"The Midwife's Apprentice" by Karen Cashman

"The Midwife's Apprentice" by Karen Cashman

COMING-OF-AGE

A coming-of-age novel is a book that tells the story of a character growing up and going through a series of important life-defining changes.

These novels often feature characters who are forced to confront fears, take responsibility for their actions, come to terms with the unfair nature of the world, and more.

SUMMARY

• The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman is a coming of age tale that tells the story of Alyce, a young girl in her teens during the middle ages.

• The novel begins with a young orphan girl, known as Brat, curled up atop a dung heap. Brat is woken from her sleep by a small band of boys, who tease and mock her. They are sent away by Jane, the town midwife, who also shoos away the girl. Brat manages to convince the midwife to let her work for food. Jane calls the girl Beetle. Brat refers to Jane as “Jane Sharp,” for her sharp nose and glance, but stands in awe of her midwifery skills, which she thinks are a sort of magic.

Multiple Choice

What is a midwife?

• a person who assists women in childbirth

• a female partner in a marriage

• one who is learning by practical experience under skilled workers a trade, art, or calling

Multiple Choice

What name did the apprentice NOT have throughout the book?

• Brat

• Beetle

• Hornet

• Alyce

Multiple Choice

Which words best describe Alyce's personality at the BEGINNING of the story?

• bored, gloomy

• weak, frail

• peaceful, calm

• bored, thoughtless

• Jane is often rough with Beetle, but Beetle doesn't believe she deserves any better – as a former street urchin, her life has always been hard, and she can't imagine it any other way. Beetle begins to assist Jane by toting her supplies to her clients' homes. Although Jane is not explicitly training Beetle to be a midwife, and bars her from the birthing room, Beetle picks up many things about the craft by watching from the shadows (sometimes literally).

Multiple Choice

What is Jane's job?

• farmer

• midwife

• lord

• middle ages

Multiple Choice

What does Alyce call the Midwife?

• Jane Sharp

• Jennet

• Joan

• One day Jane sprains her ankle, rendering her unable to run errands or work. Beetle goes to Saint Swithin's Day Fair for her, to purchase needed supplies, and while there is complimented by one of the merchants. He gives her a carved comb as a gift. Beetle is surprised by the attention and the gift; she has never received this kind of attention before. On her way home from the fair, a man mistakes her for a girl named Alyce. Alyce is described as a girl who can read, which shocks Beetle, who has never considered that she might appear intelligent enough to know how to read. Beetle resolves to take the name Alyce for herself. The moment is significant as it represents the former Beetle's first major step into selfhood – choosing her own name, after a lifetime of simply accepting the names that others have called her.

Multiple Choice

What happened to allow Alyce to get to go to the Saint Swithins Day Fair?

• Jane let her go because Jane wanted to be with the baker.

• Jane tripped over a pig and broke her ankle.

• Alyce snuck to the festival.

Multiple Choice

How did Alyce get her name?

• She was born with name "Alyce"

• The midwife named her "Alyce"

• Someone mistakenly called "Alyce" , and she liked it and kept it

Multiple Choice

What was Alyce given at the fair?

• A comb with a beetle on it.

• A brush with a cat on it.

• A comb with a sleeping cat on it.

• Alyce has a difficult time getting others in her village to call her by her new name, however. The boys, in particular, continue to tease her. One day, Alyce has the opportunity to help one of the boys, a red-headed boy named Will. At great risk to herself, Alyce saves him from drowning in a river. Doing so, she earns his admiration, and they become friends. Alyce also begins to be more respected by the villagers, and one day is able to deliver a baby on her own. This fills Alyce with pride, but angers Jane, who isn't keen on the competition. Later, a mother in labor asks for Alyce's help during her birth, but despite her efforts, Alyce is unable to ease the birth. Defeated, she calls on Jane, who is able to deliver the baby without any problem. Alyce is humiliated, and her fledgling self-esteem crumbles. Collecting her pet cat, Purr (which she earlier saved from near death), Alyce runs away from the village and Jane.

Multiple Choice

Why does Will start calling Alyce by her name?

• She saves him from drowning.

• She stands up for him in a fight.

• She helps his cow have her calves.

• Alyce comes to an inn run by John and Jennet Dark, and asks to work for them in exchange for lodging, and they agree. The Darks are impressed with Alyce's work ethic; Alyce herself, however, is unsatisfied. She hasn't forgiven herself for failing as a midwife. She lives her days in a melancholy daze. But one day, a scholar named Magister Reese comes to stay at the inn. He can read and write, which entrances Alyce, but also intimidates her. She frequently watches Magister Reese from afar, but is too shy to approach him. Reese, however, realizes the reason for Alyce's shyness and her interest in him. He begins to hold “lessons” for Purr on how to read and write, knowing that over his shoulder, Alyce is paying attention. Soon, she is able to read.

Multiple Choice

Which words best describe Alyce's personality at the END of the novel?

• cowardly, weak

• careless, miserable

• average, careful

• persistent, courageous

• After some time, Jane comes to the inn. Alyce is afraid to hear from Jane, but to her surprise, Jane does not consider her a failure. Rather, she chastises Alyce for giving up when faced with difficulty, and running from her problems. Jane departs. Not long after, on a stormy night, a man and his pregnant wife arrive at the inn. The woman goes into labor, and Alyce, with great trepidation, offers her services to the couple, helping to deliver a healthy baby boy. This attracts much positive attention to Alyce, and employment offers, but she realizes that what she wants most is to return to Jane and become an official midwife's apprentice.

Multiple Choice

Who comes in to the inn?

• the king and queen

• a lord and a pregnant lady

• a lord and a lady

• a cat and a dog

Multiple Choice

What does Alyce decide to do after helping to deliver the baby?

• go to the manor house to work

• go with the lord and lady

• go with Magister Reese

• go back to the midwife

• Alyce returns to Jane's house, and entreats Jane to take her in again, but Jane turns her away. Realizing that she is being tested, Alyce returns and declares to Jane that she has learned her lesson, and will no longer run from difficulty. Jane agrees to take her on as her apprentice.

Multiple Choice

Which is the most likely theme of "The Midwife's Apprentice?"

• Life in the Middle Ages was hard.

• Everyone should value a good education.

• Everyone has a place in the world and we should never give up.

• You can't change your life if you are born into a bad situation.

Multiple Choice

Something that is characterized by opulence, sumptuousness, or rich abundance is ...

• replenish

• pluck

• luxurious

• dire

Multiple Choice

The word unwilling means not willing or offering opposition. What is a synonym for unwilling?

• solemnity

• luxurious

• reluctant

• replenish

Multiple Choice

What does EFFORT mean?

• done or given reluctantly

• to fill or build up again

• conscious exertion of power : hard work

Multiple Choice

What does DREADFUL mean?

• a winding path or course

• extremely bad, distasteful, unpleasant, or shocking

• a person who predicts the future by magical, intuitive, or more rational means

• including many things of different kinds

Multiple Choice

The word PLENTY menas an adequate or more than adequate number or amount of something, a number or amount of something that is enough for a particular purpose. What can be a synonym for plenty?

• treachery

• abundance

• antipodes

• blight