come much much later if she wanted.

Do you think this is true in the future? A person might have kids at 65 and not be considered a nut case/unethical? I don't think that will be the case. Although..who knows what the future holds.

I was hoping this thread was gonna be about "should they have written Janeway as a mother". That might have been interesting. Thinking about it, none of the crew were trying to get home to any children, were they. Seems like an obvious character backstory to look at when considering the shows premise. It was all just partners and parents

Actually, I hope that IS what the thread is about. I personally like Janeway without the additional burden of guilt that might be carried with having children growing up without her on Earth/AQ. And I totally buy into the crew as a family metaphor (like a fool) However, I thought the way the show dealt with relationships was a little off - Paris and B'Elanna are the exception? Really? In real life - the crew would be all banging each other like crazy. It's life. I digress..

 

[Kilana2]

Don't forget Tuvok engaging in Pon Farr with his holographic wife, feeling uncomfortable in doing so.

If Janeway had children she wouldn't have chosen the command of Voyager in the first place. A command, yes, but later. She is also a good scientist. There would have been many good planet-bound jobs for her.

In the Litverse there is a Myriad Universes short story:

Spoiler: Myriad Universes

Janeway has a daughter with Chakotay with the name Shannon Sekaya

Everything is possible.

 

[weissmr]

If Janeway had children she wouldn't have chosen the command of Voyager in the first place. A command, yes, but later. She is also a good scientist. There would have been many good planet-bound jobs for her.

Kirk didn't seem to give a darn. He went straight for command.

 

[Kilana2]

If Janeway had children she wouldn't have chosen the command of Voyager in the first place. A command, yes, but later. She is also a good scientist. There would have been many good planet-bound jobs for her.

Kirk didn't seem to give a darn. He went straight for command.

Kirk wasn't part of his son's live. He was always the career guy. Carol Marcus knew that. He didn't know that he has a son for a long time.

 

[bbjeg]

Though Janeway had kids (with Tom. Remember, the lizard babies? ), I say that she should not have already had kids, nor should she have kids during the series. She was already guilt tripped with Voyager being stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Adding kids left in the Alpha Quadrant or what she would deem as irresponsibly having kids in the Delta Quadrant (hostile location) would only make her character more depressing. Yes, kids can be uplifting, but Janeway had enough on her plate already.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Yes she said she'd thought about having kids.

In the books Crusher is having a baby in her 50's.

Everyone is super young and fertile in the future.

NO she should not have been a mother, that would have added waaaay too much angst to the character. It would have been horrible.

Also please god no reproducing with Chak in the books, please please please.

 

[Kilana2]

Also please god no reproducing with Chak in the books, please please please.

For some people it is quite shocking what they did with poor John-Luck Pickerd in the litverse

Spoiler: Picard Litverse

having an infant son who spoils his uniform with spinach. Battle stations! Red alert" Brace for impact! A dangerous species called child.....

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

What they did to Picard and Crusher and Riker and Troi was turn them into emo angsty teenagers during the pregnancies where they had lonnnnnnnng periods of not telling each other their real fears over the baby and other extremely embarrassing fanfic level conflicts that were beyond stupid. They took starfleet officers in their 40's to 60's and made them emotional idiots. And it was boring as all crap too.

I don't know what they are like with the actual babies because I stopped reading by then.

I would hate to see them do this to Janeway. We already know they will do it X 100 to Chak because they already turned Chak into a blithering emo mess for a book and a half because Janeway died.

With Paris and B'Elanna's babies they poured all the emo soap opera into Paris and Harry's friendship. This was also sickening. Oh who isn't talking to who over what misunderstanding this week, oh dear..

So, NO BABIES for Janeway, please.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Though Janeway had kids (with Tom. Remember, the lizard babies? ), I say that she should not have already had kids, nor should she have kids during the series. She was already guilt tripped with Voyager being stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Adding kids left in the Alpha Quadrant or what she would deem as irresponsibly having kids in the Delta Quadrant (hostile location) would only make her character more depressing. Yes, kids can be uplifting, but Janeway had enough on her plate already.

Ditto.

Although having a baby is not the same as being a mother.

 

[Finngle Bells]

She never struck me as someone who wanted kids (can't recall if she ever spoke about it).

She thought about it. She made a brief remark about how she may have to accept not having a child casually around season two or three- I'm currently going through season five.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

She told Paris she's always thought about having children, but not with him.

IS IT TIME FOR THIS YOUTUBE TO BE POSTED AGAIN?

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpJ6dVMYuzc[/yt]

*sniff*

#whatweallwant

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

Janeway has shown to be very maternal towards members of her crew (Kes, Seven, even B'Elanna) but I just can't see her as a parent. She doesn't strike me as someone who would be content with having to devote the majority of her time to raising kids. She would rather be off exploring planets and such. Kids are a lot of work, that's reason enough not to have them.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Janeway has shown to be very maternal towards members of her crew (Kes, Seven, even B'Elanna) but I just can't see her as a parent. She doesn't strike me as someone who would be content with having to devote the majority of her time to raising kids. She would rather be off exploring planets and such.

But they are all like that in Starfleet.

The Corp is mother, the Corp is father.

 

[Melakon]

Answer to thread title: No.

When Voyager was lost in the Delta Quadrant and we met Captain Janeway, do you think the character should have been a mother?

No.

She was around 40 years old at the time. Engaged to Mark. Does this make sense?

Yes. Believe it or not, people do get engaged after 40.

I understand life spans are longer in the 24th century, but are child bearing years extended?

With science fiction, the answer could be Yes or No.

Is it possible to fight a natural desire to reproduce?

Yes. I speak from personal experience, having never been a parent.

If we found out 20 years on that she had a child that was raised by the father, would our perceptions change?

Perceptions change over life, so I don't know whose perceptions or which perceptions you're talking about.

Can a woman have it all? A career and a family in the 24th century?

If women seem to be doing that now, why not in the 24th century?

 

[Beawild]

I think that under the circumstances it was a good thing that she didn't leave children behind. It would have been tough on them thinking that their mother was dead, and tough on her wondering if she would ever see them again. I imagine that if she hadn't ended up in the Delta Quadrant and married Mark, that they would eventually had children.

She was supposed to be in her late 30s when she was given command of Voyager. As captain's go, she was pretty young. As far as fertility, I think that women are supposed to be able to get pregnant until a later age in the 24th century.

I would imagine that having children is a decision that would have been tough to make for captains considering the amount of time that they would be away from home. Although there were some large starships that carried families on deep space missions. What about their husbands? They would also have to be in Starfleet or agree to forego their careers while on the ship.

BTW, there are plenty of women who have no desire to have children.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Everyone seems quite chirpy about being sent for months and years on missions away from spouse and kids in the books. A bit of skyping, a little cry over a cup of replicated tea and then onwards and upwards.

In the shows 95% of them are single and 93% of those seemingly celibate. It's the lure of Starfleet, it does everything for your heart and apparently other organs. WHY would you need to mate and reproduce when you can uphold the prime directive and chart nebulas?