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What did you think of the way Martha and Ephraim’s past is revealed in the interstitial chapters? What did those glimpses of their earlier years reveal about them as the 1789 story unfolded? Which moments in their love story struck you most deeply?
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The revelations of Martha’s and Ephraim’s relationship in the interstitial chapters parallel the events of the main story, but a relationship that is atypical for the time period. There was something in Rebecca’s “soft brown eyes–a cheerfulness and curiosity” that reminded Martha of the daughters she lost to an outbreak of diphtheria. Joseph North’s involvement in their lives began early. He gave the deciding vote that sealed Billy Crane’s fate–hanging for Martha’s rape. From that, North learned the importance of not being caught in any nefarious activity, eventually placing himself above the law. The war taught him to take what he wanted. Ephraim’s love for Martha sought to protect her at every part of their journey, marrying her to protect the legitimacy of the child, if she was pregnant from the rape. North provided the document of their marriage. Ephraim wanted to make sure that the women of the community would still make her a wedding quilt. He wanted to make sure that the town would not shame her. He also promised to take from her only what was freely given, beginning with the consummation of their marriage. It is this restraint on his part that shows true love, this placing the good of the other above oneself most struck me because it was so contrary to the time period. He taught her to read and write. Elspeth taught Martha to be a midwife because Martha was not an hysterical person in a birthing room. Elspeth taught Martha to obtain the woman’s trust by asking the woman’s name, identifying her as an individual not her husband’s property. Martha became a trusted midwife, same as Doctor whom some consider a witch, “as though there is no other explanation for a woman who excels at her work.” Martha journals not because she wants to be remembered, per se, but because the words are proof that she existed. But the real proof that she existed are all the babies she delivered which she considers to be her children.
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The interstitial chapters in The Frozen River give us important insights into who Martha and Ephraim were as a young couple. Insights into how their relationship grew over the years. Given the Puritanical thinking of the times I was surprised by how many young women became pregnant out of wed lock. Be it consensual or rape. Ephraim’s taking responsibility for Martha and possibly an unborn child due to her being raped impressed me. His patience with Martha in their marital relationship showed how much he not only loved her but respected her as an equal human being. Teaching her to read and write further clarified his acceptance of Martha as an equal not a possession. Giving her the skills of literacy helped secure her future. He guaranteed it to be full and rewarding in every way. It was quite obvious they held each other in high regard by the way they communicated, supported each other and cared for their children. These short chapters were an important part of developing the dynamic of the Burgess family.
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Your summary of their relationship is so well put, Libby. Ephraim really did secure Martha’s future in many ways.
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I think I commented in an earlier post how moving and respectful I found Ephraim’s defense of Martha after the rape, the immediate marriage and “go to housekeeping” and his deferral to her to determine when she was ready for sexual relations with him. This seems like an entirely different basis for a marriage and how I would have expected a man to regard his wife for the times.
In “The Midwife’s Tale,” there is much more written about their relationship and more of Martha’s diary entries. In the diaries, Martha describes a more complex relationship, one with some of the kinds of conflicts or ups and downs one might expect in a marriage. It is clear from Martha’s diary entries that she views and expects Ephraim to be a “friend” as well as husband and economic partner in their marriage. For the most part, that appears to be the case even as they navigate conflicts with their children, economic hardship and Ephraim’s imprisonment for an unpaid debt.
The description of their early marriage is fiction (and there is no evidence in the diaries of Martha having been raped). But the spirit of the relationship described does seem to have been pretty close to the truth.
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Interesting! That Ephraim was imprisoned for unpaid debt is quite a departure from FR where their economic situation is depicted as stable if not prosperous.
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It is interesting, partly explained by “The Frozen River” being a work of fiction and partly by the fact that it condenses many years of Martha’s diaries into a period of six months. It is also explained by the fact that Ephraim still worked well into his 80s. Martha was 10 years his junior and still attended women in labor until shortly before her death. I find the Martha and Ephraim of real life every bit as amazing as in “The Frozen River.”
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As do I, Jane. I’m enjoying comparing the nonfictional details of A Midwife’s Tale with the fictional version. I always like to see another side to a story, if one is available. In the nonfiction version, much that Ulrich says is also conjecture, as Martha wasn’t one to write about emotions so much as document certain facts, and she was also discrete in her entries, and could have revealed so much more had she wished to; but I think that Ulrich did a fantastic job putting all the pieces together to formulate as much of a factual account as was possible. I find the nonfiction account of her life with Ephraim more believable and realistic, but I applaud Lawhorn’s choice to make that relationship as rich and well-rounded as she did in TFR. I read somewhere (and maybe others can help me remember, if you saw it) that in absence of any proof one way or another, she chose to make Martha and Ephraim such a happy couple because she knew it was possible, by her own experience, to have such a relationship, and saw no reason why M & E couldn’t have had the same.
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There were far more parallels between Martha’s life and that of Rebecca’s than I was expecting as a result of the revelations in the interstitial chapters. I wasn’t expecting Martha and Ephraim to have been on good terms with North to the level of him marrying them! I thought the glimpses of the early years reflected that Martha and Ephraim not only shared a deep love and respect for one another; they have also been through deep trauma together, from Martha’s assault to the loss of their children. I hadn’t thought that the hanging Martha remembers experiencing would have such a personal connection to her as it did.
