This is the gobbet that needs to be annualised , I have attached below it how to anyalise a gobbet, use the language used and all the points I have attached.
d. At first men were confined to their proper sphere, they were seldom called in but on difficult occasions … they often happily terminated labours which women could not manage, especially after the forceps were made public, in the year 1733. …. This instrument reached England, where a wide field was opened for its clandestine use, owing to the artifices of male-midwives, who contrived (by the assistance of nurses, whom they did not fail to reward) to make husbands believe, that it was more indecent for them to be present at the delivery of their wives, than strange men to assist thereat … Moreover, as it is now become quite proper (through the sanction of custom) for women to be unnecessarily handled by gentlemen of the faculty instead of their own sex, I shall enquire how far it is consistent with female modesty, and with the good sense of husbands.
John Blunt, Man-Midwifery Dissected (1793).
HS3326: AN INTRODUCTION TO GOBBET ANALYSIS
Given the emphasis placed on gobbet analysis in this module, it is important that you develop an organised method for approaching extracts like those you will meet in the gobbet assessment and in the exam.
It is essential you cover as much material as possible in gobbet analysis. For every text or image, the following areas need to be considered:
– Source: Who wrote or created the source that this gobbet is taken from? What type of source is it (e.g. a letter, diary, court case, satire, didactic literature or type of artwork)? Why was this source written and/or who was it aimed at or viewed as the intended audience? This often provides a good brief introduction to the discussion of a gobbet.
– Historical Context: Remember that no gobbet can be treated in isolation. Every extract is part of a larger text, and that text in turn needs to be considered in the light of other sources of similar type and on the same or related themes. The ability to make such interconnections is a crucial skill, which becomes easier with time and breadth of knowledge. So, keep reading! Consider:
a) Briefly examine the background to and production of this text/image
b) How typical or unusual is this example of a particular type of source?
c) explain how the type of source material shapes how itcan be used by historians
– Textual Analysis: The longest section. What does the gobbet tell us – about the period, about the author, about social conventions, understandings of e.g. gender, emotions, behaviour, law, or about anything? Every word of a gobbet can offer grounds for comment.
Pay close attention to language in texts – choice of words, tone, use of metaphors, any comparative influences or contrasts.
For images, consider their shape, size and colour of the constituent parts, including (potentially), background, location, meaning of symbols and any text included, or form/style/genre of the artwork.
– Significance: Why is this gobbet important? Evaluate its significance and indicate something of its impact or influence at the time of production. This can often make a good one- or two-line conclusion.
