The Womb Rebellion

The Womb Rebellion is the latest in the popular genre of books and movies related to slavery. It continues in the legacy of popular books and films such as: 12 Years a Slave The Birth of a Nation The Underground Railroad; and the new Hulu television series adaptation of Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale. As in Underground Railroad The Birth of a Nation and The Handmaids Tale the protagonists of the story are not helpless victims of the oppressive system of enslavement but agents of change.This story is inspired by the historical accounts of enslaved women in the American South who resisted the institution of slavery through collectively refusing to bring any child into the world who was destined to be enslaved.The suicide of the rebellious enslaved Ruby changes both the slave quarters and the consciousness of the enslaved women; but mostly forces the enslaved midwife Pearl to face the moral dilemma involved in birthing children who will be condemned to a life of enslavement: A peaceful Sunday morning on the Bellamy plantation is disrupted by the suicide of the rebellious Ruby wife of the hated driver Sam. This event throws the plantation into chaos when the spirit of Ruby returns to produce havoc on the plantation. Rubys death most affects the midwife who has become her surrogate mother and who struggles with the requirements of the master and pull of her African roots. Pearl the midwife must come to terms with what it means to help birth children who will live their lives in bondage. Rubys courage and actions lead the women of the quarters in a resistance to producing more slaves for the plantation.