(Book Cover Source: http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780064405843/Catherine_Called_Birdy/index.aspx, accessed November 2, 2008)
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Cushman, Karen. 1994. Catherine, called Birdy. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0064405842
2. PLOT SUMMARY:
Catherine, Called Birdy, winner of the 1995 Newbery Honor Award, was Karen Cushman's first book. As she states in the author's bio, "I grew tired of hearing about kings, princes, generals, and presidents. I wanted to know about what life was like for ordinary young people in other times." Cushman's curiosity has opened a fascinating window for the rest of us, upon the life of a young woman in England in the year 1290.
The story is told through the diary of Catherine, nicknamed "Birdy" for her small stature and love of birds. She is the daughter of a minor, but ambitious lord. The diary begins when she is 13 and concludes a year later. Directed to write it by her older brother, a monk, in order to help her grow less childish, Birdy is at first, resistant to the task. She begins, "I am commanded to write an account of my days: I am bit by fleas and plagued by family. That is all there is to say."
Birdy's subsequent accounts are of her frustration with her daily life: expectations of spinning, sewing, and comporting herself like a lady. She chafes at the strictures of 13th Century England and longs to be a peasant. From tossing her sewing down the privy, to talking back to her elders and driving away her suitors, Birdy's desire for independence is strongly felt. However, Birdy's antics and observations are full of humor, as she recounts her minor rebellions and rituals designed to lighten her life, which never quite yield the results she is hoping for. For example, when she performs a St. Faith's day ritual designed to send her a dream of her future husband, instead, she dreams of the miller's apprentice who can fart at will. In more poignant turns, she also writes of the tragedies of her day, as when she writes of her mother losing her fifth stillborn child, and a seventeen-year-old boy who never awakens after a brawl leaves him wounded.
As time passes, Birdy's father becomes more intent upon matching her to an older, wealthy suitor, Birdy refers to as "Shaggy Beard," and whom she loathes. The diary becomes more introspective as she writes of her dread of the upcoming nuptials and of the changes she is experiencing in her family relationships. Having seen the world through the black and white filter of a child's eyes, Birdy begins to recognize the good deeds her hated father and older brother have done for her and writes of the conflicting feelings this stirs within. She no longer sees her nurse as her chief tormentor, but begins to appreciate her, and the life she may soon be leaving if she weds Shaggy Beard.
Realities of the day are also described, such as icicles on chamber walls, beds shared with many others and full of fleas, child brides and child-bed fever, infrequent bathing, floor rushes full of refuse and dog dung, primitive medicines (also full of dung) with procedures like bleeding the victim, and superstitious fears of fairies, and devils. Religion plays a large focus, both in terms of beliefs of the times, as well as through a book of the Saints Birdy obtains early in the book, and subsequently uses to begin each diary entry with a brief description of the Saint's day. While some are humorous, others are dark and more obscure to the young reader, as in "Feast of Saint Andrew of Crete, stabbed to death by a fanatical Iconoclast."
The climax of the book occurs when Birdy runs away to avoid her marriage to Shaggy Beard. Upon finding haven at her aunt's, after some reflection, Birdy realizes, "I cannot escape my life but can only use my determination and courage to make it the best I can." She returns home to learn that Shaggy Beard has died in a tavern brawl, and she is to wed his son, of whom Birdy writes, "is young and clean, loves learning, and is not Shaggy Beard. For these alone, I am prepared to love him." In typical Birdy fashion, the story closes with a mixture of hopeful, wry, and irreverent comments. She moves from the observation, "The world is full of possibilities," to an admonition to her brother the monk, "Now I leave it to you, Edward, to judge whether this exercise of yours has indeed left me more observant, thoughtful, and learned," to close with her favorite expletive, "God's thumbs!"
Following the novel is a six-page Author's Note. In it, Cushman chronicles how different the medieval world is from our own, explaining the customs and values of the day in more depth. She closes by asking, "Can we really understand medieval people well enough to write or read books about them?" She then responds, "I think we can identify with those qualities that we share - the yearning for a full belly, the need to be warm and safe, the capacity for fear and joy, love for children, pleasure in a blue sky or a handsome pair of eyes. As for the rest, we'll have to imagine and pretend and make room in our hearts for all sorts of different people."
This is followed by a listing of nonfiction books for readers interested in learning more about medieval England. She also includes a listing of first-hand accounts, as well as a list of stories set in or near the Middle Ages.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
It is easy to see why this was chosen a Newbery Honor book. Hilarious, irreverent, touching, fierce, and vastly informative of a world the average reader knows little about, it is a feast for the reader and a book to cherish.
So what makes this book so captivating? Foremost, it is a terrific example of an author using voice to wonderful effect. From her exclamations of "Corpus bones!" to her rebellion about ladylike ways, Birdy's forthrightness is refreshing, as when she laments how a lady "must not show anger, nor sulk, nor scold, nor overeat, nor overdrink, nor swear. God's thumbs! I am going out to the barn to jump, fart, and pick my teeth!"
