BIR

BI T
R H
T‌
H
By A.J. Cronin
 A. J. Cronin
Full Name: Archibald Joseph Cronin
Date of Birth: 19 July 1896
Place of Birth: Scotland
Date of Death: 6 January 1981
Profession: Doctor and Novelist
Popular For:
Realistic stories based on medical life
Showing humanity, ethics, and compassion in doctors
famous works
 Impacts of The Citadel
1. Shone a Light on Medical Practice 2. Influenced Public Opinion on
Healthcare Reform
[Link]-driven medicine One of the book’s biggest claims to
[Link] treatments fame is its influence on the creation
[Link] and poor of the British National Health Service
standards in private practice (NHS
 Setting of the story
The story “Birth” is set in the small Welsh mining town of Blaenelly, mainly inside Susan Morgan’s modest
house at Number 12, Blaina Terrace.
Wales
Known as Drineffy in the novel
a) Place:
The main action takes place in a small, poorly furnished bedroom in Susan
Morgan’s house, with brief movement between the bedroom, kitchen, and
scullery. The setting reflects the simple, working-class living conditions of a
miner’s family.
b)Time:

The events occur during one night, from

nearly midnight until about five o’clock in
the morning, ending at dawn.
c) Atmosphere:

The setting is tense, grim, and emotionally charged, highlighting the

urgency of childbirth and Andrew Manson’s struggle and dedication
 Major characters
Characters Minor characters
Dr Andrew Manson – A young doctor, newly Dr Edward Page – Andrew’s senior and employer in
out of medical school; the central Blaenelly.
character. Mrs Morgan’s mother – Susan’s elderly mother;
Susan Morgan – Joe Morgan’s wife; the calm, wise, and hopeful.
woman in labour. The midwife / nurse – Assists during childbirth.
Joe Morgan – A Welsh miner; Susan’s Bramwell – A man unhappily devoted to a
husband. deceptive woman.
Christine – The girl Andrew loves; Blodwen – Edward Page’s shrewish wife.
mentioned in his thoughts. Denny – A man living unhappily, separated from his
wife.
Story
 Goes to M
organ hous narrow steps lead him
Andrew Manson was met by Joe e
to bedroom
Morgan, (Joe’s wife is in labour) (due to Anxiety )
Joe doesnt come inside the house

Meets a Tall, grey haired lady

#Susan’s mom
1. Rustle of Cinder in grate The old midwife
2. slow tick-tock of the wall clock
sounds audible [Link] beat of Morgan’s footsteps
The grandma quickly
asks the doctor for tea
checks progress and so he doesnt leave the
waits u Drinks tea and long stressful case
psta The doctor assured
irs
decides he wouldnt
to kitchen her he wouldnt leave
rest
While sitting in the Kitchen he is completely muddled in his thoughts

His mind drifts to examples of failed marriages he knows:

1. Bramwell, who is blindly devoted to a woman who cheats and deceives him.
2. Edward Page, trapped in an unhappy marriage with his ill-tempered wife Blodwen.
3. Denny, who lives separately from his wife and leads a lonely, unhappy life.

prove to him that marriage is failure even though he thinks otherwise.

Image of Christine increases his dilemma
He was so into his thoughts that when Grandma called him he was startled
She informed him that Susan is refusing to take chloroform
"It wont do any harm, the anaesthetic,"he said kindly. "They will be all right".
(Christine palmer??)
 After an hour of struggle
At nearly 3:30 he
the child was born but
started his work
lifeless

A shiver of horror passed

over him, his face chilled,
he had a choice to make

Resusi he r
ctate
the chil th e Mot
d He l p
The urgent dilemma
He handled the baby to the midwife
was solved
and began treatment on the lady In an instant he smashed the
unconsciously ampule and injected the
medicine

After Few minutes of feverish

effort the mother's heart
strengthened

One life was saved,

One more to go
 He turned his attention The child was
to the child perfectly formed, he
was a boy , white Asphyxia Pallida
and soft as tallow historical, severe form of neonatal
asphyxia where a newborn is limp, pale
(deathly white), with no breathing

