The Birth - As You Read

CHAPTER VOCABULARY

KEY POINTS TILL PART 1

• Andrew was returning home after a disappointing visit with his lady love, Christine. 
• Andrew Manson did not expect this to be a particularly monumental night of his career
• He was returning from a long journey which saw him home as late as midnight.
• Exhausted, he found Joe Morgan, anxious and somewhat scared, waiting for him.
• Morgan's wife was in labour, before the expected date. This is their first child in a marriage of nearly twenty years.
• Joe Morgan seemed to trust Andrew implicitly. However, the community might not as evident in the novel.
• The presence of the midwife before the doctor arrived and Mrs. Morgan's reluctance to take anaesthesia reflected the lack of complete faith in modern medicine
• Hopes riding on the delivery: the parents' as well as the grandmother's. Dr. Manson reassured the grandmother and told her that both the mother and the baby shall be fine.
• Andrew waited in the kitchen reflecting on the information he had gleaned earlier in the night which showed him that most marriages were dismal failures. However, he felt that Christine was an exception.
• The labour led to a stillborn baby. 
• Initially, Andrew felt suddenly overwhelmed with the enormity of the situation and the many hopes he had dashed despite his initial reassurance.
• In moments though, Andrew's training kicked in. He instinctively decided to save the mother first, handing the baby over to the midwife.
• The midwife, who had no medical training, saw the body in her arms as a lifeless lump and placed it under the bed among sodden newspapers.
• Andrew took the baby out from under the bed and quickly diagnosed the most probable cause for the still birth i.e. Asphyxia, pallida.
• He recalled a method he had once observed through which a child had been successfully resuscitated.
• He tried: the simultaneous hot and cold dips to shock the body and get the heart to jump start, then rubbed the baby's body with a rough towel crushing and releasing the little chest as a form of CPR. 
• On the verge of giving up, a medical miracle occured.
• The child finally began to breathe. The author described the mucus as a joyful iridescent bubble because it was the first sign of life in the stillborn baby.  
• Andrew redoubled his efforts till the baby was safe. 
• As he left the house, he realised that he had truly saved a life that night fulfilling the purpose of his profession. For the first time in his life, he felt he had done something 'real', something worthwhile. 

THE MIDWIFE AND ANDREW

Beliefs of the small town: The midwife is present in the house before the doctor arrives. The mining community did not have complete faith in modern medicine and perhaps, preferred to have someone older, more experienced and traditional present during a birth. Yet, Joe Morgan trusted Andrew completely.

Contrasting personalities: The midwife is a foil to Andrew. She feels hopeless, resigned, helpless, fearful and untrained. On the other hand, Andrew proves to be more optimistic, diligent, efficient, self-sufficient, spontaneous and well-trained.

THE TITLE OF THE EXCERPT

Literally, the 'Birth' refers to the stillborn baby who was revived after great struggle. Symbolically, the title also refers to the birth of a true doctor who finally felt worthy of his title and confident about his future. The child's birth also ushers many new relationships such as that of a grandmother, father and mother.

QUESTION BANK

Q.1. Andrew had no premonition that,that night would influence his whole future in Blaenelly. How did this happen?

Q.2. Why was Joe Morgan relieved to see Andrew? Did Andrew justify his hope?

Q.3. Why was Andrew called in? How did he react to this call of duty?
Why does Andrew say, 'Usually perceptive, Andrew now felt dull and listless'? 

Q.4.  'Don't fret mother. I will not run away.' Why does Andrew say this?
Q.5.Why did Andrew choose to remain till everything was over?  
Q.6. What were Andrew’s thoughts as he waited for the childbirth? Why were they heavy and muddled?
Q.7. What was the conflict in Andrew’s mind regarding marriage? 

Q.8. Why was Andrew surprised during the wait, when the grandmother made a sound? What did the grandmother tell Andrew as he sat by the fire?
Q.9. Why did a shiver of horror pass over Andrew? 
Q.10. What dilemma did Andrew face during the course of events? How did he resolve the same? 
Q.11. How did Andrew revive Susan Morgan? 
Q.12. What did the child look like when Andrew pulled it out?

Q.13. What was the cause of the still birth? Which methods did the doctor try to resuscitate the child?

Q.14. Why did the nurse place the baby under the bed?

Q.15. What was the child suffering from? What treatment did Andrew apply?

Q.16. What were Andrew’s thoughts after he had successfully overcome the crisis?

Q.17.What unexpected miracle took place to turn Andrew’s desperation into joy?
Q.18. How did the old Mrs. Morgan react to the entire ordeal?

Q.19. What did the room look like when Andrew had finished?

Q.20. Do you think that at the end of the story Andrew is justified in saying “ I’ve done something”? Support your answer suitably.

Q.21. How did Dr. Manson prove worthy of his title by the end of the story?

Q.22. What opinion do you form of Andrew Manson from this excerpt? Which values can we learn from him? 

Q.23. Which values should the nurse have demonstrated during the ordeal?
Q.24. Giving specific instances from the chapter, demonstrate how the midwife proved to be a foil for Dr. Manson. 
Q.25. There lies a great difference between textbook medicine and the world of a practising physician. Comment with reference to the chapter, 'Birth' by A. J. Cronin.
Q.26. Compare and contrast Andrew's emotional, mental and physical state at the beginning of the story with his condition at the end.

Q.27.'I've done something; oh, God! I've done something real at last'. This statement justifies the title of the story. Discuss.

Q.28. Why do you think Andrew said, 'I'll fetch my bag later, nurse'?

Q.29. Describe in your own words, how Joe Morgan must have been feeling during his wait and eventually when Andrew spoke to him on the latter's way out.

Q.30.The original title of the novel is 'Citadel' meaning 'fortress'. Attempt a parallel of the title with the context of the story.