Class XI- Chap-6 (Snapshot) BIRTH by A. J. Cronin
Birth Introduction
“Birth” is an excerpt from “The Citadel” that revolves around Andrew Manson who just graduated from medical school. It is an account of how the newly graduated medical practitioner helped in bringing Joe and Susan’s child into this world despite going through a tough time with his girlfriend Christine.
TITLE -
The title "Birth" is justified as it directly relates to the central event of the story, the physical birth of a child, which also symbolizes the broader themes of new beginnings, hope, and transformation. The story depicts the struggle of Dr. Andrew Manson to save both the mother and the lifeless newborn, highlighting the fragility of life and the profound impact of childbirth.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Archibald Joseph Cronin (A. J. Cronin) – A Scottish novelist and physician. His medical background influenced much of his writing, often blending human drama with themes of ethics and duty. His most famous work remains the book ‘The Citadel’ (1937) from which this excerpt has been taken. The novel delves deeper into Dr. Andrew Manson’s experiences and the broader issues within the medical profession.
• Full Name: Archibald Joseph Cronin
• Lifespan: 19 July 1896 – 6 January 1981
• Nationality: Scottish (United Kingdom)
• Profession: Physician and novelist
• Literary Style: Cronin was known for blending his medical experiences with deep moral and social themes. His writing is clear, compassionate, and often highlights human values like kindness, duty, and perseverance.
• Famous Works:
• The Citadel – a novel exposing corruption in the medical profession (helped inspire reforms in Britain’s National Health Service).
• The Stars Look Down – explores the lives of coal miners and social injustice.
• The Keys of the Kingdom – about a missionary priest’s life of service and humility.
SETTING :-
The story is set in a Welsh mining town of Blaenelly in the early 20th century. The town was mostly inhabited by miners who had limited access to proper medical attention. Dr. Andew Morgan, a young medical graduate who had joined as an apprentice to Dr. Edward Page, goes to the house of Joe and Susan Morgan to deliver their baby and is faced with a critical situation which challenges his knowledge and determination to do justice to his patients.
GENRE :- Short story / Realistic fiction with elements of drama and professional ethics.
Theme of the Chapter “Birth”
The central theme of the story revolves around hope, perseverance, and the miracle of life. Key points include:
1. Dedication and Responsibility – The young doctor Andrew Manson, despite exhaustion and personal turmoil, demonstrates unwavering commitment to his duty when faced with a difficult childbirth.
2. Struggle Against Despair – The story emphasizes not giving up even when the situation seems hopeless. Andrew’s determination to revive the stillborn baby underlines the power of persistence.
3. Miracle of Life and Medical Ethics – It celebrates the sanctity of life and a doctor’s ethical responsibility to save it at all costs.
4. Emotional and Spiritual Fulfillment – Beyond professional achievement, the successful revival of the baby restores Andrew’s faith in life and offers emotional satisfaction.
5. Human Compassion and Selflessness – The narrative showcases compassion and selfless service as values that define true heroism.
CHARACTERS
1. Dr. Andrew Manson (Protagonist)
• Role in the Story: A young, newly qualified doctor who has just started his practice in a small Welsh mining town. He is called late at night to attend to Susan Morgan’s difficult childbirth.
• Personality Traits:
• Dedicated and Responsible: Even though he is emotionally disturbed by his own personal relationship issues, he responds to his professional duty.
• Compassionate and Determined: He refuses to give up when the baby seems stillborn and works tirelessly to revive it.
• Ethical and Selfless: Puts the patient’s and child’s well-being above his own exhaustion and personal problems.
• Optimistic at Core: The successful revival restores his faith in life and the nobility of his profession.
• Significance: Andrew represents the ideal of a doctor who embodies humanity, persistence, and moral duty.
2. Joe Morgan
• Role in the Story: A middle-aged miner and husband of Susan Morgan. He anxiously waits outside the house while Andrew attends the childbirth.
• Personality Traits:
• Loving and Caring Husband: His nervous pacing and concern for Susan’s well-being show his affection.
• Simple and Respectful: Represents the working-class ethos—humble, polite, and trusting in the doctor’s expertise.
