What picture of Andrew Manson do you form after reading ‘Birth’?


Andrew Manson was a young doctor. He was a dedicated and hard working medical practitioner. He never failed in his calling. He was full of ideas and judged every case on its merit. He showed quite a mature understanding of his patients. He never faltered or hesitated. When torn between two conflicts, he wasted no time in taking the right and prompt decision.

We find Joe Morgan waiting for Andrew Manson at midnight. Andrew Manson was tired and not in a proper frame of mind. Even then he accompanied Joe to his house. He was a good judge of men and matters. When he realised that the old lady feared that the doctor might leave the case, he assured her. He realised that the case demanded his immediate attention. He declared that he would not leave the place till everything was over.

We find Andrew Manson a clear headed person. He could resolve any issue. He didn’t hesitate even to do any experiment. Plunging the child into the icy and hot waters turn by turn was a daring experiment. Similarly, rubbing and releasing the chest with a rough towel was another experiment that finally brought success to the doctor. In the end, Andrew was satisfied that he did everything whatever he was expected to do.

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V. Imp.

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Andrew Manson was torn between two desires. What were the desires and how did Andrew resolve and with what result?


The doctor was torn between two desires. The dilemma was whether the mother or the new born infant was to be saved first. When the doctor reached 12 Blaina Terrace, he found two women standing near the patient. He knew that the case here would demand all his attention. He decided to remain there until everything was over. He hesitated and was torn between two conflicts. The first desire was how to save the child. Being a doctor, he had a duty towards the mother too. The mother herself was in a desperate state. He had to make a choice and decide promptly. He faced an urgent dilemma. The dilemma was so urgent that he couldn’t solve it consciously. At last, he took the decision. He acted instinctively.

Instinctively, he gave the child to the nurse. He turned his attention to Susan Morgan. She lay collapsed, almost pulseless. Her strength was ebbing. The doctor took only an instant to inject the medicine. After a few minutes of feverish efforts, her heart strengthened. He gave a new lease of life to the mother. He saw that he might safely leave her. Now he could turn his attention to the child. A miracle took place. After a long and tiring struggle, the doctor was able to save the child too.

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Why did Joe Morgan stand waiting for Andrew Manson at midnight?


It was nearly midnight. The young doctor Andrew Manson reached Bryngower. He found Joe Morgan waiting for him. Joe was a driller. Joe and his wife had been married nearly twenty years. They were expecting their first child. She needed immediate medical help before time. The driller’s face expressed relief at the sight of the doctor.

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Describe Andrew Manson’s frantic efforts to save the child. How did he succeed in the end?


Andrew Manson had brought the mother to a point of safety. Susan Morgan was now out of danger. Now the doctor immediately turned his attention to the child. “Where’s the child?” He asked the midwife. The midwife made a frightened gesture. She had placed the child beneath the bed. The doctor searched him among the dirty newspapers below the bed and pulled out the child. He was a boy, perfectly formed. His limp warm body was white and soft. The cord was hastily slashed. It lay like a broken stem. The head lolled on his thin neck. The limbs seemed boneless. It seemed that he suffered from ‘asphyxia’, the lack of oxygen in the blood. Instantly, the doctor was on his feet. He was unnaturally tense. His mind raced back to a case. He was resorting to the same treatment now.

The doctor demanded hot and cold water in two basins. Like some crazy juggler, he hurried the child between the two. First he plunged him into the icy and then into the steamy water. Fifteen minutes passed. A hopeless sense of defeat pressed on him. But he still persisted in one last effort. He rubbed the child with a rough towel, crushing and releasing him in turn with both his hands. The pigmy chest gave a short heave. The doctor redoubled his efforts feverishly. The child gasped and finally gave a loud cry. His skin was slowly turning pink. At last, Andrew Manson brought him back to life from the jaws of death.

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V. Imp.

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Why did Andrew feel dull and listless?


Andrew abruptly recalled his own affairs. Actually, he was returning from a disappointing evening with Christine, the girl he loved. He felt dull and listless. His thoughts were heavy and muddled. He was thinking of those persons whose marriages were dismal failures. He wished to consider marriage as an instrument of happiness.

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