That Ephraim defied Martha’s father’s wishes also reflected a man taking responsibilities for his soon-to-be wife’s welfare seriously. He revealed a strong will in doing that and a lot more common sense than Martha’s parents. I’m thinking of how he insisted that they begin “housekeeping” right away, concerned that if Martha is pregnant, she should not suffer any shame or speculation that the baby was her attacker’s. That Martha’s mother can’t see this or into the future and declares, “She has nothing” and that her father is obstinate and upset by being defied, thereby denying her the gifting and communal gathering that would have helped her ingratiate back into society, speaks to their narrow-mindedness and to Ephraim’s higher emotional intelligence. Something he reveals throughout the book. Ephraim knows how to handle a crisis effectively and “reads” people accurately.
In their relationship, I was struck most deeply by the loss of their children to diphtheria. We forget in today’s society of vaccines and pediatrics that so many children died of diseases that are preventable today. That Martha and Ephraim lost three over the course of a few weeks is heartbreaking. As she says after several of her children survive, “Though you never think it possible, you can celebrate and grieve in the same breath. It is a holy abomination.” Ephraim wanting to leave and build a new life immediately after their children’s death prompts Martha to react violently. It’s probably their biggest conflict in the story, and yet it is understandable but also heartbreaking. It speaks to their closeness that they are still a solid team nine years later when they move to Mill Creek.
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Many of you have already said what I would in regards to the interstitial chapters. They added a lot of depth to Martha and Ephraim’s relationship as everyone has pointed out. When we first encounter them, it’s clear they have a strong and loving marriage. The different flashbacks enrich their love story and show that it wasn’t always smooth sailing, especially at the very start. It was startling to learn that Martha had been raped by Billy Crane, but it helped me make sense of Martha’s passionate support of Rebecca and why she was so emotional about Rebecca standing up for her rights. Her emotions did cloud her judgment at several points with regard to Rebecca, but this made more sense in light of her own personal history. I also think the hanging of Billy Crane helps explain Martha’s fuller understanding of her son Jonathan’s actions later on. She and Ephraim had “been there, done that.”
The flashbacks also enrich Ephraim’s character quite a lot, which I felt was important given that he was away surveying for a large part of the 1789 action. It becomes clear with his actions towards Martha—marrying her right away after Billy’s hanging, being patient about bringing her to the marriage bed, building up a business—that he is a very smart, capable, and confident man. He stands in contrast to the many other men in the town. Martha’s a very lucky woman. I think the moment I was most moved by was after Martha escaped North’s assault, and they were in the workroom together, and Ephraim simply pulled out a box of ink and a new journal and placed it on her table was very touching. And from there she can unburden herself.
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These chapters are so well done in how they weave the past and present details so elegantly into the story. They come at perfect points in the action and there are not too many of them so as to bog down the story. There were also many surprises in addition to learning more about their love story; how Martha was assaulted, how Martha learned her trade from a blind midwife, how North married them, how they lost their three children.
It was a very touching detail on the last page of the book when Tempest the fox’s kits sniff the three moss-covered stones. It would not have had much meaning if not for the earlier details of their children being revealed.
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You all have touched quite eloquently on the many moments that made Martha and Ephraim’s relationship so special; their relationship added such depth and richness to a story that would have been fascinating enough without it, yet was so integral to sustaining Martha throughout her life and work. The use of flashback to flesh out these characters worked very well, revealing layer by layer what was behind the present actions that were unfolding. They were fully formed characters throughout the present narrative, and yet how much better we get to understand them through these gradual reveals! Reminds me of when Armand met Jean-Guy in TWOC and recited the poem about “there’s always another story; there’s more than meets the eye.”
I’m not sure I can really pick my favorite moment regarding their relationship, as their deep love was revealed in so many wonderful ways, as you all have mentioned. I think, if I had to choose, I’d pick the way Ephraim handled their marriage after Martha’s rape, though. That sensitivity, so rare, really struck me. He saw her not as property gained in a financial transaction, as so many marriages of that time were, but instead as a real human being, already beloved, and now traumatized and in need of healing. He loved her enough to put aside his own needs and help her instead. That bedrock of trust, caring, and regard was then built upon and sustained them through all their ups and downs in the years to come. I found it very moving. -
I’m not always a fan of jumping timelines, but I think these chapters enrich the characters a great deal and help explain the dynamics going on in 1789. Ephraim comes across as the dream man, even more so with the chapters that go back in time. He’s so considerate and thoughtful. Yet, these chapters also reveal Ephraim has a harsher edge – a brutal pragmatism, such as when he forces Martha to watch Crane’s hanging: “This is justice…you need to see it done.” Or after their children’s death he wants to pick up and leave right away. Incidentally, the reveal that North had given the deciding vote with Crane – I liked this reveal because it made me wonder what had happened in the intervening years to sour the friendship between North and the Pollards. Was it only Rebecca’s case that did that? It also casts a bit of confusion as to why North would rape Rebecca. It’s not in keeping with his past behaviour. This little tidbit at least makes it more believable as to why some townsfolk sided with North, based on his past actions.
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I think it was the French and Indian War that helped transform North. He became rich by collecting the bounty on Indian scalps; he also learned to take what he wanted and avoid getting caught. I think that he then went after Martha and Ephraim because Martha was supporting Rebecca’s accusation of rape against him.
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