• Significance: His anxiety and trust set the emotional tone and underline the community’s dependence on the doctor.
3. Susan Morgan
• Role in the Story: The expectant mother whose difficult labor is central to the plot.
• Personality Traits:
• Vulnerable but Strong: Though physically weak during childbirth, she shows emotional strength in trusting the doctor.
• Symbol of Motherhood: Represents the universal theme of maternal love and the hope tied to new life.
• Significance: Through Susan, Cronin portrays the pain and risk of childbirth as well as the joy of motherhood once the child is saved.
4. The Newborn Baby
• Role in the Story: The stillborn child whom Andrew revives after prolonged effort.
• Personality Traits:
• Though not a “developed” character in the usual sense, the baby symbolizes hope, renewal, and the miracle of life.
• Significance: The baby’s revival becomes the emotional climax of the story and transforms Andrew’s outlook on life.
5. Supporting Characters (Minor)
• The Midwife: A local woman who assists Andrew during the delivery. She represents traditional community practices and the cooperation between local helpers and modern medicine.
• Neighbors (Implied): Though not directly present, their implied awareness reflects the community’s close-knit nature in the mining town.
PLOT CONSTRUCTION
1. Exposition (Introduction)-
● The story is set in a small Welsh town, where Dr. Andrew Manson, a young medical graduate, visits a patient's house late at night after a long day and especially a heart-breaking evening with Christine, his lady-love.
● The patient is Susan Morgan, a young woman in labour. Her husband Joe Morgan is anxious but hopeful.
● Andrew is deeply tired, emotionally drained, and lost in his own thoughts about love and life. He questions marriages and love-affairs while waiting for Susan’s labour.
2. Rising Action
● Susan is in prolonged labour. Andrew waits through the night, assisting the midwife.
● After hours of labour, the baby is delivered, but to everyone’s horror — the child is stillborn. ● To make things worse, Susan’s condition becomes critical due to her age.
3. Climax
● Faced with a life-or-death situation, Andrew makes quick, courageous medical decisions.
● He first saves Susan from dying by giving her an injection and works “unsparingly to restore” her.
● Then he turns his attention to the stillborn child, who is blue and limp — a case of asphyxia pallida (lack of oxygen at birth).
● Against all odds, Andrew refuses to give up. He tries to revive the baby using cold and hot water baths and artificial respiration techniques (a method involving pressing the chest and back rhythmically).
4. Falling Action
● After a long struggle, the baby finally starts breathing and crying, proving that Andrew’s efforts weren’t in vain.
● The emotional tension breaks, and there is a mix of disbelief and joy among everyone present.
5. Resolution
● Andrew steps out into the early morning light, emotionally transformed and triumphant.
● He feels deeply fulfilled — not because he saved two lives, but because he did not give in to despair or exhaustion.
● The story ends with a tone of hope, renewal, and professional pride.
MOOD AND TONE
● Mood: Tense, emotional, dramatic.
● Tone: Serious, determined, ultimately hopeful.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS “Birth” showcases a deeply emotional and professional journey of a young doctor, Andrew Manson, who saves a newborn from death. The story captures the inner conflict and determination of a medical professional in a crisis. Cronin blends his medical knowledge with literary finesse to create a gripping narrative. The moment of revival is not just a medical achievement but a personal triumph for Andrew. The story celebrates human perseverance, hope, and the sanctity of life. It serves as a powerful reminder of the value of professional ethics and emotional strength.
LITERARY DEVICES / STYLE
The story "Birth" by A.J. Cronin uses several narrative techniques that enhance its emotional and dramatic impact.
1. Third-Person Limited Point of View: This style of narration gives us access to Andrew’s inner world, but it stays in third person.
2. Realism: The story is written in a realistic style, portraying medical details and human emotions accurately. The setting, a mining town, and the characters like Joe and Susan Morgan are believable and grounded.
3. Dramatic Tension: The pace of the story quickens as the delivery becomes complicated, especially when the baby appears stillborn. The suspense of whether the baby will survive keeps the reader engaged.