Yet, there is a tender side to her too, as when she is undone by a hanging she witnesses, or when she encounters Jews for the first time. Rather than finding the horns and tails she has been told to expect, she writes, "I find it hard to believe that the old lady and the little soft-eyed girl who stayed in our hall could be a danger to England. Is it blasphemy to ask God to protect Jews? I will ask Edward. Or maybe not. Mayhap I will whisper it just to God and trust it is all right. God keep the Jews." Later in the book, this feisty, independent girl trades her dowry money to save a bear that will be killed in a bear baiting, thus locking her into the betrothal agreement with her dreaded suitor. The poignancy with which she writes of this event, as well as her father's battle to save her mother from dying from child-bed fever, and her own fears for her mother, is wrenching. Herein lies the feast. It is a rare book that causes one to laugh out loud, weep, and then laugh out loud again, all in the span of a few pages.
In terms of the criteria by which one typically evaluates historical fiction, Cushman appears to pass with flying colors. She has woven authentic details of the era into the story without overwhelming the reader. In doing so, she has achieved a balance between the historical facts and the fictional elements of the story, which fascinates and informs the reader.
Regarding characters, because it is a diary, the perspective is narrowed to that of Birdy, who comes vividly alive through the entries. However, through Birdy's evocative descriptions, other characters are fairly well developed. Birdy's best friend Perkin, the goat boy, is a source of much wisdom in the book. While Birdy's father begins as a caricature, he evolves into a more fully developed character as we see his vulnerability in his love for his wife. Birdy's mother, her best friend Aelis, her uncle George, and her brother Robert are all portrayed with multifaceted complexity regarding love and loss. Birdy's character grows through her observations of their trials and joys.
As discussed above, Cushman's colorful descriptions of the setting bring the story to life. One can almost smell the unwashed bodies! The descriptions of ink pots freezing, and fleas biting help the reader understand the primitive nature of the times. However, the plot and themes leave the reader feeling that young Birdy is not so different from adolescents in our own times.
However, this leads to one underlying weakness of the book with respect to authenticity. Perhaps Birdy is a bit too much like adolescents of our times. Her rebellious antics are rather out-of-character for a young woman of the 13th Century. Even her ability to read and write is unusual for the daughter of a knight. While a student of feminist studies might applaud Birdy's independent streak, s/he would recognize that the customs of the times would not have allowed Birdy the freedoms described in the book.
In a similar vein, while the speech patterns in the book are easy for modern adolescents to understand, a glance through Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (written in the 14th Century) quickly shows the reader how difficult (though not impossible) it is to understand true Middle English, which would have been the language of the time. However, Cushman scatters enough words like "mayhap" and "yestermorn" through the text, and phrases such as, "Lincoln is wondrous fair and curious," to give the reader at least a sense of another era. In this, she is striking a balance between authentic flavor and readability, which makes the text much more accessible to the reader.
Ultimately, the themes of independence, finding oneself, acceptance of others, and familial and romantic love are so timeless, and written in such an engaging style, that they transcend any flaws. The reader comes away much wiser about life in the 13th Century, and vastly entertained. Isn't that the point of a great book?
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:
Horn Book - Starred Review: "The vivid picture of medieval life presents a seemingly eyewitness view of a culture remote from contemporary beliefs. Fascinating and thought-provoking."
Kirkus Reviews: "The period has rarely been presented for young people with such authenticity; the exotic details will intrigue readers while they relate more closely to Birdy's yen for independence and her sensibilities toward the downtrodden. Her tenacity and ebullient naivete are extraordinary; at once comic and thought-provoking, this first novel is a delight."
School Library Journal: "Birdy reveals fascinating facts about her time period. A feminist far ahead of her time, she is both believable and lovable . . . Superb historical fiction."
5. CONNECTIONS:
All of the reviews for this book said "For ages 12 and up," and probably with good reason. Descriptions of hangings, the amorous antics of villagers, and pregnant 12 year olds, are probably not suitable topics for elementary students. That being said, this book would be a wonderful way to help bring history alive. Aside from referring individual students to the book who are interested in history or stories with strong female protagonists, it could be used in the following ways:
*In conjunction with a history class studying medieval times.
*In conjunction with a literature class studying historical fiction
*In conjunction with a literature class studying the use of voice in writing.
*If students or teachers were looking to pair it with nonfiction historical books written for a younger audience, they might select the following titles:
Langley, Andrew. Medieval Life. ISBN 0756607051
MacDonald, Fiona, Salariya, David. How would you survive in the middle ages? ISBN 0531153061
Schlitz, Laura Amy. Good masters! Sweet ladies! Voices from a medieval village. ISBN 0763643327
*Finally, students and teachers might also enjoy Cushman's Newbery Award winner:
Cushman, Karen. The midwife's apprentice. ISBN 006440630X
No comments:
Post a Comment