Dec 27, 2009

July's People | Themes

Body
The incredible situation which the Smales find themselves in is attested to and dealt with at a very personal level. The real discomfort and disruption of the revolution has been displaced to a new awareness of the physical body. "For the first time in her life [Maureen] found that she smelled bad between her legs ... [she] disgustedly scrubbed." There is also a constant concern about living in the village, especially the risk of disease. However, this fear does not stop them from trying to keep up appearances. Maureen secretly washes her menstrual rags in...