Martha Ballards Diary - Essay Example

Martha Ballard’s Diary Martha Moore was born in Oxford in Massachusetts in the year 1735, but her life’s story begins with the writings in her diary. Without the writings that she began keeping at her fifties, we would never know anything about her other than a mere succession of dates. The writer maintained and updated her diary on a daily basis recording a myriad of things ranging from the weather to her healing and midwifery work. Steadily, her work grew into remarkable accounts both of the normal and extraordinary events that took place in her life. The book A midwife’s Tale puts the various writings of Martha Ballard into perspective illuminating the major factors that acted as her impetus. It is clear that Ballard’s writings were inspired by much more than the formation of the United States and national government as other factors such as the community and her family influenced the ideas she put into writing. This paper aims to assess the writings of Martha Ballard, the main influences behind her work, and the implications her work had regarding the impact of the revolution on the Americans. The book, A Midwife’s Tale, provides a personal history of Martha Ballad. The author describes the life that the typical woman from England lived and the adaptations as well as investable changes this woman had to go through because of the creation and development of the American republic. Although the life story may seem insignificant, mundane, and irrelevant to the chronological record, Ulrich laces in how the general changes carried on by the American Revolution caused dramatic changes in the lives of the ordinary person. In essence, Martha Ballard’s story depicts how regular Americans went through and treated change. The Revolution was thus a significant part of Ballard’s identity. In addition to that, Ulrich also gives a recount of the day-to-day responsibilities that women, midwifes, daughters, mothers, and communities had after the war for independence came to an end in America. There was coexistence after the war, which was of great significance to the identity of Ballard. The relationships that Ballard had with various people, and especially her own family defined her identity greatly. In her writings, Martha Ballard offers an account of the hardships that she and other people that she is related directly and indirectly go through. Every day presented new hindrances, which she and her colleagues had to overcome. However, the most important lesson that the diary brings out is how seemingly well Ballard works out things with her husband. As Ulrich puts it, Ballard’s household was as though it was made of two economies; one managed by Ballard, and the other managed by Ballard’s husband. Very interesting is the relationship between Martha Ballard and her husband. In such a setting, it is unlike many would expect. It was more of a communally shared responsibility rather than a male controlled patriarchy where the only responsibilities that women have are household chores (Ulrich, 80). Ulrich, while examining the various diaries, discovered that Ballard, a 19th century woman, was involved in the farm as she was in the house, and this defines Ballard and women of her time. The identity of Mather Ballard also becomes clear through Ulrich explanation of the role of women in caring for the sick. The midwife served as a vital person in the middle of the 18th century. Ulrich enlists diseases that folks suffered during the Revolution suffered from, the medicines that helped them, and the prowess of the caregivers. Above all, the author puts it lucid that the main duty of women was to care for others during times of ailments. Here, Ulrich defines Ballard’s role and presents her through the identity of a caregiver. The author further states that Ballard stands as the representative of women (Ulrich, 62). Although Martha worked as a midwife, she was also as a mother, implying that she also had womanly roles to fulfill as well. Ulrich also uses the writings in Ballard’s diary to portray the economic activities taking place during the time of the Revolution. Through Ulrich’s work, A Midwife’s Tale, readers experience what kind of life folks led during the Revolution. The author attempts to answer many questions regarding the life that people who lived during Martha Ballard’s time lived. In her inquiries, the author elucidates how common people living in the northern frontier made a living after the Revolution set in. The analysis of Ballard’s diary show that people indeed worked hard. The whole of the first chapter of A Midwife’s Tale serves to elucidate just how much the people of Hallowell were at the mercy of nature as the Kennebec River froze and thawed capriciously. Ulrich states that the folks of Hallowell recalled the openings and closing of the Kennebec River in a manner that people from other towns recalled droughts and earthquakes (Ulrich, 3). The conditions of living and style of life practiced by the people of Hallowell acted as one of the motivating factors for Ballard’s work as pointed out by Ulrich. Ballard’s identity is further made clear in Ulrich’s explanation, elucidating the economic practices during her time. The midwife kept the diary as an account of daily activities as well as a record of the money that she received and the debts owed (Ulrich, 85). The entries that Ballard makes illustrate the intricate trade relations that existed in America in the eighteenth century. A Midwife’s Tale mentions how Ballard depended on the labor of hired hands, her children, as