A Child is Born Summary

ABOUT AUTHOR 

GERMAINE GREER is an Australian writer and public intellectual. She was Born in 29 January, 1939 in Melbourne, Australia. She got BA, MA and PhD. His spouse is Paul du Feu. She believes that socio-cultural practices are designed to suit male interest; at the same time they further subjugate women. His important works are, The Female Eunuch, Sex and Destiny, The Change etc.

SUMMARY 

In this prose, Germaine Greer describes many differences between a traditional and modern society in the matters of pregnancy and how to celebrate the birth of the child in both societies?
A pregnant woman of the traditional society in the west does not feel herself alone while she is pregnant because in western society the pregnant mom gets too much respect by her family members and other people. In traditional western society, mom is called by the name of her first child after childbirth. The newly born infant is taken care of by all the members of society. So, at last, the permission is given by the boy’s mom to go to her mother’s house for the last months of her pregnancy and about the first three months of the baby’s life for better care. So western society are respected and praised too much for their such courage. In traditional western society, the childbirth is celebrated as a ceremony. Many people attend this party with some gifts to see the child and to congratulate that mom.

While In modern western society, pregnant woman has to take care of herself under the guidance of nurses and doctors. In west child is only born to fulfil the needs of parents. So the modern western pregnant woman has to bear all the pains during childbirth and child-rearing.
There is no such system in modern western society. So, we can say that western society is far better than western modern society in the matter of childbirth and child care.

WORD POWER 

VVI MCQs

1) In Bangladesh___is a kind of fairy tales.

A. Rupthoka

B. Supthoka

C. Tupthoka

D. Jupthoka

 

2) A Child is born is written by_____.

A. Germaine Greer

B. H.E. Bates

C. Anton Chekhov

D. Shiga Naoya

 

3) A___woman has to observe various taboos, rituals and customs

A. Pregnant

B. Beautiful

C. Ugly

D. Wicked

 

4) Generally a pregnant woman is sent to her___

A. Parents

B. Teacher

C. Doctor

D. Relatives

 

5) In the ___husband wife enjoy more freedom and individuality

A. East

B. North

C. South

D. West

 

6) Sylheti woman and her child are given new dress on the___day of the birth

A. 6th

B. 7th

C. 8th

D. 10th

 

7) Germaine Greer is an___ writer

A. Australian

B. Indian

C. British

D. American

 

8) Garlands for___were given to a new baby.

A. Flowers and corns

B. Turmeric and Garlic

C. Apples and Grapes

D. Gram and Wheat

 

9) In___children under the age of five or six are looked after by the whole family

A. Bangladesh

B. India

C. Egypt

D. Pakistan

 

10) _______visited an enormous modern hospital for “Bantu” patients in South Africa.

A. Sheila Kitzinger

B. Geeta Sethi

C. Mamta Sen

D. Ragini Kriti

 

11) __________woman visit her mother‟s house during pregnancy

A. An Indian

B. A Sylheti

C. An African

D. A Canvalian

 

12) In Bangladesh Rupthoka is a kind of___

A. Sweet Dish

B. Bread

C. Fairy Tales

D. Poem

 

13) Germaine Greer is a famous___writer

A. Educational

B. Scientific

C. Feminist

D. All

 

14) A Child is Born” is an extract from the author’s book named

A. The female Eunuch

B. The Change

C. The Wind

D. Sex and Destiny

 

15) Germaine Greer was born in____

A. 1838

B. 1938

C. 1939

D. 1949

 

16) The author believes that socio-cultural practices are____

A. Males

B. Females

C. Family

D. Writers

 

17) The present chapter explores the cultural peculiarities of the East and the West regarding parent-child relationship and___

A. Child-birth

B. Child-death

C. Male interest

D. Female interest

 

18) The hospital refused to believe that the pregnant woman was in___

A. First stage labour

B. Second stage labour

C. Third stage labour

D. Fourth stage labour

 

19) Clearly infant and mother morality is greater in___

A. Traditional births

B. Untraditional births

C. Particular births

D. Prevented births

 

20) Married woman do not become members of their new family until they have___

A. Started cooking

B. Started to earn

C. Mix and others

D. Borne a child

 

21) Who are all assumed to be unjust and vindictive?

A. Husbands

B. Father in law

C. Husband‟s brother

D. Mother‟s in law

 

VVI QUESTION & ANSWERS  

1. How are the ways of managing childbirth in traditional societies useful?

The ways of managing  childbirth in traditional societies are many and varied. They have been culturally and collectively accepted. Those are observed also. It makes the mother free from mental burden of reinventing the procedures.

 

2. A pregnant woman in traditional society does not fell that she is alone. Why?

A pregnant woman in traditional society does not feel alone as she gets herself free from mental burden of reinventing the procedures. Through the potential catastrophes of her community of remains present in her memory. All the members of family support to a pregnant woman.

 

3. What is the superstition associated with acquiring new clothes and instruments for baby before birth?

The Superstition associated with acquiring new clothes and instruments for baby before the birth is considered as bad luck.

 

4. What is the ‘tourism of anthropologies’ that the writer talks about?

The woman after their marriage go to live in their mother-in- law’s house. But they do not become the member of their husband’s family until they have borne a child.

 

5. What compels women to withdraw into silent opposition in international Fora?

The tendency of the women who still live within a female society is to withdraw into silent opposition  while participating in international Fora. It is because they fail to speak fluently due to lack of the command of the Languauge.

 

6. Why had Susdanese woman officials stopped going to international conferences?

They stopped because they got tired of being told about their own lives instead of being consulted.

 

7. Where do Sylheti women go to stay during the last stage of pregnancy?

In the last stage of pregnancy, Sylheti woman go to their Parent’s house to live.

 

8. What is the reward of pregnancy for a young Sylheti woman?

A Pregnant woman of Sylheti is looked after all the time. The Whole matter of the whole family. The naming ceremony is lovely.

 

9. How are children of the joint family in Bangladesh looked after?

In Bangladesh children under the age of five of or six are looked after by the whole pond for a bath. It is done perhaps by one daughter-in-law of the family. She bathes them all and asks them to sit and eat.

 

10. What is the worst impact of western medicine in traditional societies?

The worst impact of western medicine in traditional societies is one of the most problematic of modernization.

 

11. What is the immediate impact of poverty in medical field?

It cause the lack of proper medicines and equipment for different treatment. It is due to poverty people fail to get proper and required treatment and meet immature death.

 

12. Why a Sylheti woman visit her mother’s house during pregnancy?

Sylheti woman gets the opportunity to visit her mother’s house, during pregnancy for the delivery of new baby.

 

13. How the whole matter of pregnancy for the Sylheti woman is a celebration? 

It is because when the baby is born, it is an occasion of joy for the whole family.

 

14. Why the garlands of turmeric and garlic are worn?

Garlands of turmeric and garlic are worn to ward off evil spirits.

 

15. On what occasion the songs Sylheti woman and girls sing collectively?

At the time of the naming ceremony, when the baby is seven days old, Sylheti girls and woman sing the songs collectively.

 

16. How the visit to mother’s house during pregnancy of Sylheti woman, is treated?

The visit of Sylheti woman at her mother’s house during pregnancy is just like a reward to her and she is most welcomed there.

 

17. What is Rupthoka in Bangladesh?

“Rupthoka” is a kind of fairy tales, children love to hear it in the Afternooon.