Summary
LONG-QUESTION
1. Discuss in about 200 words the advantages of child rearing in a
traditional society. How is the traditional child rearing a beneficial practice
for the child and young mother?
3. Write in about 100 words about the values held by the traditional
Nepali society in which a woman who can't bear children is considered as a
failure in her personal life and a useless woman in the eyes of the society.
Give your own views on the subject.
4. The essay ‘A Child is Born’ is often found controversial and
one-sided. Do you agree? Give reasons for your agreement or disagreement?
Short-Questions
1. What kind of treatment does a woman in Bangladesh receive during her
pregnancy and after the childhood?
Or, How did traditional society look into pregnancy and childbirth?
2. What are the main points made by Germaine Greer/the author in ‘A Child is Born’?
3. Why are infant and mother mortality rate higher in traditional birth?
A Child is Born
Germaine Greer
Characters
Speaker : essayist
About
A western graduated girl's experience
Muslim marriage
International women's day
Bangladesh's culture
Traditional (Eastern) society
Modern (Western) society
Theme: From successful pregnancy mother should be strong both mentally and physically.
Summary
Germaine
Greer is an Australian feminist writer, public intellctual and lecturer. In the
essay Greer presents the comparison between traditional and modern societies in
the matter of pregnancy and child bearing system.
In
the traditional societies childbirth is accepted culturally and collectively so
that the mothers do not feel any psychic burden. The possible misfortunes and
anxieties are cared well. Many of the ritual ceremonies are celebrated with the
participation of husband, relatives, and members of the society. The pregnant
woman feels secured due to such gatherings.
She
doesn’t need to think about the pain of delivery. The traditional societies are
superstitious but the western societies are also not untouched by it. In the
western societies a child is born unattended but in traditional societies,
except for remarkable incidents, childbirth is always attended. Child and
mother mortality rate is higher in traditional societies such disasters should
be prevented. Hospitals has helped pregnant women a lot to decrease the
mortality rate. In some societies, women are not accepted as members of the
family until they give birth. So they wish for a child who provides them
recognition in the family. The women are known as the mother of her first born
child in the traditional societies. Women lose their identity though they are
still happy. The relationship between the mother and the child is more
important than the others in the family. Child birth is an occasion of joy for
the whole family. The reward of the pregnancy is that she is allowed to go to
her maternal home. Similarly, small children are looked after by the whole
family.
The
labouring women are ignored without compassion in the hospitals. The women will
stop such brutality if there is no one at home to welcome the child, and to
help her raising the child. If women do not feel so much proud and dignified
out of child bearing, the population growth will be controlled.
LONG-QUESTION
1. Discuss in about 200 words the advantages of child rearing in a
traditional society. How is the traditional child rearing a beneficial practice
for the child and young mother?
In traditional societies, the pregnant woman is surrounded by her relatives. It makes her feel good and avoids her mental pain. When she gives birth to a child, it is celebrated joyously. The child is reared lovingly by the whole family in the traditional society. Child rearing is a beneficial practice for the child and young mother. The mother and new baby are given new clothes. There is feasting and singing. The whole family looks after the child. After being pregnant and give birth a child the mother can go home to visit her mother and family. The child is given a good environment to make good relationship. Under the age of five or six the children are looked after together to the pond to have a bath and feed together. They play out of door with natural objects. They play with their relatives and sleep with mother at night.
A young mother learns the way to take care the child from her family. She gets some leisure time to do her personal work. The baby is safe with his\her family member. If mother is busy.
2. What difference does the writer show between a traditional society and a modern society in matters of pregnancy, child birth and child bearing? According to the writer, 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, child birth and child bearing. In the traditional society, people believe in superstition. Women are prohibited to do something 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 others. They have to follow the rules and restrictions. If a pregnant woman does so, she does not have psychic burden. But in a western society, the pregnant women can do anything that she likes.
In traditional societies, woman is not taken as a member of family until she gets a baby birth but in western societies it is criticized bitterly. In traditional societies, the death rate of child and mother is higher but in modern societies it has decreased. In traditional societies, a woman satisfies her members of family by giving a baby birth. Family members are eager to see the child. They are happy to celebrate the birth of baby. The mother is visited by her relatives and friends. She gets well treatment and is looked after well. There are many ritual functions after the baby is born in traditional societies but, however, in western and modern societies these all traditions are not found. Therefore, there are some fundamental differences between traditional and modern society concerning child bearing system.