4. Symbolism: The baby’s revival symbolizes hope, renewal, and the triumph of dedication and science over despair. Dr. Manson’s success also symbolizes a turning point in his professional and moral journey. 5. Dialogue and Action: The story uses sparse but effective dialogue, allowing actions and thoughts to carry the narrative forward. The detailed description of resuscitation adds intensity and authenticity.
6. Tone and Style: Realistic, descriptive, emotionally intense writing style.
Birth -NCERT TEXT
Passage – THOUGH it was nearly midnight when Andrew reached Bryngower, he found Joe Morgan waiting for him, walking up and down with short steps between the closed surgery and the entrance to the house. At the sight of him the burly driller’s face expressed relief.
Passage – “Eh, Doctor, I’m glad to see you. I been back and forward here this last hour. The missus wants ye —before time, too.” Andrew, abruptly recalled from the contemplation of his own affairs, told Morgan to wait. He went into the house for his bag, then together they set out for Number 12 Blaina Terrace.
The night air was cool and deep with quiet mystery. Usually so perceptive, Andrew now felt dull and listless. He had no premonition that this night call would prove unusual, still less that it would influence his whole future in Blaenelly.
The two men walked in silence until they reached the door of Number 12, then Joe drew up short “I’ll not come in,” he said, and his voice showed signs of strain. “But, man, I know ye’ll do well for us.”
Passage – Inside, a narrow stair led up to a small bedroom, clean but poorly furnished, and lit only by an oil lamp. Here Mrs Morgan’s mother, a tall, grey-haired woman of nearly seventy, and the stout, elderly midwife waited beside the patient, watching Andrew’s expression as he moved about the room.
Passage – “Let me make you a cup of tea, Doctor, bach,” said the former quickly, after a few moments.
Andrew smiled faintly. He saw that the old woman, wise in experience, realised there must be a period of waiting that she was afraid he would leave the case, saying he would return later.
“Don’t fret, mother, I’ll not run away.”
Passage – Down in the kitchen he drank the tea which she gave him. Overwrought as he was, he knew he could not snatch even an hour’s sleep if he went home. He knew, too, that the case here would demand all his attention. A queer lethargy of spirit came upon him. He decided to remain until everything was over
Passage – An hour later he went upstairs again, noted the progress made, came down once more, sat by the kitchen fire. It was still, except for the rustle of a cinder in the grate and the slow tick-tock of the wall clock. No, there was another sound —the beat of Morgan’s footsteps as he paced in the street outside. The old woman opposite him sat in her black dress, quite motionless, her eyes strangely alive and wise, probing, never leaving his face
Passage – His thoughts were heavy, muddled. The episode he had witnessed at Cardiff station still obsessed him morbidly. He thought of Bramwell, foolishly devoted to a woman who deceived him sordidly, of Edward Page, bound to the shrewish Blodwen, of Denny, living unhappily, apart from his wife. His reason told him that all these marriages were dismal failures. It was a conclusion which, in his present state, made him wince. He wished to consider marriage as an idyllic state; yes, he could not otherwise consider it with the image of Christine before him. Her eyes, shining towards him, admitted no other conclusion. It was the conflict between his level, doubting mind and his overflowing heart which left him resentful and confused. He let his chin sink upon his chest, stretched out his legs, stared broodingly into the fire. He remained like this so long, and his thoughts were so filled with Christine, that he started when the old woman opposite suddenly addressed him. Her meditation had pursued a different course.
Passage – “Susan said not to give her the chloroform if it would harm the baby. She’s awful set upon this child, Doctor, bach.” Her old eyes warmed at a sudden thought. She added in a low tone: “Ay, we all are, I fancy.”
He collected himself with an effort.
“It won’t do any harm, the anaesthetic,” he said kindly. “They’ll be all right.”
Passage – Here the nurse’s voice was heard calling from the top landing. Andrew glanced at the clock, which now showed half-past three. He rose and went up to the bedroom. He perceived that he might now begin his work.