Treatment??‌
efforts, poor reflexes, and bloodless
umbilical vessels

There was no treatment for this at that time. The child was either Andrew knew this because he had
seen a similar case in the
left to die or given chemical or physcial shock to start breathing. Samaritan
These ways were not sympathetic towards the child.
One of the ways was dipping the infant into cold water and hot water, one after
the other.
He shouted at the midwife to
bring the basins of hot and
cold water quickly

Like a crazy juggler he

started plunging the child in
the basins one by one

Even after 15 minutes of

effort, no breath came out
from the boy
Then he saw the grandma
A sense of and remembered her longing This gave him
defeat passed for the child, much greater motivavtion to try
over him than her daughters. one last time
He began rubbing the child Eureka! The pigmy
A sense of life was flooding in the baby,
with a rough towel, crushing chest gave a
1. The baby was gasping
and realising the chest compulsive heave.
2. A bubble of mucus came from his one nostril
3. The limbs were no longer lifeless
4. He was slowly turning pink

"Dear father in heaven ,"the nurse

sobbed hysterically."Its come-- Its
come alive"

He handed the baby to the Nurse and

goes downstairs (after taking his coat
and hat from scullery)
Joe Morgan was
still standing
outside
(It was 5 am)

Doctor informs him that

both the child and the
mother is alive and fine

The doctor kept thinking blindly, oblivious to other works

he had done in blaenelly," I've done something; oh, God! I've
done something real at last."
 MCQs
"Despair, or folly? It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see
the end beyond all doubt. We do not."
Extract Based
Questions
I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to
decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.”
― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
 2 What was his view about the
1 Who is ‘He’ in this extract? marriages of his acquaintances?
A. His thoughts were heavy, muddled. The A) Joe Morgan A) They were huge success
episode he had witnessed at Cardiff B) Jack Manson B) They were huge failures
C) Susan Morgan C) They were impeccable
station still obsessed him morbidly. He
D) Andrew Manson D) None of these
thought of Bramwell, foolishly devoted to
a woman who deceived him sordidly, of 3 What was Andrew 4 What does the word ‘Morbidly’ mean?
Edward Page, bound to the shrewish Manson by profession? A) Suggesting a healthy state of mind
A) Driller B) Suggesting a unhealthy state of
Blodwen, of Denny, living unhappily, apart B) Compounder mind
from his wife. His reason told him that all C) Doctor C) Suggesting a perfect state of mind
D) None of these.
these marriages were dismal failures. D) Numerologist
 1 Who is ‘She’ in this extract? 3 What is anesthetic?
B. “Susan said not to give her the A) Joe Morgan A) Drug that leads to sensibility
chloroform if it would harm the baby. B) Susan Morgan’s mother in law B) Drug that leads to insensibility
She’s awful set upon this child, Doctor, C) Susan Morgan’s mother C) Drug that leads to mental
D) Andrew Manson disorder
bach.” Her old eyes warmed at a D) Drug that numbs the whole
sudden thought. She added in a low head
tone: “Ay, we all are, I fancy.” He 2 Why did Susan’s mother not 4 Why were all the Morgans worried?
A) For they were expecting their first
collected himself with an effort. want chloroform to be given to her
child after a long period
daughter? B) For they were expecting their
“It won’t do any harm, the A) For the baby could die second child after a long period
anesthetic,” he said kindly. “They’ll be B) for it could harm her C) For they were expecting their third
child after a long period
all right.” C) For it could harm the baby
D) For they were expecting their fourth
D) Both B and C child after a long period
 C. As he gazed at the still form a shiver of 1 How was the child born? 2 What does the word
horror passed over Andrew. After all that he A) Lively ‘Resuscitate’ mean?
had promised! His face, heated with his own B) Lifeless A) To revive
exertions, chilled suddenly. He hesitated, C) Lame B) To bathe
between his desire to attempt to D) Blind C) To clean
resuscitate the child, and his obligation D) To stamp
towards the mother, who was herself in a 3 Which ugly middle position was
desperate state. The dilemma was so Manson caught in? 4 What had Dr. Manson promised to the
urgent he did not solve it consciously. A) Whether to save the child or not Morgans?
Blindly, instinctively, he gave the child to B) Whether to save the mother or A) Safe delivery of the child and mother
not B) Less amount to be charged for delivery
the nurse and turned his attention to
C) Whether to pay attention to child C) No admission charges for the baby
Susan Morgan who now lay collapsed, or to mother D) That he would not be able to save the
almost pulseless, and not yet out of the D) Whether to pay attention to mother
ether, upon her side. family or mother
 1 What does the word 2 Which literary device has been
D. In a flash Andrew knelt down. ‘Sodden’ mean? used in ‘Lay like a broken stem’?
Fishing amongst the sodden A) Dry A) Simile
newspapers below the bed, he B) Wet B) Metaphor
pulled out the child. A boy, C) Cleaned C) Personification
perfectly formed. The limp, warm D) None of these D) Alliteration
body was white and soft as 3 Which literary device has been
tallow. The cord, hastily slashed, used in ‘White and soft as 4 Who slashed the child’s cord hastily?
lay like a broken stem. The skin tallow’? A) Joe Morgan
was of a lovely texture, smooth A) Simile B) Susan Morgan
and tender. The head lolled on B) Zeugma C) Susan Morgan’s mother
the thin neck. The limbs seemed C) Epithet D) Andrew Manson
boneless. D) Metonymy
 Solved SAQ
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live," or "It is our choices,
Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"
Q1. What is asphyxia pallida?
Answer : Asphyxia pallida is a serious disorder caused by a lack
Q4. What was Andrew’s thought regarding marriage?
of Oxygen and a high concentration of Carbon dioxide in the Answer : Andrew had a very optimistic view regarding marriage. Though he remembered the
blood. It causes a lack of breathing and pale, whitish-colored failed marriages of a few people he knew, he still believed marriage to be a peaceful event.
skin. Asphyxia pallida is a major reason for the death of However, the thought of Christine soon confused his brain. He knew his doubtful mind had put him
newborn babies and is generally caused due to complications
during childbirth
in this confusion, but he couldn't find a way out.

