What was ERs relationship with Sara Delano Roosevelt?
Eleanor Roosevelt’s relationship with her mother-in-law, Sara Delano Roosevelt, was very complex and very rich. It is also the most misunderstood part of ER’s life. After Sunrise at Campobello captured the American imagination on stage and film, Dore Schary’s characterization stereotyped Sara as the quintessential domineering mother-in-law who not only spoiled her son and grandchildren but took every opportunity to undercut ER’s confidence and authority. This is a lazy stereotype. As one member of the family states, “the relationship between SDR and ER varied from close to distant at different times.” Although SDR initially opposed the marriage, she and ER grew close in the early years of the marriage when ER turned to her for guidance and support. ER’s mother had died when she was a child, and she often turned to SDR for guidance and support that only a mother could provide. After the children were born, the relationship grew tense as the women differed and sometimes clashed over pare
