Abstract
The aim of the article was to explore the narrative of Hester, a black South African woman, who is living with secondary infertility. The perspective is that of postfoundational practical theology, feminist theology and social constructionist narrative methodology. Fertility, as one of the most intimate areas of human existence, lies at the heart of life itself. Within the African tradition, motherhood is seen as almost sacred. Despite Hester’s multiple identities, one which is that of adoptive mother, the absence of biological children causes her to be regarded as a ‘childless’ woman. That identity not only disproportionately defines her, but also stigmatises her as shameful and an outsider. Within the traditional African worldview being healthy (including being fertile) is seen as being in harmony with the societal order and systemic, spiritual and religious environment.Hester’s social construction of her ‘self’ is that of helplessness, reflected in her near illiteracy, low economic status, socio-cultural position and lack of skills. Her childlessness reinforced her helplessness. Her ‘woundedness’ was perpetuated by the fact that she could not share her painful story openly. In the article Hester’s story is presented as a poem, titled: ‘the thing that doesn’t want to come out’. The article concludes with Hester’s reconstruction of ‘self’ as a woman, although poor, also blessed.
Highlights
A poem on infertilityHester’s story of her ‘childlessness’ was told during three interviews, with Hester’s adopted daughter, Florence, taking part in the last one
Richardson had a number of reasons for choosing the poetic form. She wanted something other than the dull academic style of paraphrasing case studies or quoting interviewees directly. She argued that, by allowing Louisa’s language to shape the poem, she decentred herself as the ‘expert sociologist’ and reached a sensitive, ethical solution to the issues of ‘authority/authorship/ appropriation’ whereby she felt she could use her ‘skills and resources in the service of others less beneficially situated’ (Richardson 1992:131)
Richardson liked the idea of finding a union between the sociological and the poetic, because this is an important part of how she prefers to express herself as a sociologist and an individual
Summary
Hester’s story of her ‘childlessness’ was told during three interviews, with Hester’s adopted daughter, Florence, taking part in the last one. Richardson had a number of reasons for choosing the poetic form She wanted something other than the dull academic style of paraphrasing case studies or quoting interviewees directly. Richardson liked the idea of finding a union between the sociological and the poetic, because this is an important part of how she prefers to express herself as a sociologist and an individual What she found, in the end, was that, in writing about Louisa May, she rewrote her own self. The fact that poetry by nature lends itself to multiple and open readings in greater measure than does conventional prose or traditional narrative research writing, influenced my decision to tell Hester and Florence’s story in the form of a poem. The following issues will be considered in the course of Hester’s narrative: infertility in the African context, secondary infertility, Hester’s poem, Hester imagining Hannah in the temple and Hester reconstructing her ‘self’
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