Q2. Who was Joe Morgan, and why Q5. Why did a shiver of horror pass through Andrew?
was he waiting for Andrew? Answer: Andrew was called by Joe Morgan to assist his pregnant wife, Susan, who was giving birth after twenty
Answer: Joe Morgan was a large and strong person who years of marriage. Both Susan and her mother had a great longing for the child. Andrew promised Susan's
worked as a mining dealer and lived in Blaenelly. He was mother he wouldn't run away from the patient. When Susan gave birth to the child, it looked lifeless, and she
waiting for Andrew because his wife was expecting a baby, was in devastating condition. That made a shiver of horror pass through Andrew as he couldn't decide whom to
and he needed Andrew to assist his wife. assist first.

Q3. Write a brief note about Susan’s mother.

Answer : Susan's mother was an older woman, nearly seventy years old. She is tall
and grey-haired. The author described her as a wise and experienced woman. She
offered Andrew tea that he couldn't leave. She was also closely observing him.
She had a great expectation of a grandchild from her daughter.
Unsolved SAQs
"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig
to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which,"
George Orwell, Animal Farm
 Q1. Who was Joe Morgan? Why was he so tense, and waiting anxiously for Dr Andrew that night?
Q2. That night proved unusual and it influenced Dr Andrew’s whole future in Blaenelly. What miraculous thing happened that night?
Q3. Why were Susan and her Old mother so tense that night?
Q4. Susan’s mother was wise in experience. What hints did she give of her wisdom?
Q6. Dr Andrew faced the biggest dilemma of his life that night. How did he act and save two lives?
Q7. Comment on the behavior and role of the midwife attending Susan Morgan
Q9. What did Andrew do to restore life in the stillborn child?
Q10. How did Andrew turn his sense of defeat and hopelessness into one of joy and victory? Describe the last effort he made.
Solved LAQs
“This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
― William Shakespeare, Hamlet
 Q1. Give a brief life sketch and achievements of Dr Andrew
Manson.
Answer
. Dr. Andrew Manson had just graduated from medical school. In a small mining town, he was working as an assistant to Dr.
Edward Page. He had a crush on Christine, but he had a bad night with her when he met Joe. He was exhausted and tense.
It was well after midnight. But, true to his calling, he went with Joe to see Susan Morgan, who was in labor. Andrew wasn’t
bothered by the wait. He waited until daybreak without sleeping a wink. When he was faced with a dilemma, he proved his
worth. The baby had no heartbeat, and the mother was sinking. He worked tirelessly to save both.