An hour elapsed. It was a long, harsh struggle. Then, as the first streaks of dawn strayed past the broken edges of the blind, the child was born, lifeless
Passage – As he gazed at the still form a shiver of horror passed over Andrew. After all that he had promised! His face, heated with his own exertions, chilled suddenly. He hesitated, torn between his desire to attempt to resuscitate the child, and his obligation towards the mother, who was herself in a desperate state. The dilemma was so urgent he did not solve it consciously. Blindly, instinctively, he gave the child to the nurse and turned his attention to Susan Morgan who now lay collapsed, almost pulseless, and not yet out of the ether, upon her side. His haste was desperate, a frantic race against her ebbing strength. It took him only an instant to smash a glass ampule and inject the medicine. Then he flung down the hypodermic syringe and worked unsparingly to restore the flaccid woman. After a few minutes of feverish effort, her heart strengthened; he saw that he might safely leave her. He swung round, in his shirt sleeves, his hair sticking to his damp brow
Passage – “Where’s the child?” The midwife made a frightened gesture. She had placed it beneath the bed.
In a flash Andrew knelt down. Fishing amongst the sodden newspapers below the bed, he pulled out the child. A boy, perfectly formed. The limp, warm body was white and soft as tallow. The cord, hastily slashed, lay like a broken stem. The skin was of a lovely texture, smooth and tender. The head lolled on the thin neck. The limbs seemed boneless.
Passage – Still kneeling, Andrew stared at the child with a haggard frown. The whiteness meant only one thing: asphyxia, pallida, and his mind, unnaturally tense, raced back to a case he once had seen in the Samaritan, to the treatment that had been used. Instantly he was on his feet. “Get me hot water and cold water,” he threw out to the nurse. “And basins too. Quick! Quick!” “But, Doctor—” she faltered, her eyes on the pallid body of the child. “Quick!” he shouted.
Passage – Snatching a blanket, he laid the child upon it and began the special method of respiration. The basins arrived, the ewer, the big iron kettle. Frantically he splashed cold water into one basin; into the other he mixed water as hot as his hand could bear. Then, like some crazy juggler, he hurried the child between the two, now plunging it into the icy, now into the steaming bath.
Passage – Fifteen minutes passed. Sweat was now running into Andrew’s eyes, blinding him. One of his sleeves hung down, dripping. His breath came pantingly. But no breath came from the lax body of the child. A desperate sense of defeat pressed on him, a raging hopelessness. He felt the midwife watching him in stark consternation, while there, pressed back against the wall where she had all the time remained —her hand pressed to her throat, uttering no sound, her eyes burning upon him —was the old woman. He remembered her longing for a grandchild, as great as had been her daughter’s longing for this child. All dashed away now; futile, beyond remedy…
Passage – The floor was now a draggled mess. Stumbling over a sopping towel, Andrew almost dropped the child, which was now wet and slippery in his hands, like a strange, white fish. “For mercy’s sake, Doctor,” whimpered the midwife. “It’s stillborn.”
Passage – And then, as by a miracle, the pigmy chest, which his hands enclosed, gave a short, convulsive heave, another… and another… Andrew turned giddy. The sense of life, springing beneath his fingers after all that unavailing striving, was so exquisite it almost made him faint. He redoubled his efforts feverishly. The child was gasping now, deeper and deeper. A bubble of mucus came from one tiny nostril, a joyful iridescent bubble. The limbs were no longer boneless. The head no longer lay back spinelessly. The blanched skin was slowly turning pink. Then, exquisitely, came the child’s cry.
Passage – “Dear Father in heaven,” the nurse sobbed hysterically. “It’s come —it’s come alive.” Andrew handed her the child. He felt weak and dazed. About him the room lay in a shuddering litter: blankets, towels, basins, soiled instruments, the hypodermic syringe impaled by its point in the linoleum, the ewer knocked over, the kettle on its side in a puddle of water. Upon the huddled bed the mother still dreamed her way quietly through the anaesthetic. The old woman still stood against the wall. But her hands were together, her lips moved without sound. She was praying.
