Much of the novel’s action focuses on the legal process surrounding Rebecca Forster’s assault and Martha’s testimony. Were you surprised at the way the 18th century judicial process unfolded? Do you think Rebecca’s story would have been received differently in a contemporary courtroom?
I wasn’t surprised how the legal process played out in the novel. Men were considered superior and a woman was suspected of seducing a man if she was raped. Today, women are believed and DNA and rape kits can prove them truthful.
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I wasn’t surprised at all. Women were considered of no importance no matter how much they contributed to society.
Today, if there’s proof I do think women are more likely to be listened to if they accuse someone of rape. In this case, though, it was six days before Rebecca said anything, and she was accusing a powerful man. I actually don’t think she’d have fared much better in a courtroom today under the circumstances portrayed in the book.
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I was not surprised for two reasons first the men who were accused were considered pillars of the town and second women were not considered important in society and should obey not speak out. Therefore they were not important in the judicial system. Today not only can they vote but often consulted in regards to town affairs.
I have mixed thoughts. Sometimes there’s proof of rape that is indisputable, yet there are many cases where the evidence is on hold; testing is backlogged, or charges merely dismissed. News makers in the past five years have identified horrible events and coverups affecting young women and men, some underage. Consider who’s being held in a NYC jail today. Will power and money affect the outcome of his trial? Today’s legal processes can be quite complex and prolonged.
Misogyny continues today. No surprise that women are unfairly treated in the legal system, then and now. Disgusting was the fine placed for a woman’s slander.
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The legal aspects of the story brought into play the difficulties that Martha had to consider always in her line of work as a midwife. Her keen observation skills and daily habit of writing a diary of sorts kept her thoughts on track.
It seemed to be a conflict of interest to have Joseph North as an accused and as a sitting judge, but the complications are many in this story and resolving them takes time.
Of course the discrepancies between women and men are numerous, with so many still remaining to this day. The ongoing fight for equality has resistance however the present day laws, ethics and balance of power has improved.
I was not surprised by the way the judicial process unfolded. I’m not sure it would have unfolded differently today, unfortunately, unless there was a rape kit and DNA evidence. Unrelated to Rebecca’s assault, I was disgusted by the fact that women were fined for fornication, but that men were not charged or fined!
I was not surprised, but it was frustrating that I knew she wasn’t going to be believed. I recently read the book The History of the Rape Kit by Pagan Kennedy and was shocked to realize in 1972 women were still not believed when they were raped. We still have a long way to go.
In current times, Rebecca’s story would have been dealt with more fairly, with scientific evidence and she would have been treated more respectfully. Her trial would not have been a circus.
I agree. The totally male dominated society of that time did not listen to female objections.