Reply To: Martha and Ephraim’s past
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Many of you have already said what I would in regards to the interstitial chapters. They added a lot of depth to Martha and Ephraim’s relationship as everyone has pointed out. When we first encounter them, it’s clear they have a strong and loving marriage. The different flashbacks enrich their love story and show that it wasn’t always smooth sailing, especially at the very start. It was startling to learn that Martha had been raped by Billy Crane, but it helped me make sense of Martha’s passionate support of Rebecca and why she was so emotional about Rebecca standing up for her rights. Her emotions did cloud her judgment at several points with regard to Rebecca, but this made more sense in light of her own personal history. I also think the hanging of Billy Crane helps explain Martha’s fuller understanding of her son Jonathan’s actions later on. She and Ephraim had “been there, done that.”
The flashbacks also enrich Ephraim’s character quite a lot, which I felt was important given that he was away surveying for a large part of the 1789 action. It becomes clear with his actions towards Martha—marrying her right away after Billy’s hanging, being patient about bringing her to the marriage bed, building up a business—that he is a very smart, capable, and confident man. He stands in contrast to the many other men in the town. Martha’s a very lucky woman. I think the moment I was most moved by was after Martha escaped North’s assault, and they were in the workroom together, and Ephraim simply pulled out a box of ink and a new journal and placed it on her table was very touching. And from there she can unburden herself.