63 pages • 2-hour read
Midwives
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Symbols & Motifs
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of gender discrimination.
Women’s Bodies and Childbirth
References to women’s bodies and childbirth constitute a prominent motif in the novel, illustrating cultural biases against women. Sibyl and the other midwives often discuss childbirth with their families since women’s anatomy and labor are not taboo topics for them. In fact, they view labor as a beautiful, natural process. For Connie, who has been attending home births from the age of eight, talk about women’s reproductive organs is as matter-of-fact as mentions of arms and legs. In a humorous sequence, Connie narrates how her mention of “vulva” would “stop adults cold in their tracks” (9). In the same passage, however, she notes that a similar word, like “butt” or “penis,” would not invite the same shock, implying that women’s bodies are seen as problematic in mainstream spaces. As an example, Connie notes that the journalists covering her mother’s trial are made visibly uncomfortable by the sight of her mother’s breastfeeding clients, with even the women reporters “trying desperately to talk to members of the group during the recess without allowing their eyes to fall below the nursing mothers’ foreheads” (257). The attitude of the journalists represents a larger cultural discomfort with women’s bodies, ultimately stemming from misogyny.
This context forms the backdrop for the novel’s exploration of The Debate Between Alternative and Institutionalized Medicine. The novel suggests that midwifery can be a safe space for women, one in which their bodies are not shamed or fetishized, and that it is precisely because midwifery allows women to assume ownership of their reproductive anatomy that it has often attracted criticism. Stephen, for instance, claims that midwives were often persecuted through history because of their knowledge of herbal medicine and women’s bodies; some midwives were even tried for witchcraft. Sibyl’s trial is a modern-day example of this bias, with patriarchal institutions trying to discredit midwives so that women do not have agency over their bodies.
Mud and Sugaring
Sugaring, the process of tapping maple trees for sap and boiling down the sap to sugar or syrup, functions both as a motif and a symbol in the text. It is closely linked with mud since it typically takes place in Vermont’s “muddy” season of February-April, when the ground turns slushy with thawing snow. According to Connie, common wisdom says that the muddier the season, the richer and more abundant the sap. As a motif, sugaring and mud evoke the novel’s Vermont setting, but they also symbolize the bittersweet nature of life. The kind of weather that produces an awful muddy season—a bitter, snowy winter followed by warm spring days and cold spring nights—also causes the sap to rise in maple trees. Similarly, life contains both the misery of mud and the bounty of sugaring. In Connie’s case, Sibyl’s trial has a devastating effect but also leads to her becoming an ob-gyn focused on providing better, more personalized care for her patients. Similarly, Charlotte’s death is accompanied by the birth of Veil. Thus, mud and sugaring together represent the complex reality of life.
Sibyl’s Journals
A key symbol, Sibyl’s journals represent the truth, subjectivity, and unreliable memory. In particular, Sibyl’s journal entry from March 15 is linked with the fluid, nonlinear nature of memory. The entry is written a day after Charlotte’s death, and in it, Sibyl notes that her perception of the death has changed in even this short a span of time: At the time of making the incision, Sibyl thought the flinching of Charlotte’s body was a postmortem reflex, but a day later, she cannot be so sure. Sibyl’s doubts show the way the brain processes the memory of a traumatic event, which becomes a shifting entity characterized by gaps and altered perception. This speaks to one of the problems with The Legal System’s Power to Define the Truth: Entire trials hinge on people’s recall of traumatic events, expecting the memories to be clear like video recordings.
Sibyl’s journals also represent Connie’s subjectivity and her narrative construction of the truth: In much the same way that Connie withholds certain pages from the court, she chooses which portions of Sibyl’s journals to include in her story. Thus, the inclusions from Sibyl’s journals are meant to present a certain view of Sibyl to the reader. Connie’s choice is a metafictional act, drawing attention to the fact that all narratives are constructed.
Snow and Storms
Snow and storms are ominous symbols in the text, representing difficulty and foreshadowing danger. Early on, Connie overhears Charlotte telling Sibyl that she is dreading the long Vermont winter, while Asa is so unprepared for the winter that he has not yet purchased a shovel. The couple’s inability to deal with the snow is an ominous sign that both anticipates and contributes to the crisis when Charlotte goes into labor. On the night of March 13, Sibyl’s wagon gets stuck in a snowbank in Asa’s driveway, which is itself so slippery with ice that Sibyl falls on it several times, cutting and bruising her legs. Further, a storm brings down the telephone lines, making it difficult to seek help for Charlotte. A storm occurs during Sibyl’s trial as well, its appearance seemingly prophesying doom. Although Sibyl is ultimately cleared of the major charges, Sibyl’s loss of confidence in midwifery suggests the storm represented a tumultuous period for her.
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