Academic papers frequently analyze the following works to illustrate these dynamics:

Most stories derive from these four emotional engines:

In Terminator 2: Judgment Day , Sarah Connor epitomizes the "tough" motherly love, protecting her son John from future assassins to ensure his survival as a leader.

If the mother is a saint, the son will be a hero with guilt. If the mother is a monster, the son will be a victim or a villain. The most radical stories show the mother as a person – and the son still has to become his own.