The Birth House

“‘Some babies ain’t meant for this world. All you can do is keep him safe until his angel comes.’” 

As a midwife, Miss B. doesn’t try to challenge or master nature. She accepts the inevitable truth that sometimes there is nothing she can do to prevent death and pain. Her treatments and herbs are meant to help achieve the best possible outcome in each situation. In a way, all Miss B. ever does is keep women and babies safe until their angels come, as everyone dies. Later, Miss B. accepts her own death with grace, knowing that it is inevitable.

“It’s a disgusting mess we come through to be born, the sticky-wet of blood and afterbirth, mother wailing, child crying…the helpless soft spot at the top of its head pulsing, waiting to be kissed. Our parents and teachers say it’s a miracle, but it’s not. It’s going to happen no matter what, there’s no choice in the matter. To my mind, a miracle is something that could go one way or another. The fact that something happens, when by all rights it shouldn’t, is what makes us take notice, it’s what saints are made of, it takes the breath away. How a mother comes to love her child, her caring at all for this thing that’s made her heavy, lopsided and slow, this thing that made her wish she were dead…that’s the miracle.” 

Childbirth and motherhood are major subjects in the novel, and both are central to Dora’s life. She reflects on the fact that many people, usually men, call childbirth a miracle. However, she disagrees and feels instead that motherhood is the miraculous thing. Childbirth is biological, inevitable for the continuation of the species. However, a mother’s love is not inevitable, especially given the pain of birth. If anything else caused a person such pain, she would not love it, but a mother comes to love a child despite this pain and against all odds.

“‘I sees a pretty little house, a fat silk purse and the strength of a hunter’s bow.’”

Miss B.’s prediction for Dora hangs over much of the book and preoccupies Dora as her story unfolds. Dora guesses incorrectly at the solution to the prophecy several times. However, the pretty little house is the birth house, Dora’s safe haven. The fat silk purse likely refers to the purse of coins that Hart later gives Dora to help her in Boston. The hunter’s bow may refer to Hart as well, but it may just as easily apply to Dr. Thomas—a hunter in the traditional sense as well as a metaphorical hunter with his sights set on Dora. Although not a positive influence, he nonetheless is instrumental in shaping Dora’s future.

“‘Forceps, the obstetrical physician’s best friend.’ He passed them around the table. ‘I brought out all these things—the surgical knives, the scissors, the needles, the bottles of ergot and ether—not to frighten you, but to show you the path of modern medicine. These things hasten childbirth and put the labour process in the doctor’s hands. He has complete control.’”

Dr. Thomas explains his approach to his obstetrical practice in a few sentences. He relies on the harsh, unnatural tools of science, such as knives and needles and medications. The “path of modern medicine” is to get birth over with as quickly as possible, treating it as an inconvenience instead of one of the most important experiences of a mother’s life. It also essentially removes women from their own childbirth experiences, making childbirth a process that men control. As so few things at the time were exclusively the domain of women, it is telling that Dr. Thomas and his fellow physicians are trying to control birth, one of the few things that belonged to women.

“‘It couldn’t get no safer than hangin’ ’round my neck, burnin’ next to my heart while I whispered to it, day on day, night on night. I give it all the words of Louis Faire, all the secrets of the simples, all my prayers to Mother Mary, all what’s written in the Willow Book. This is how I knows that you are my follow, the next traiteur.’” 

Miss B. names Dora as her successor in an almost mystical ceremony. She has kept Dora’s caul in a pouch around her neck, protecting it from being sold or stolen, but also imbuing it with her wisdom and spirit. The fact that Dora was born with a caul already makes her somewhat mysterious and attuned to nature. However, Miss B. officially calls her to the profession as her successor.

“‘My gram always said, Each day brings another handful of opportunities. It’s up to you to make the best of what you’re given. And that’s just what you’re going to do. With all the young men going off to fight in the war, who knows what will happen to them. You’ve got to think of a future for yourself, just in case.’” 

When Dora initially hesitates about joining Miss B. as a midwife-in-training, her mother encourages her to seize the chance for independence and a secure future. This is Dora’s chance to make something of herself, instead of becoming a wife and mother, always tied to the home and under the rule of her husband. However, Dora’s mother is also practical, telling her that she may not ever have a chance to marry anyway, and a life as a midwife is preferable to a life as a spinster with no skills. 

“‘It don’t matter one way or another. I ain’t God. No matter how hard you try, it’s always gonna be between she and Him, whoever she might be. I’m here to deliver women from their pain. Simple as that.’” 

Miss B. explains to Dora that she does not judge the women who come to her for help. It is not for her to say what is right and what is wrong. Instead, she is only there to use her skills to help end pain. Miss B. understands that everyone’s pain is different and that she cannot make a decision for anyone else.

