A Child Is Born 

-Germaine Greer

Summary of the essay:

"A Child Is Born" is an extract from the book entitled 'Sex and Destiny' written by an Australian writer Germaine Greer. This essay presents a comparison between parent-child relationship in the rich Western and the traditional conservative Eastern societies. 

According to the essayist, the traditional society of the east has some certain procedures and ways for managing childbirth. She has critically described our traditional eastern society and rich modern society in matters of pregnancy, childbirth and childbearing. The traditional ways and procedures of east have been carefully and collectively accepted because of their usefulness. She says that the case of pregnancy, childbirth and childbearing are given much importance in the traditional eastern societies. The pregnant women are cared, loved and supported by their husband, family-members, relatives and even the neighbours. Due to this, she begins to have a sense of security and feels free from her mental burden. She gives birth to a child according to existing customs and traditions. Since such traditional childbirth is very dangerous, both the mother and infant mortality rates are very high in the east. The mother and child are highly respected by people with new clothes and gifts after the child has been born. The child is loved and looked after well by all the members of the family. 

In many traditional societies, when women marry, they go to live in their husband's house. These women, often, are not fully accepted by the new family until they have had a child. Many people live in the west think that the treatment of women in the east is cruel and wrong. Some western even give lectures at conferences describing how bad the lives of women in traditional societies are.

In traditional societies, the relationship between the mother and the child is more important than the relationship between the husband and the wife.

Giving an example of Rajputs in India, the writer says that before going to take his bride, the bridegroom sucks his mother's breast to show that the highest duty of a Rajput is to dignify his mother's milk.

Citing an example of Sylheti woman of West Bengal, she says that a pregnant mother is allowed to spend the first three months in her parents' house after the child's birth. The birth ceremony is celebrated there by feasting, singing and dancing merrily. Finally the child is named and the mother is called the mother of the child.

The essayist cites examples from Amrit Wilson's book that describes how children are reared in Bangladesh. The children under the age of 5 or 6 are looked after by the whole family. Each family member bears their responsibility to look after the children. Children usually don't play with toys because they make their own things to play.

Mentioning the miserable condition of Bantu patients in South Africa, she says that due to the insufficient medical facilities and negative attitudes of the doctors and the carelessness of nurses, many laboring Bantu women are suffering during their pregnancy and childbirth. 

The writer adds that the Westerners neither follow the different customs, traditions and superstitions like the easterners nor they value much the pregnancy, childbirth and childbearing in the family and society. The eastern woman has a great mental burden. She has to do necessary exercises and all the preparations herself. She frequently visits the doctors for check-up. She has safe childbirth due to modern medical facilities. Her childbirth is not attended and welcome. There's no love, cooperation, intimacy and kindness in such modern societies.

The essay ends with a suggestion that voices of women, who are conscious and concerned about the rich experience, should be given proper attention; otherwise the population growth will take care of itself.

Question & answers

1. What differences does the writer show between a traditional society and a modern         society in matters of pregnancy, childbirth and childrearing?

Ans: According to Germaine Greer, eastern society is called a traditional society and western society is called a modern society. There are many differences between a traditional society and modern society in matters of pregnancy, childbirth and childbearing. In the traditional society, people believe in superstition. Women are not allowed to do various things in pregnancy. They have to follow the tradition, customs and religion. They are made sure to think that they are secured and helped by their husbands, relatives and neighbours. They have to follow the rules and restrictions. If a pregnant woman does so, it is believed that she does not have psychic burden. But in a western society, the pregnant women can do anything she likes.

      In traditional societies, a woman is not taken as a member of the family until she gives birth to a child, but in western societies, it is severely criticized. There is greater risk of infant and mother mortality in traditional societies whereas it is much lower in western modern societies.

      In traditional societies, childbirth is an achievement celebrated with great joy. The mother and the child get new dresses and gifts. There is feasting and rejoicing. After the birth of a child, the whole family, kith and kin and even the neighbours help the mother rear it along with other children. On the contrary, in the west, the woman almost singly bears with the pains and problems of pregnancy, delivery and rearing. Very often modern women bear babies in hospitals.

2. What kind of treatment does a woman in Bangladesh receive during her pregnancy and         after the childbirth?

Ans: In Bangladesh, all children below the age of five or six live in a joint family and they are looked after collectively by their elders. These children have a strong attachment with other members of the family. They spend day time with any one or two of the members but they always sleep with their own mothers.

      During pregnancy, the woman goes to visit her mother and sisters. She spends the pre-birth and post-birth in her mother's home. She is well taken care of there. Every facility is provided to her. After the birth of a child, the whole family helps her rear the child with other children.

3. Discuss the advantages of child rearing in a traditional society. How is the traditional child rearing a beneficial practice of the child and young mother?

Ans: Although the pregnant mother, in traditional societies, is helped by her husband, kith and kin, and her whole community; there is greater risk of infant and mother mortality. Here the mother's pregnancy is dictated and controlled by a number of taboos and prohibitions. She observes rites and rituals. Such behaviors keep out her fear and lessen the pain.

      In traditional societies, childbirth is an important achievement that the mother is called the mother of the child. The child's relationship with the other family members is very strong, even stronger than with its parents.

      By bearing a child and delivering it, the woman satisfies the desires of her kith and kin. The mother and the newly born child get new dresses and gifts. There is much feasting and merrymaking. The pregnant mother spends the pre-birth and post-birth periods in her mother's home. She is well taken care of. After the birth, the whole family helps her rear the child along with other children.

      Though the traditional approach and behavior towards childbirth is often dangerous, it makes the pregnant woman feel safe and protected. She forgets the thought of the pain connected with the delivery.

4. Why does the writer bring in the examples of the traditional societies to discuss the problems of a western especially a western society?

Ans: the writer does this to show the differences between the traditional and modern society in the matters of pregnancy, childbirth and childrearing. She seems to suggest that the problems faced by the modern society in matters of pregnancy and childbirth are more serious than those by traditional societies. She cites examples and shows that the conservative societies provide a better environment to a pregnant woman. Along with the taboos and preventions, the pregnant woman is provided a great sense of intimacy security. The writer seems to favor such ritualistic pregnancies and childbirths in traditional societies, though there is a greater risk of the child and the mother mortality.

      On the other hand, in western modern societies, there's no one to welcome the child, to praise the mother for her courage and to help her rear the child. The western modern woman gets better material facilities and is faced with less risk of mortality, but gets less emotional, affectionate and homely environment during pregnancy and the childbirth. Apart from material facilities, she needs love and affection to enable her to endure (bear) the mental and physical pains, anxieties and troubles. So the modern society in matters of pregnancy and childbirth is undoubtedly problematic.

The End