A Midwifes tale Essay Example For Students

A Midwifes tale Essay : The Life of Martha Ballard Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. (New York: Vintage Books, 1990, 444 pp, maps, photos, abbreviations, notes, index.) Laurel Thatcher Ulrich?s portrayal of Martha Ballard?s life shows the intense measures physicians went through to treat their patients and the way of life for these times. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich?s book not only recounts early 1800s medicine but also how the people of their times was perceived. Ulrich discusses how women in this era were viewed as a submissive party that did what the role set by men should be. Ulrich?s book was written from detailed notes taken by midwife Martha Ballard?s diary that fills in the gaps that the assigned history book America a Concise History left.In the book America a Concise History it mentions a brief description of ailments in the community but doesn?t focus on specifics of the ailments or how they were treated. maps and tables are easy to understand, very self-explanatory, as well as incorporated into the theme of the chapter with a molding precision. My over all analysis of this novel is that its unusual format may be difficult for some readers at first while others will be able absorb the content immediately. Furthermore, the use of the table and map broaden the comprehension of the authors message. The historical monograph, A Midwifes Tale, can be related to several works published about womens role during the eighteenth century. The reader can see that Martha was a self-sustaining woman who worked hard at keeping her family needs met. The Journal of Mme Knight, by Theodore Dwight, is an example of another work relating to the issues Martha encounters throughout her life. Sarah Kemble, also known as the Widow Knight or Madam Knight, kept a detailed diary about her travels and the customs of the people she encountered. Sarah Kemble is similar to Martha because she to managed a business, and therefore was self-sustained. The Journal is also considered one of the most authentic chronicles of the eighteenth century colonial life in America. 6 Another work that shows the eighteenth century ideology of women is The Making of a Middle-Class Lady7. It illustrates the daily chores of women and the goods/services they offered during the era. Ulrich, the author, discusses the web of women in the society and their separation from legal affairs. In comparison, both works, A Midwifes Tale and The Making of a Middle-Class Lady, encompass political, economical, and sexual transformation and the significance it had on women. Both works discuss various trades women performed, such as the production of cloth or other jobs of trade, or midwifery. Furthermore, they both expose the difference between the mens social hierarchy and the womens social web, and how they interact with each other. As seen in Marthas Diary, much of the community revolved around the mill, which is an important factor that comes into play as the pre-industrial revolution begins, and womens work starts to devaluate thus molding a prescription of the house wife, primary care giver to a child, and in debt to their husbands fortunes. It is difficult to find another source with the same insight as Marthas diary. Although Sarahs diary shows her daily life, she is not in the same field as Martha but did fall within the same womens sphere of this era because she handled her own legal affairs and became a school teacher, whereas Martha only had the education given to her at the beginning and did not involve herself in male affairs. All other sources seem to repeat each other in the prescription of womens duties during the era but lack a true womens insight into the surrounding events. I am compelled, as a reader, to put Marthas diary above all other works we have read because they all seem to originate from the pages of her diary but lacking the substance only the women of the era could fulfill, thus leaving a reader with a prescription rather then a description. .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba , .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba .postImageUrl , .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba , .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba:hover , .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba:visited , .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba:active { border:0!important; } .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba:active , .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5c2c0076dd859ccaf34549e3b7382aba:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: In A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner, the author uses the element of time to enhance details of the setting and vice versa EssayIn conclusion, though an unusual format, the author maintains the readers attention while addressing various issues that women faced during the eighteenth century, and thus fulfills her thesis in an entertaining approach for the reader. The historical monograph is a unique view of the turmoil during the era while giving insight into the many true duties of women. The author turned history into life, letting the reader walk the footsteps of a midwife and taste the eighteenth century as a whole instead of a selected slice. 1 A Midwifes Tale, p. 27. Also see Oxford Vital Records, p. 82 2 A Midwifes Tale, p. 27. Also see Church Records of the First Church in Augusta, South Parish Congregational Church, Augusta, pp. 100-101. 3 A Midwifes Tale, p. 34 4 A Midwifes Tale, p. 34 5 A Midwifes Tale, p. 33 6 Knight, Sarah Kemble, copyright 1999 Encylopedia Britannica, Inc. 7 Based on the book The History of Women in America by Carol Hymowitz and Michaele Weissman.