“‘Woman’s got every right to look after herself. She’s got every right to be scared, too. She can feel the rope getting’ tight, even if her husband or some other man don’t pay no mind. If he forces his self on her, it’s simple enough for me to make it right and I can’t believe it’s no accident […] If she’s the one who made the mistake…well, she’s probably just tired. Tired of looking after herself, too tired to get after her man about it, or thinkin’ she’ll lose him if she does. Only the woman knows if she’s got enough love to make a life. It’s love that’s got to make the choice. No matter what anybody says, no matter how much money or fancy this and that you think she has to her name, only the heart knows what it’s got to lose, one way or another.’”

Miss B. explains the decision that each woman must make for herself when she finds out she is pregnant: whether she has enough love to make a life. Miss B. places this decision with each woman, without saying what is right and wrong. She also is careful to explain that women have the right to take care of themselves, to be scared, and to choose to terminate a pregnancy for any reason. There are no exceptions to Miss B.’s belief that a woman has the right to choose for herself because only that woman knows her own strength and capabilities.

“‘Most homes, even the nicest, cleanest of homes, do not meet today’s medical standards for childbirth, and as caring as Miss Babineau is, there’s proper training to be considered. The laws of science and of the country no longer allow for guessing. We must leave nothing to chance. The training program for obstetricians is rigorous and complete. I’m sure you would agree that knowledge is essential.’” 

Dr. Thomas explains his very black and white view of the world and of medicine. He believes absolutely in “modern” medical standards and is dismissive of anything that exists outside of these parameters. He is also belittling of Miss B. and midwives, seeing their practices as crude, the result of a vacuum that exists only because modern medicine hasn’t arrived to save the day. He is cunning in his explanation of his own systems, painting himself as the knowledgeable, enlightened doctor come to save the town from its own ignorance. He does not account for the fact that Miss B. and midwives have knowledge as well—the knowledge that comes from experience.

“No one’s ever asked me what I wanted, not for Christmas, or birthdays, or for any reason at all. It never bothered me. I knew that whatever it was, no matter how small, it probably couldn’t be gotten, at least not without making hardship for someone I loved. So today, when someone finally asked, his lips begging against mine for an answer, I said the first words in my mind, a thing that costs nothing and everything to give.” 

Dora reveals that she has never been asked for her opinion in all her life, explaining why she feels that nothing is truly her own. Practicality and submissiveness had kept her from speaking up for what she wanted as well. The first time she gets the opportunity to say what she wants, she is overwhelmed by the freedom. Seduced by the promise of this freedom, she paradoxically surrenders it by agreeing to marry Archer, rather than becoming a spinster midwife.

“In our plain corner of the world, romance is nothing but awkward. Better to leave it between the pages of books.” 

Dora gives up her hopes of a grand romance in agreeing to marry Archer though she does not necessarily love him. This is a step for Dora, who is growing up and becoming more practical. However, it proves to be a misstep, as she ends up uncomfortably married and making sacrifices for her husband at the cost of her own happiness.

“It’s just that when I kneel in front of Archer, I feel as if God will be disappointed if I don’t let him have his way, that I should thank heaven he wants me at all. Having someone witness it makes it that much worse.” 

Dora struggles with feelings of shame when she does not want to give Archer everything he wants, sexually or otherwise. She has heard all her life that she should want to marry and be a good wife, and that being a good wife means pleasing her husband. Still, Dora’s independence and feelings, however repressed they may be, make themselves known, causing her internal conflict.

“You don’t gonna cry, neither. You got to say a prayer instead. That’s the way of the traiteur. We make our tears into prayers…not to beg or plead with God, but to remember the stuff we are made of. Same as Mother Mary, or your smart little Missy Austen, we’re all the same, same as the moon, the stars and the sea. Offert ou pas, Dieu est ici. Bidden or not, God is here.”

Miss B. leaves Dora a note on the day of her wedding, which is the day of Miss B.’s death. In keeping with her character, Miss B. is unafraid of death and regards it simply as an inevitability of life. Due to this philosophy, she tells Dora not to cry, but instead to remember her own strength, which is the strength of the Virgin Mary and the strength of all women. At the same time, she is reminding Dora to stay humble, for she is made of the same matter as the moon and the sea, just like everyone else.

“No matter what you do—somebody, somewhere, knew that you would.” 

When Dora’s husband disappears, the women of the town whisper about why he left and where he went. As gossips often do, several of the townspeople express feelings of superiority, saying that they always knew that Dora would chase him off. Dora recalls a piece of wisdom from Miss B., who said that some people always say they knew a thing would happen once it does. There will always be people who need to feel superior over the pain of others.

“My great grandmother Mrs. Mae Loveless used to say, When you fail to cure, the maggots set in.” 

A piece of wisdom from Dora’s family refers not only to the curing of meat, but also to the healing of bodies and relationships. Dora applies the saying to her relationship with Archer, which begins to show signs of rot. She makes up her mind to fix it by being a more obedient wife and by going to find him after he leaves her. However, Archer is not willing to work with her, and although they are relatively happy for a while, there is no saving their relationship.