He first saved the mother by administering a life-saving injection to her. When he took the lifeless but warm baby into his
arms, he was reminded of a similar case from medical school. He gave the baby the same treatment and saved him. He
resurrected both of them
 Q2. What was Andrew’s dilemma after the delivery? How did he solve
the problem so successfully?Answer. The baby was born at dawn. As he
looked at the lifeless baby, Dr Andrew was filled with horror. He was
now dealing with two patients. Susan’s pulse was rapidly fading. The
infant was white, limp, and lifeless. Andrew was at a loss as to who he
should prioritize. He injected Susan and pulled her out of danger based
on instinct. Then he drew out the child, who was warm but not
breathing. He used cold and hot water, as well as the pressure of his
hands, to give it an unusual treatment. There was also a miracle. When
the child cried out, he thanked God.
 Q3. Narrate the story Birth in about 100 words of your own. What message does it convey?
Answer. The ‘Birth’ is an enthralling story. It tells the story of a young doctor who saves two
lives. Both the mother and her newborn baby were critically ill. It emphasizes the ability of a
physician to perform miracles. Andrew was a young physician. He was called in to supervise
childbirth. Joe and Susan had been married for nearly two decades. They were about to have
their first child. Susan’s elderly mother and a midwife were already at her [Link]
chose to wait until the job was finished. Susan’s condition worsened after she gave birth to the
baby. The child was born stillborn, limp, and boneless. Andrew attended to the mother first,
giving her a life-saving injection. He then took the child in his arms. He alternated between
dipping it in hot and ice cold water. He gently pressed on the child’s chest. He continued this
treatment for nearly thirty minutes, or until the baby began to breathe and cry. Thus, Andrew
saved both the lives.
Q4. Bookish knowledge is theoretical. It is practice and observation which makes a man with theoretical knowledge a man perfect in his
field. Discuss.
Answer. Bookish knowledge is essential because it imparts theoretical knowledge. It teaches a
man the complexities of a problem and its possible solutions. A man with theoretical knowledge
who lacks practical experience may fail in his job. A man with practical knowledge and
experience, on the other hand, has a better chance of achieving the desired results. In our daily
lives, we encounter compounders who outnumber doctors and physicians. A physician who has
read the procedure for administering an injection but has not performed it with his own hands
will fail in his attempt. A compounder, on the other hand, can outperform a physician due to his
practical [Link], if you have minutely observed a man performing his job flawlessly,
you can put that very practical experience to use and achieve success. Dr. Andrew was able to
save the child because he had witnessed someone saving a nearly lifeless child. He used his
practical experience and knowledge to complete his task quickly. So, for success, especially in
the medical field, both theoretical knowledge and practical experience are required. So, if not
seasoned with practical experience, bookish or oral knowledge may prove futile and worthless.
 Q5. What impression of Andrew Manson do you form on the basis of the story ‘Birth’?
Answer. Andrew is a conscientious, truthful, and professional doctor. He is also a kind human
being. Despite not being in the best of spirits, Andrew delivers Joe’s wife expertly. Despite the
fact that the child was stillborn, Andrew did not give up hope. He recalled his medical expertise
and revived the infant. In contrast, the midwife accompanying the doctor assists the reader in
analysing Andrew’s character. Andrew is a determined individual who recognises that a family’s
dreams are dependent on the survival of the child. He gives his all and is rewarded when the
child begins to breathe. He was constantly willing to assist others. He always helps people, no
matter how exhausted he is. He also enjoys experimenting in his career to find new and better
ways to help [Link] was a mature and intelligent individual who always made the right
decision. Andrew Manson was able to solve any challenge since he is constantly full of fresh
and better ideas.
Unsolved LAQs
"I didn't run away this time, right?"
Q6. If you work to respect the feelings, yearnings and desires of others, success is always yours. Explain on the basis of
the lesson ‘Birth’ by A. J. Cronin.

Q7. Why was Joe Morgan relieved to see Andrew?

Q8. What response did Andrew get when he asked, “Where is the child”? Describe what followed.

Q9. “Andrew had no premonition that that night would influence his whole future in Blaenelly.” How did this happen?

Q10. Compare and contrast Andrew’s emotional, mental and physical state at the beginning of the story and at the
end.