Birth - A.J. Cronin

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Andrew Manson is the protagonist. He is newly out of medical school, works as an assistant to Dr Edward Page, and delivers Susan Morgan’s baby. This birth becomes a turning point in his life because i…

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Joe Morgan is a burly driller and Susan Morgan’s husband. He has been married nearly twenty years and is waiting anxiously outside while his wife gives birth to their first child. He does not enter th…

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Susan Morgan is Joe Morgan’s wife and the patient giving birth. She is deeply set on having the child safely and asks that anaesthetic not be given if it might harm the baby. During the crisis, Andrew…

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Mrs Morgan’s mother, the midwife, and the nurse are three different women. Mrs Morgan’s mother is the old woman who waits in the room and prays. The midwife assists the birth and wrongly thinks the ch…

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Mrs Morgan’s mother is a tall, grey-haired woman of nearly seventy. She offers Andrew tea, worries that he may leave, and silently prays during the emergency. Her presence shows the family’s hope and …

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The midwife is the stout, elderly woman assisting the delivery. In fright, she hides the lifeless child beneath the bed and later says, “It’s stillborn.” Her mistake comes from panic, not medical cert…

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The nurse calls Andrew from the landing, helps him with water and basins, and reacts emotionally when the child begins to live. She cries, “It’s come—it’s come alive,” showing relief and wonder.

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Christine is the girl Andrew loves, and he keeps thinking of her during the long wait. His memories of her make him compare love and marriage in his mind. She remains part of his inner world while the…