Much as a modern woman might, Adelia rejects many of the commonly held beliefs of medieval England, such as the inferiority of women and the existence of witchcraft. Are there also ways in which Adelia's thinking seems a product of its time? How do you think she would fare in the modern world?
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The Serpent's Tale #2
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I think Adelia was a woman well ahead of her time! She is very strong willed, not afraid to speak up and do what needs to be done for herself and Allie. Also her affair with Rowley is very taboo! As for her thinking being a product of the time she does cave to making Mansur the "doctor" and her the assistant so that the young boy with the infected arm can get his care. The people of the time were narrow minded in that they didn't think a woman could be something as wonderful as a doctor! (She kinda reminds me of me, there was nothing I couldn't do just cause I was a GIRL!)
Posted 2 years ago by mollycat71 #
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Although Adelia questions the way women are treated, she does seem to accept it as "that's the way things are". She is astonished when the Reverend Mother suggests that God is both male and female and therefore everyone is equal to Him. That is something Adelia never considered.
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She would be a great docter in our time but would probably still have to fight prejudices against gender. She would be able to be open about who she is though. If she hadn't caved to let Mansur be perceived as the dr nothing would have happened. She really cared about healing or whe wouldn't have done this.
Posted 2 years ago by Cat talk rules #
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I think Arianna Franklin did a great job of creating a character who's thinking is a product of her time and we get to experience that thinking through Adelia. She is always aware of people's suspicion and curiosity about her and she knows how to be very intelligent about playing it safe. I could feel her caution around people and her fear that if she were arrested for witchcraft she would be separated from Allie. Revealing that she was a doctor could have caused her to be separated from Allie. The fact that she was a woman living in an untraditional way could have caused her to be taken away from Allie. Because of the time she lives in she is forced to rely on men so she can travel in safety, but of course she never feels safe and just wants to return to her home. Adelia would fare very well in the modern world. She is very intelligent and talented and she would have a lot less persecution to deal with. I think she might enjoy living in our time.
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She did not marry the man she loved because she did not want to lose who she was. Even though she had to have someone else pose as the doctor she was willing to live a life that was outside the norm in not marrying and having a child. I think she tried to live life on her own terms even though she had to make some major concessions to do so
Posted 2 years ago by Cat talk rules #
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