A Child Is Born

Germaine Greer

1 How does a traditional society look into pregnancy?

OR, What kind of treatment does a woman in Nepal/India/ Bangladesh/traditional society receive during pregnancy?

Traditional societies view pregnancy as a great achievement for a woman. If she cannot bear children she is considered a failure in her personal life and useless in the eyes of the society. A pregnant woman has to observe certain taboos, prohibitions and rituals. All these help to keep her mentally free and lessen her pain and fear. She is helped by her husband and other members of family and community. This gives her a sense of security in the risky act of childbirth. 

2 How does a modern Western society look into pregnancy?

In modern Western societies, pregnancy is taken as a natural process. People in these societies do not observe rituals related to pregnancy. A pregnant woman has to take care of herself and the role of other family members is very little. She has to prepare herself for the birth of the child. She frequently visits doctors for advice and to get her pregnancy checked up. She is worried about the danger and pain of childbirth. 

3 How does a traditional society look into childbirth?

OR, What kind of treatment does a woman in Nepal/India/ Bangladesh/traditional society receive during childbirth?

In traditional societies, childbirth is viewed as a great, heroic act of courage. The birth of child is celebrated with party and feast. Because of the lack of enough medical facilities and advanced equipment, there is a risk to mother as well as child. But the mother is expected to overcome it. After the childbirth, the mother is fully accepted by the new family. She earns a respectful place. She is allowed to visit her parents’ house. People start calling her after the name of her child. 

4 How does a modern Western society look into childbirth?

In modern Western societies, childbirth is not seen as a heroic act. There are hospitals with facilities and advanced equipment for easy and safe childbirth. Doctors conduct operations in case there are complications. Instead of following traditions, mothers visit doctors for suggestions. Westerners express happiness at childbirth. But there are no practices like grand celebrations, welcoming the child and the mother and sending her to her mother’s home.

5 Discuss the advantages of child rearing in a traditional society. 

OR, How is the traditional child rearing a beneficial practice for the child and young mother?

In traditional societies, child rearing is communal. The mother is not alone in childcare because the family is often a joint family. Her responsibility is reduced as the child is looked after by family members, relatives, neighbours and the community. They are involved in activities like bathing, feeding and carrying around the child. They often tell fairy tales and teach moral lessons to the children. Children’s relationship with others is as close and good as with parents. 

6 What are the practices of child rearing seen in modern Western societies?

Child rearing is mostly individual in modern Western societies. There is little help from other family members and community because they are busy in their own affairs. Mothers have to take care of their children by themselves. Children are taught to be independent from early childhood. Parent-child relation is not as strong as in traditional societies. Parents spend on toys so that the child can play with them and does not need them.

7 What differences does the writer show between a traditional society and modern West in matters of pregnancy, childbirth and child rearing?

The writer shows many differences between a traditional and modern society in matters of pregnancy, childbirth and child rearing. Family and community support and help the mother in traditional societies. But in modern Western societies, she handles things almost by herself.

Traditional societies view pregnancy as a great achievement for a woman. If she cannot bear children she is considered a failure in her personal life and useless in the eyes of the society. A pregnant woman has to observe certain taboos, prohibitions and rituals. All these help to keep her mentally free and lessen her pain and fear. She is helped by her husband and other members of family and community. This gives her a sense of security in the risky act of childbirth.

In modern Western societies, pregnancy is taken as a natural process. People in these societies do not observe rituals related to pregnancy. A pregnant woman has to take care of herself and the role of other family members is very little. She has to prepare herself for the birth of the child. She frequently visits doctors for advice and to get her pregnancy checked up. She is worried about the danger and pain of childbirth. 

In traditional societies, childbirth is viewed as a great, heroic act of courage. The birth of child is celebrated with party and feast. Because of the lack of enough medical facilities and advanced equipment, there is a risk to mother as well as child. But the mother is expected to overcome it. After the childbirth, the mother is fully accepted by the new family. She earns a respectful place. She is allowed to visit her parents’ house. People start calling her after the name of her child. 

In modern Western societies, childbirth is not seen as a heroic act. There are hospitals with facilities and advanced equipment for easy and safe childbirth. Doctors conduct operations in case there are complications. Instead of following traditions, mothers visit doctors for suggestions. Westerners express happiness at childbirth. But there are no practices like grand celebrations, welcoming the child and the mother and sending her to her mother’s home.

