Essay Questions

Why is Sylvie embarrassed by Dr. Fellows? - "Snow"

Atkison explains, "Sylvie sighed and suggested that he help himself to a glass of brandy in the kitchen... 'She wanted rid of him. He had delivered all three (three!) of her children and she did not like him one bit. Only a husband should see what he saw... (But would she rather have a midwife called Mrs. Haddock deliver her child?) Doctors for women should be all women themselves." Apparently, Sylvie is mortified by the doctor because he is male;in the course of delivering her child, the doctor perceives her nudity. For Sylvie, Dr. Fellows is a man his profession notwithstanding.

Why does Adelaide endorse the giving up of her grandchild? - “May 1910”

Atkinson elucidates, "Adelaide, heroically Victorian in her attitudes, had barred the door, literally, at the sight of her youngest daughter's burgeoning belly and dispatched her back across the Channel to wait out her shame abroad. The baby would be adopted swiftly as possible…Izzie was now to be packed off to a finishing school in Switzerland, even though it seemed she was already finished, in more ways than one." In Adelaide's view Izzie's child is symbolic of disgrace; accordingly, she plans on her adoption before the delivery to rid the family of its shame. Adelaide does not approve of Izzie's lover which makes it difficult for her to accept the unborn child. Moreover, Adelaide reckons that the child would be an impediment to Izzie's schooling so giving him/her for adoption would pave way for her schooling.

Use Gender theory to deconstruct Slyvie’s notions based on “July 1914”.

Atkinson writes, “Small boys were a mystery to Slyvie. The satisfaction they gained from throwing sticks or stones for hours on end, the obsessive collection of inanimate objects, the brutal destruction of the fragile world around them, all seemed at odds with the men were supposed to become.” Slyvie believes that boys are required to depict masculine tendencies from childhood for they are destined to be men in their lives. Slyvie’s reflection surmises that the play activities which the boys are involved in are feminine; hence, they are not contributory to preparing them for manhood.

How does Dr. Fellows’ career affect his perception of things? - “11 February 1910”

Atkinson explains, “He thought of the flitch of bacon resting coolly in his own pantry. He had chosen the pig himself, pointing it out to the farmer, seeing not a living creature but an anatomy lesson.” Being a doctor, the pig elicits his memories of anatomy knowledge. Accordingly, his previous anatomy knowledge and career in medicine influences how he perceives the pig which is later transformed into bacon.