Themes: Role of Women and Storytelling
The best storytellers and listeners in the novel are women, the Day women especially. Despite Miranda’s belief that “we ain’t had much luck with the girls in this family,” the strain that passes from Sapphira to Miranda to Ophelia produces strong, nurturing women, as well as storytellers (at the end of the novel Ophelia is telling “myths” to her son George). Ophelia believes that, together, Miranda and Abigail were “the perfect mother.” Miranda, the midwife, is known as “Mama” Day, and Bernice’s problems having and rearing a child keep the idea of nurturing before the readers.
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