In traditional societies, child rearing is communal. The mother is not alone in childcare because the family is often a joint family. Her responsibility is reduced as the child is looked after by family members, relatives, neighbours and the community. They are involved in activities like bathing, feeding and carrying around the child. They often tell fairy tales and teach moral lessons to the children. Children’s relationship with others is as close and good as with parents. 

Child rearing is mostly individual in modern Western societies. There is little help from other family members and community because they are busy in their own affairs. Mothers have to take care of their children by themselves. Children are taught to be independent from early childhood. Parent-child relation is not as strong as in traditional societies. Parents spend on toys so that the child can play with them and does not need them.

Traditional Eastern societies face high risks of mother and child death because of traditional values and practices. But the writer seems to say that these are better than modern Western societies in matters of pregnancy, childbirth and child rearing because the whole community supports her.

8 Write about the values held by traditional Nepali society in which a woman who cannot bear children is considered as a failure in her personal life and a useless woman in the eyes of the society. Give your views on the subject.

OR, Write about the place of woman/mother in the Nepali family with reference to different stages of her life.

In traditional societies like Nepal, only after a woman becomes a mother she is fully accepted by her husband’s family. If she cannot bear children, she is considered a failure in her personal life and useless in the eyes of the society. She gets a respectful place in the family and society after she successfully goes through the three stages: pregnancy, childbirth and child rearing. 

Traditional societies view pregnancy as a great achievement for a woman. A childless woman does not get proper place and respect. If she becomes pregnant, she is helped by her husband, family and community. They make her feel secure in the risky act of childbirth. 

Traditional societies view childbirth as a great, heroic act of courage. The mother is praised as she overcomes the risks of childbirth. After the childbirth, she earns a respectful place in her new family. She gets a new identity. People start calling her after the name of her child.

In traditional societies, child rearing is communal. Family members, relatives, neighbours and the community help the mother in childcare. She is free from total responsibility towards the child. Her relationship with the child is close and strong.

9 Many countries of Asia and Africa have realized that mother and child death is a tragedy and it should be minimized as much as possible. Yet they are still irrational/traditional in this regard: they compel a woman to follow rituals, taboos and prohibitions and give birth at the cost of her life. Explain this treatment in the context of the essay.

Many countries in Asia and Africa have many customs, rituals, taboos and prohibitions regarding pregnancy and childbirth. A pregnant woman has to follow them and give birth to a child even at the cost of her life. If such attitude remains, the tragedy of mother and child death will not be minimized although they wish to. But the writer seems to support these Asian and African customs. She says there is dignity and pride in child bearing. Social values are considered more important than survival.

A pregnant woman has to observe certain taboos, prohibitions and rituals. Although there are negative sides, these make her feel secure and lessen her pain and fear. Because of the lack of enough medical facilities and advanced equipment, there is a risk to mother and child during childbirth. But the mother is expected to overcome it. Only after successful childbirth, she earns a respectful place. She is praised for the pain she has faced during pregnancy and childbirth. To get such reward, she becomes ready to give birth at the cost of her life. The writer seems to praise this type of thinking.

10 The essay  A Child is Born is often found controversial and one-sided. Do you agree?

The essay sounds one-sided because of the writer’s negative tone toward modern Western practices in matters of pregnancy, childbirth and child rearing. She shows differences between traditional and modern societies, but not in a balanced way. She mostly describes and supports the practices in traditional societies, calling them better than Western practices. She shows the negative side of modern influence on traditional societies with an example of a hospital in Africa. Some women admitted for delivery were alone and suffering. The nurses were busy with equipments and ignored them. 

The rituals and practices in traditional societies reduce the mother’s fear and keep her people close to her during the difficult times of pregnancy and childbirth. Moreover, it is the right of free human beings to follow their way of life as long as they like. Childbirth is considered an achievement and a happy occasion. It is celebrated with feast. The whole family looks after the child. Therefore, the child’s relationship with other family members and relatives is as close as with the parents. The writer seems to say modern Western societies lose such benefits.

Child and mother death rates are high in traditional societies. But even the women give less importance to survival because they feel pride and dignity in child bearing.