well as neighbors. In fact, Ballard acknowledges various people when she makes some enhancements at her home (Ulrich, 83). In this analogy, it is clear that family members, neighbors, and the society at large influence Ballard’s identity. The rituals and the customs around marriage, as well as courtship, reflect the things that motivated Ballard’s writings. The society during Ballard’s time exerted control through rituals and customs that revolved around marriage and courtship. The societal view of courtship and marriage influenced the lifestyles and identities of many women during that time including that of Martha Ballard. The society regarded these events as highly important to leave them to chance. As a result, the rituals and customs controlled people’s sexuality, took note of the life cycle changes, ensured and defined economic responsibilities and relationships, ensured and defined relationships, and confirmed an affiliation to the community (Ulrich, 79). The colonial heritage present during Ballard’s time was evident in the customs and rituals that surrounded marriage. These rituals and customs demanded that couples had to get married legally before starting a household together. Most people married and started their households during their mid and later twenties. The society required that people get married legally before they bore children who the society would regard as legitimate. Legitimacy was necessary as it granted children the right to acquire an inheritance. Couples had to get married in their local towns where they lived. The town clerk would give all legally married couples a certificate confirming that their plans had been published. Though Ulrich does not state the marriage situations of Ballard, it is clear through her actions that the rituals and customs influenced her, and she stood by them. She appears to have a deep love for her family her husband is loving and comfortable, implying that they legally married and had their marriage published (Ulrich, 89). The problems clouding the members of the society and the couples who lived during Martha’s time affected her writing as well as her feelings to a great extent. In A Midwife’s Tale, Ulrich notes that around 38% of the children born during Ballard’s time were conceived before legal marriages or out-of-wedlock. This high prevalence was perhaps representative of the Revolution. Most of the couples who conceived a baby before they married, published their union afterwards. As time went on, however, premarital sex, albeit illegal, became high and was not punished heavily. Unwed mothers confessed of their wrongs and paid a small amount in terms of a fine. The fines charged for fornication were equal to the fees that Ballard charged for delivering a baby. Ballard usually questioned unwed mothers during delivery time to establish the fathers of their babies. It is clear here Ballard cared much about proper upbringing of children, which would occur best while the father was there (Ulrich, 85). Further analysis of Ulrich’s book shows that marriages signaled deviations in economic and social responsibilities, in expectations of sexual and social behavior, in legal status, and in authority. The married couple was now separate and autonomous, and not under the parents’ authority. The society expected the woman to show respect and obedience to the husband instead of the father, and the husband was to ensure the family had sufficient provisions. The household became the responsibility of the woman, who was the homemaker. Couples had to make sexual commitment, which the courts could sanction. Divorce was rare to get unless under strict circumstances. These changes in the society challenged and affected the identity of Ballard. Martha did not do all the household chores, but her girls would assist her. After her children moved, the smooth running of the household chores became a problem and Ballard had to hire house-helps, who were unreliable at times (Ulrich, 69). Ulrich’s book shows us that the consequence and central meaning of marriage: as the life cycle of the family progressed, Ballard and other newlyweds met novel economic realities. Lastly, it is clear, through Ulrich’s book, that religious affiliations and beliefs impacted Martha Ballard’s character and identity. Ulrich states that Martha was aware of the power and influence of God in her life even though she skipped religious meetings. Ulrich also notes that Ballard loved a certain local preacher named Rev. Isaac Foster, albeit he had some radical religious views (Ulrich, 67). In summary, Ballard is an important lady who existed in the eighteen century, a century when America was coming out of a civil war and undergoing Revolution. Her authorship is essential as it presents the views of people during her time and the living conditions that they endured. She presents the role of women during her time, which was slowly expanding further than the previous limitations. Women were now to serve the society by working in industries as opposed to earlier practices that limited them to homesteads. Ulrich discovers the relevance of Ballard’s diaries and goes to great lengths to analyze her work. It is amazing that, through Ulrich’s analysis in her A Midwife’s Tale, we are able to see the various factors that influence Ballard’s identity and writings. Factors influencing Ballard’s identity include the Revolution, her family, and the community. Works Cited Ulrich, Laurel Thatcher. A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812. Reprint edition. New York: Vintage Books, 1991. Print. Read More