Mechanically Andrew wrung out his sleeve, pulled on his jacket. “I’ll fetch my bag later, nurse.” He went downstairs, through the kitchen into the scullery. His lips were dry. At the scullery he took a long drink of water. He reached for his hat and coat. Outside he found Joe standing on the pavement with a tense, expectant face. “All right, Joe,” he said thickly. “Both all right.” It was quite light. Nearly five o’clock. A few miners were already in the streets: the first of the night shift moving out. As Andrew walked with them, spent and slow, his footfalls echoing with the others under the morning sky, he kept thinking blindly, oblivious to all other work he had done in Blaenelly, “I’ve done something; oh, God! I’ve done something real at last.
FLOW CHART OF THE CHAPTER
Andrew Manson returns late at night from a disappointing evening
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Joe Morgan (a miner) waits anxiously → Calls Andrew for Susan Morgan’s delivery
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Andrew walks to Morgan’s house → Observes simple, modest setting of working-class life
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Susan Morgan (in labor) is being looked after by a midwife → She is weak but hopeful
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Andrew prepares for delivery → Overcomes his own emotional turmoil (relationship issues)
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After a tense struggle, Susan safely delivers the baby
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Shock! → The newborn baby appears stillborn (lifeless, pale, not breathing)
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Andrew acts quickly:
- Places the baby in warm water, then cold water alternately
- Rubs and massages the baby’s chest and back
- Continues artificial respiration tirelessly
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Repeated efforts seem to fail → Moment of despair
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Andrew persists despite exhaustion → Finally, the baby gives a faint cry
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The baby breathes → Signs of life return → Andrew’s relief and joy
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Susan Morgan is safe → Joe Morgan is informed → Overjoyed parents welcome their child
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Andrew steps outside, emotionally uplifted → Regains faith in life and his profession
1. “I have done something; oh, God! I’ve done something real at last.” Why does Andrew say this? What does it mean?
Ans. Andrew says that he had done something real at last. He said this because he had handled a tough situation. He had been successful at saving both – the mother and the child. It was a complicated delivery and gaining success at it made him feel that he had something worthwhile. Doing something real at last means Andrew felt content and jubilant at his own efforts and the achievement.
2. There lies a great difference between textbook medicine and the world of a practising physician. Discuss.
Ans. Textbook medicine gives knowledge about medicines, diseases, human anatomy and treatments. However, it does not teach you how to handle stressful situations. While a practicing physician has to work in various odd situations. His skills of endurance and medical expertise are tested in such situations. So, textbook medicine and the world of a practicing physician are very different from each other.
3. Do you know of any incident when someone has been brought back to life from the brink of death through medical help. Discuss medical procedures such as organ transplants and organ regeneration that are used to save human life.
Ans. Yes, my neighbour was in a critical condition. He had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. Timely medical help saved his life. He underwent a heart surgery and now he is hale and hearty.
Medical procedures like organ transplant and organ regeneration are very beneficial for people. Many people donate their organs also so that these can be of help to others. Organ transplant has a good success rate and many people opt for it. The procedure gives them a new life and a needy person gets financial help in return. However, just like other things, the business of organ donation and transplant has become a money making industry with a lot of exploitation of people.
EXTRA QUESTIONS
Q1. Who was Joe Morgan? Why was he so tense, and waiting anxiously for Dr Andrew that night?
Answer. Joe Morgan worked as an excavator in Blaenelly, a mining town. He was a tall, robust, heavy-set man in his forties. Joe and his wife of nearly 20 years, Susan, were expecting their first child. Joe Morgan was in desperate need of Dr. Andrew’s assistance. Susan, his wife, was in labor. After 20 years of marriage, she was about to give birth to their first child. Joe and Susan were anxious for the baby to arrive safely. So he waited for the doctor with bated breath.
Q2. That night proved unusual and it influenced Dr Andrew’s whole future in Blaenelly. What miraculous thing happened that night?
Answer. Dr Andrew began his medical career in the mining town of Blaenelly. The successful handling of Mrs Joe’s case was a watershed moment in his life. It was nothing short of a miracle that he had restored life in a stillborn child by alternating between dipping it in cold and warm water. He gained not only satisfaction but also name and fame.
Q3. Why were Susan and her Old mother so tense that night?