“With a baby or not, I’ll never inspire the sweet, hypnotic words of Shakespeare’s lovers or the winning smiles and delicious conversation of Jane Austen’s heroes. I’ll never be cause enough for shivering in the cold or going without supper.”

Dora sees how happy Archer is when he is building his miniature windmill. For two days, he goes without meals and sleep in his pursuit of it, much like a man in love might go without food and sleep, distracted by thoughts of the object of his desire. However, Dora realizes that she will never inspire that kind of love in her husband, no matter what she does to make herself into a good wife or mother. This realization is another step in her coming-of-age journey.

“I prayed to God, to Jesus, to Mary, to Miss B., making the sign of the cross all over her body, all over myself, but Iris Rose had given up long ago…before her baby’s first breath, before she was forced to my door, before the pain of birth had made her weep. She’d been hurting since the first time she was bruised by her father’s angry hand, since the day she learned to pretend at being innocent. Iris Rose had started life with a soul that wanted to die.” 

Despite all of Dora’s best efforts and prayers, she cannot save Iris Rose from death. Unlike Miss B., who has made her peace with the fact that sometimes death is inevitable, Dora still hopes to overcome it. Additionally, Dora sees the tragedy in Iris Rose’s death at just 13; it wasn’t that she was destined to die, but that her life, from the moment of her own birth, had beaten the hope out of her. For Iris Rose, death is a mercy.

“‘I saw what he’d done to you, Dora. And I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The last time he grabbed at my hand, the last time he gasped for air—I thought of you. I let him go.’” 

Hart reveals to Dora that he allowed his own brother to drown to save her from her unhappy and abusive marriage. Although he does not express any romantic feelings for her at this time, this admission brings him closer to Dora.

“‘If you’re willing to admit to your hand in Mrs. Ketch’s death, then I could say, as your physician, that you were under great stress, that your uninformed use of ‘home’ remedies, along with your history of hysterical illness, caused this sad, irreversible error. Think of it not only as a way to free yourself from guilt, but as a way to do a favour for so many women—putting the problems of midwifery to rest, setting the record straight.’” 

Dr. Thomas attempts to blackmail Dora into accepting the blame for Experience Ketch’s death. He offers to send her to a woman’s sanitarium, rather than jail, if she admits that she is nothing more than a hysterical woman whose own ignorance caused a tragic death. In this way, his belittling of midwifery and women reaches its peak in the story. It also serves to further his own goal of eradicating midwives to make way for “modern medicine,” to which he is unquestionably devoted.

“The worst part is, I don’t know if I did or not. I couldn’t save any of them, not Darcy, not Iris Rose, not Mrs. Ketch.” 

Dora mourns the deaths she has witnessed as a midwife, all of which affected the same family. She not only laments that she could do nothing as a midwife to prevent death, but also feels helpless for being unable to save any of them from the dangerous, abusive Ketch household, ruled over by Brady. She’s also starting to wonder whether she may have contributed to Mrs. Ketch’s death, revealing that Dr. Thomas may have gotten to her at last. 

“I have wondered, is it so terrible to be in her position? She seems so pleased, so proud of herself, and as far as I can tell, she does it all with no regret. Maybe it’s the women who are quick to be married off for the sake of marriage, the station of a name, a supposed life or even a house…maybe we are the ones who have sold ourselves for far too little a price.” 

Dora considers the life of Miss Honey, the prostitute who lives across from her in Boston. Although Miss Honey makes her living by “selling herself,” she has not surrendered her independence. She feels no shame or regret. Dora envies these qualities about her and begins to wonder if, perhaps, marriage is what it means to be “sold.” As a married woman, she had no independence and often felt shame and regret. It is only the perception of society that casts prostitutes in a negative light, while marriage is meant to be the thing all women aspire to.

“The city whispered to me in a dream, telling me to start a new life. Boston’s voice was tempting and sure, thinking I’d choose to stay, barely believing me when I told her I couldn’t and that it was her own fault for making me strong enough to think for myself. Then I dreamed of the Bay, Mother’s smile, Bertine’s laugh, Spider Hill, the voice of the moon.” 

Although she is free to return to Scots Bay, Dora is tempted to stay in Boston. In the city, she can be free, independent, and involved in progressive movements. She can enjoy all the delights of living in a modern city and has a group of women, led by Max, to support her. However, the call of home, her friends, her daughter, and the moon is too strong.

“‘If women lose the right to say where and how they birth their children, then they will have lost something that's as dear to life as breathing.’” 

During the march on the Canning Maternity Home, Bertine makes the assertion that a woman’s right to make her own choices about childbirth is as important to her life as breathing. Childbirth is uniquely tied to womanhood, and if a woman doesn’t even have the power to make choices about this, then she truly has no control over her life at all.