Midwives

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.

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