Answer. Susan was about to give birth to her first child after 20 years of marriage. She and her husband Joe were naturally tense. Susan’s elderly mother stood beside her, tense but hopeful.
Q4. Susan’s mother was wise in experience. What hints did she give of her wisdom?
Answer. Susan’s mother was a tall, gray-haired woman who was nearly seventy years old. She knew from personal experience that childbirth would take some time. She was astute enough to suspect that Dr Andrew would not be patient for long. So she tried to persuade him to stay by offering him tea and sitting next to him.
Q5. Name the five central characters in the story Birth who played the key role?
Answer. Joe Morgan, his wife Susan, his elderly mother-in-law, a stalwart midwife, and, of course, Dr Andrew are the story’s five central characters. The doctor was instrumental in saving Susan’s and her ostensibly stillborn baby’s lives.
Q6. Dr Andrew faced the biggest dilemma of his life that night. How did he act and save two lives?
Answer. Dr. Andrew was summoned to oversee Susan Morgan’s first and most crucial delivery. He was tense and sleep deprived. Nonetheless, he chose to wait. He promised Joe and his wife that everything would be fine. However, he became concerned when he discovered that both the mother and her baby were in danger. Susan was first given an injection to calm her down. He then lifted the stillborn child and alternately immersed him in hot and cold water and pressed the child’s chest. Fortunately, he saved both of them.
Q7. Comment on the behavior and role of the midwife attending Susan Morgan.
Answer. Susan’s midwife demonstrated a lack of experience and a professional demeanor. She immediately declared that the baby was stillborn. She tucked it beneath the bed. Even when Andrew was attempting to resuscitate the baby, she expressed her disbelief and even discouraged Andrew from continuing his feverish efforts. Her joy was heightened by the baby’s cry.
Q8. What did the stillborn child look like when Andrew turned his attention to it?
Answer. Although the baby’s body was fully formed and warm, it was devoid of life. It had been placed beneath the bed by the nurse. But Andrew drew the child out. It had a limp warm body that was as white and soft as animal fat. The skin was smooth, but the limbs appeared to be boneless. It was depleted of oxygen.
Q9. What did Andrew do to restore life in the stillborn child?
Answer. Andrew remembered a similar situation in the past. He treated the stillborn baby the same way. He requested hot and icy cold water. He alternated between immersing the baby in cold and warm water. He rubbed the child’s chest with a rough towel and pressed and released his hands on the child’s chest. A miracle occurred. It cried as its skin turned pink.
Q10. How did Andrew turn his sense of defeat and hopelessness into one of joy and victory? Describe the last effort he made.
Answer. When Susan appeared to be safe, Andrew picked up the limp, lifeless baby. He used water treatment on it. Even after a half-hour of feverish effort, there was no sign of improvement. He finally gave it his all. With both hands, he pressed and released the small chest. This treatment was successful, and the tiny heart began to beat.
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 bedside.
Andrew 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 experience.
Similarly, 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 others.
He 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.
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.
Answer. Dr. Andrew Mason was sensitive to the Morgan family’s feelings. He’d gone to help Mrs. Morgan with her childbirth. Mrs. Morgan was about to have her first child after twenty years of marriage, so it was a difficult task, coupled with the fact that she was no longer younger in age. As a result, Andrew recognised that the baby was extremely valuable to the family. He knew he had to save both the mother and the baby for the sake of the family’s happiness.
Dr. Andrew quickly realized how difficult the task was. Mrs. Morgan began to sink, and the child appeared to be stillborn. He handed the baby over to the midwife and focused on reviving the mother. He turned to save the child after saving the mother’s life. He was able to revive the child by working hard and bringing his experience and knowledge to the forefront.
Q7. Why was Joe Morgan relieved to see Andrew?
Answer. Joe Morgan was relieved to see Dr. Andrew Manson after waiting for him at his clinic for a long time. He’d come to take him home. After twenty years of marriage, his wife was expecting a child. Joe Morgan wanted the delivery to go as smoothly as possible. He wanted Dr. Andrew to be there at his home to assure the safety of his wife and the expected kid.
