Chapter 7 : A child is born

Objective questions :
# Author : Germaine Greer
Born : 1939 (Australia) Educated in : Australia
# Notable works : (i) The Female Eunuch (1970)
(ii) Sex and Destiny : The politics of human fertility (1984)
(iii) The change (1991)
# Extract from : Sex and Destiny : The politics of human fertility
# In her works she explores the social and cultural aspects of life of women.
(1)....... believes that socio cultural practices are designed to suit male interest but subjugate
women (Germaine Greer)
(2)....... explores the cultural peculiarities of the east and the west regarding childbirth and
parent child relationship. (A child is born / Germaine Greer)
(3) In…… society, except for remarkable accidents, births are always attended.
(traditional)
(4) Infant and mothers mortality rate is…… in traditional birth. (greater)
(5).......is a kind of fairy tale in Bangladesh. (Rupthoka)
(6) Commonly a pregnant Sylheti woman is sent to her……. home for childbirth.
(matchers)
(7) Woman and her child are given a new name/dress on the…… day of birth. (7th day
naming ceremony)
(8) Garland of….. were given to a new baby. (turmeric and garlic)
(9) In…….. children under the age of 5 or 6 are looked after by the whole family.
(Bangladesh)
(10) 'A child is born' is a/an……. (essay)
(11)...... visited an enormous modern hospital for Bantu. (Sheila Kitzinger) (12) Traditional
method of childbirth is accepted……. (culturally and collectively) (13) A…….woman has to
observe various taboos, rituals and customs. (pregnant) (14) In some….. society women
are not accepted as a member of the family until they give……to a child. (birth)
(15) Modern obstetrics is credited for the decrease in…… in the last half part of the century.
(mortality)
(16) The Western people think that in many traditional societies, the relationship of spouses
is……. (exploitative)

# Summary of 'A child is born'

A child is born is an essay written by the famous feminist writer Germaine Greer. It is related
to the problems of marriage and childbirth. In this essay, Greer explores the cultural
peculiarities of the east and the west regarding childbirth and parent-child relationship. She
is an explorer of the social and cultural aspects of life of women.
In Bangladesh, children under the age of 5 or 6 are looked after by the whole family. In joint
families they are looked after together. In traditional societies, the relationship between
mother and child is more important than the relationship between husband and wife. The
biological family is deliberately weakened. Here a child is born to fulfil the dreams of the
family. Infant and mother's mortality rates are higher in traditional societies. A pregnant
Sylheti woman is sent well before to her mother's house for child birth. A pregnant woman
has to observe various taboos, rituals in customs.
In the west, there is more freedom and individuality in the husband-wife relationship. The
biological family is not weakened. Infant and mothers mortality rate is much lesser in western
societies because of the use of modern obstetrics.

# Short Question Answer :

(1) what is supposed to be outrageous in the west ?
Ans : In some traditional societies, a woman loses her own name and becomes known as
the mother of her first born. Here women are not accepted as a member of the family until
they give birth to a child. It is regarded as outrageous in the west.
(2) what is the difference between the east and the west in the matters of mother-child
relationship ?
Ans: In the east, the biological family is deliberately weakened. Mother-child relationship is
given more importance than that of a husband-wife relationship. Even a child is born to fulfil
the dreams of the family.
In the west, there is more freedom and individuality in the husband-wife relationship. The
biological family is not weakened.
(3) What is the reward of pregnancy for young Sylheti women?
Ans: The reward of pregnancy for the young Sylheti women is that she is sent to her mothers
house well before her delivery. The newborn is looked after by the parents. She and her
child are given a new dress on the 7th day of the birth. Feasting and singing go on till night.

The Earth
Objective questions :
# Author : H E Bates (1905 to 1974), Northampton, Central England
# He was well acquainted with the English countryside and its people.
# First novel was published when he was 21 years old.
# He wrote many short stories about 'airmen and their adventures'. (Royal Air force)
# Important works : (i) Fair stood the wind for France (1944), (ii) The purple plain (1947), (iii) The jacaranda tree
(1949), (iv) The scarlet sword (1951), (v) The darling buds of May (1958)

(1) Johnson's son was…..(Benjy)

(2) Benjy was a…..minded boy, not quite like others. (simple)
(3) The doctor advised the parents to give Benjy…... (some work)
(4) The doctor suggested to let him keep……(hens)
(5) At first Benjy kept…..hens. (ten or dozen)
(6) Benjy left the school at…….(14)
(7) When Benjy left the school he had…..hens. (40 or 50)
(8) Benjy's hens were producing an average of…...eggs. (200)
(9) Benjy's father was a………. (farmer/preacher)
(10) Benjy's father believed in….. (fate/God)
(11) Benjy's parents planned for a ceremony when he was…... (Twenty one)
(12) Johnson had possessions…….(a plough/ a two wheeled cart/ tools/ a bony brown mare)
(13) Benjy's simplicity/innocence gradually turned into his……..(cunning)
(14) When Benjy was 21, his father handed him a ……… (passbook)
(15) Benjy bought the house/land from….. (sanders)
(16) Florence was Benjy's…... (wife/maid)
(17) Benjy finally left his parents on a…….(strange pavement)
(18) Benjy married Florence at the age of…..(40)
(19) Benjy told his parents to eat in the……(kitchen)
(20) The earth is a…….(short story)
(21) Benjy's father Johnson had a gift of……(talking)
Summary of 'The Earth'
=~ 'The Earth' is a very touching and interesting story written by the famous British author H E Bates. He worked
some time as a journalist. He wrote many short stories about 'airman and their adventures'. This story is about a
farmer Johnson and his son Benjy.
In this story, Johnson was a tenant farmer. He had no land of his own. Benjy was his only son. Benjy was not
right in his head. He was very dull and simple minded. On the doctor's advice, Johnson brought some hens to
him and kept him busy. He also opened a passbook for him to keep his money safe. Benjy earned a lot of money
from this business. He also purchased his father's land from Sanders. He married Florence, a fat and unattractive
gir,l against his parents will. Florence created all sorts of troubles for his mother-in-law. Benjy was very disturb by
this daily quarrel between his wife and mother. At last he took his parents to the town and left them on a strange
pavement.
This story tells us one should never have blind trust in one's children as well as 'everything should not be left to
the will of God'.
Short type question-answer :
(1) Who was Benjy ?
=~ Benjy was the only son of Johnson. He was not right in his head. He was very dull and simple minded.
(2) What did the doctor advise Benjy's parents to ensure his mental growth ?
=~ The doctor advised Benjy's parents to keep Benjy engaged in some work. This would help his development.
He suggested Benjy to keep hens.
(3) Who was Florence ?
L=~ Florence was a fat and unattractive maid of Benjy. She had ugly legs and a mouth that would not keep shutt.
Later Benjy got married to Florence against his mother's will.
(4) Who was Johnson ?
Or, Give a character sketch of Johnson.
=~ Johnson was a tenant farmer. He was the father of Benjy. He had no land of his own. He was not a hard
working man. He put more faith in luck than in work.