3. Write in about 100 words about the values held by the traditional
Nepali society in which a woman who can't bear children is considered as a
failure in her personal life and a useless woman in the eyes of the society.
Give your own views on the subject.
Or, Write an essay on the ‘position of a Nepali mother in the family’.
Traditional Nepali society is a male dominated society. In this society there is injustice and gender discrimination. Women's duty is to look after the children, cook and serve the family. If a married woman is not able to give birth to a child, the society hates her. She is regarded as the failure woman. The society regards her as a witch who brings misfortune. The traditional people say that she had committed a great sin in her previous life. It is said that without children, she can't go to the heaven after her death.
In our society, a woman is regarded as immature until she gets the experience of child birth. If she is childless, the husband blames her that it is her own fault. He wants to get remarried. This makes the woman sad. Infertility (childlessness) may not be the defect (fault) of woman. But the society never thinks that male is equally responsible for childlessness.
In my opinion, this concept is irrelevant. The childless women should be treated well. There are many modern and effective methods to avoid infertility, such as test-tube-baby.
4. The essay ‘A Child is Born’ is often found controversial and
one-sided. Do you agree? Give reasons for your agreement or disagreement?
Yes, I agree that the essay ‘A Child is Born’ is often found controversial and one-sided. To support it, there are many reasons, as there are no two heads that has same interest. Every individual is unique in this earth. So, statement in the essay is also not accepted by everyone, because the world has many customs, rituals and traditions. A case is good in one place but bad in other place. Everyday the world is changes rapidly; eastern society also follows the same behaviors as western used. The whole matter of pregnancy is an occasion of joy for the whole family not only in traditional society but also the western society. In the modern society pregnancy is a personal matter and a psychic burden for the mother but now a days it the problem of traditional society too. Both traditions people birth the child at the hospital. Mothers are cared and helped by the family members. After giving birth mother lost their name to say is not good generalization. But it is not the rule of both traditions have exceptions.
So, it is biased to say that traditional society is bad and other is good. There are many controversial things. For instance, she says that it is better for a woman to give birth in a traditional way and die than to use modern medical techniques and live. This essay will encourage the continued use of unhealthy and dangerous practices. The essay is one sided and narrow-minded. Without observing carefully one shouldn’t quote directly such type of statement. Every society has some good aspect and bad aspect on the view of others, but everything is changeable which none can estimate.
Short-Questions
1. What kind of treatment does a woman in Bangladesh receive during her
pregnancy and after the childhood?
Or, How did traditional society look into pregnancy and childbirth?
In Bangladesh, a pregnant woman is supported by her husband and relatives. She feels free from mental burden. She is loved by all, which gives her sense of security. Everyone praises her pregnancy, gives good food and sympathy. After the child birth, she goes to her mother's house for some months. She is provided new clothes and good food. Her pregnancy and child birth becomes a matter of celebration to the family. The child is looked after by the whole family.
Now, the women aren’t neglected due to their infertility, because they can bear child by using the technology of test tube baby. Eastern people also use medicine and believed that doctors are more important than witch doctors. They are also educated now and understand that they should send the children school. people also erased the bad customs of inequality too.
2. What are the main points made by Germaine Greer/the author in ‘A Child is Born’?
The main points made by Germaine Greer/the author in ‘A Child is Born’ are as follows: Eastern society is called traditional society and western society is modern society. Traditional society believes in god and ghosts much but Eastern society believes less in god and ghost. Traditional society is mentally strong but Eastern society is only physically strong. Pregnancy is family matter in traditional society but personal matter in Eastern society. From successful pregnancy mother should be strong both mentally and physically.
Pregnancy pain is very tragic and intolerable. Women should be persuaded for giving birth and babies should be welcomed in the family.
3. Why are infant and mother mortality rate higher in traditional
birth?
In traditional society, the rate of mortality both child and mother is higher, because they give birth at home. They couldn’t get the opportunity to check by the doctors. What’s the condition of child and mother, they never know. They don’t know what is beneficial and good for mother and child. They just believe in god and remain ignorant about the science. So the rate of mortality is higher in traditional society. Though, the birth is celebrated in different ways. The whole fulfil the women's desire to feel free from mental stress. It makes pregnant women to some-extent forget their pain.
.jpg)