Q8. What response did Andrew get when he asked, “Where is the child”? Describe what followed.
Answer. The midwife was terrified because she had buried the baby under the bed, believing it to be dead. Andrew extracted it from a pile of soaked newspapers. He began by injecting Mrs Morgan, who was sinking, and pumping her heart. Then he turned to look at the baby who had been declared dead. He discovered that the child had been suffocated and was unconscious as a result of a lack of oxygen. He tried some unusual treatments. He alternated between immersing the baby in hot and cold water. He then attempted to stimulate the baby’s heart. The baby miraculously responded and began breathing.
Q9. “Andrew had no premonition that that night would influence his whole future in Blaenelly.” How did this happen?
Answer. Andrew had no idea how that night would affect his future in Blaenelly. That night, he saved Mrs Morgan’s and her baby’s lives, earning him Joe Morgan’s eternal gratitude and firmly establishing him in the good graces of the villagers. Mrs. Joe Morgan gave birth to a nearly lifeless child after a difficult labor. Her own situation was dire. Andrew had to work quickly to save the baby and the mother. He turned to face the mother after handing the baby over to the nurse. He administered injections and pumped her heart. Then he turned to look at the baby who had been declared dead. He noticed that the child had suffocated and was unconscious as a result of a lack of oxygen. He tried some unconventional treatment. He immersed the baby alternately in hot and cold water. Then he tried to quicken the baby’s heart. Miraculously the baby responded and started breathing.
Q10. Compare and contrast Andrew’s emotional, mental and physical state at the beginning of the story and at the end.
Answer. Andrew is physically fatigued and emotionally upset at the start of the story. He’s just returned from a sour evening with Christine, the girl he adored. His thoughts are jumbled and thick. The incident he witnessed at Cardiff station was still fresh in his mind. Though he imagined marriage to be a blissful condition, he couldn’t help but recall the tragic failures of many couples.Andrew is physically fatigued by the end of the story, but emotionally and psychologically aware. His thoughts are filled with happiness and self-satisfaction. He has accomplished an extraordinary feat, no less than a miracle. He asks God to bear witness that he has finally done something real. This sense of accomplishment aids him in overcoming physical exhaustion. His sense of duty towards his patients helps him to attend them whole-heartedly. He forgets his personal feelings and thinks only of reviving the patients.
11. Create a diary entry from Dr. Andrew’s perspective after the event.
Saturday, 22 September 2025 3:00 a.m.
Dear Diary,
Tonight, I encountered something that changed me forever. I stood at the edge of hopelessness as I held a stillborn child in my hands and saw the mother unconscious and pale. For a moment, I was gripped by fear and helplessness. But something within me refused to give up. I had to act — not just as a doctor, but as a human being responsible for two precious lives. My training, my instinct, and sheer willpower took over. Artificial respiration, cold and hot water stimulation — I kept going, and then, a miracle! The baby gasped. It cried. It lived! I cannot express the surge of relief, the tears that welled up unbidden. Tonight, I didn’t just save a life; I was reborn myself — stronger, surer, and humbler than ever before. I now understand what it truly means to serve life. Andrew
12. Compare Dr Andrew's situation to Marga Minco's predicament in The Address.
Ans: Dr. Andrew Manson in Birth and the young daughter in Marga Minco’s The Address both face deeply personal challenges, though in vastly different contexts. Dr. Andrew confronts a life-and-death medical emergency where his skills, presence of mind, and determination are tested as he struggles to revive a stillborn baby and save the unconscious mother. His crisis is external yet emotionally intense, and through perseverance, he emerges stronger and more confident in his role as a doctor. In contrast, the girl in The Address undergoes an internal, emotional struggle as she returns to a war-torn world, seeking traces of her lost family through familiar objects kept by a woman who had once betrayed her mother’s trust. Her predicament is marked by grief, displacement, and a quiet dignity as she ultimately chooses to walk away, letting go of the past to protect her emotional integrity. While Andrew’s story highlights professional growth through action, the daughter’s journey reflects emotional maturity through silent strength and acceptance. Both characters, however, show that resilience in the face of adversity defines true courage.
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