These American girls,” she was thinking as her pudgy…
““These American girls,” she was thinking as her pudgy fingers lightly shaped the dough and poked bits of chicken into them, the sweat damp on her forehead and just over her lips where the slight, dark shadow of a mustache was visible. “Planning babies so they don’t have to carry them in the summer! Who ever heard of such a thing? Why in the old country,” she smiled thinking of when she was young, “they just had them. You didn’t plan children there.” She had a right to think the American girls were foolish. She was a midwife and business had been bad all summer, and she had seven children of her own to feed since her husband had died.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A midwife reflects on cultural differences in family planning, noting American practices of deliberate childbearing versus traditional, unplanned approaches.
In simple terms: Contrast between planned and unplanned childbearing across cultures.
Key Takeaway
Consider how cultural norms shape family decisions.
Themes
cultural clash
family planning
tradition
modernity
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
sociological
narrative
When to use this quote
- midwifery
- business
- family life
- immigration
- economic hardship
Key Concepts
sociology
gender roles
Questions to Reflect On
- How do cultural expectations influence personal choices?
- What are the impacts of economic pressure on family planning?
A Different Perspective
May oversimplify complex cultural histories.