The Persistence of
Blood, by Juliette Wade (Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 138, March 2018)
Juliette Wade’s newest novella, set in her underground world
of Varin, begins with what must surely squick out a certain percentage of male
readers: a woman beginning her menstrual flow. But this is Varin, not Earth,
and everything that looks familiar runs orthogonal to our expectations. The
plight of Lady Selemei, who has now recovered sufficiently from her last,
near-fatal childbirth to become pregnant again, must be understood in light of
her technologically advanced yet highly stratified cavern-dwelling society. She
is not a 21st Century Earth woman, and yet her situation must surely
resonate with every woman who has thought for a heart-stopping moment that she
might have an unplanned, unwanted pregnancy.
Selemei has few choices in the matter: forbidden to use or
even possess information about contraception, and expected to churn out baby
after baby for her caste in the hope that some of them might be healthy enough
to survive, it seems her fate is sealed. If this description evokes of Margaret
Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, the
resonances are deep rather than superficial. Selemei’s husband truly loves her,
and the couple enjoys a rich and satisfying sexual relationship. She is not
disposable in his eyes, or in her own. Celibacy to preserve her life is a an
unappealing option. The two of them concoct a strategy to challenge the laws regarding
contraception for their caste, within the limited circumstance of risk to the
mother’s life. While insufficient in 21st Century terms, this
represents a historic break with Varin tradition, certain to provoke fierce
resistance. Whether in the chambers of the ruling council or a tea party for aristocratic ladies, or the simple fact that she cannot walk unaided, Selemei faces daunting obstacles.
The story’s strengths rely on the nuanced portrayal of the
characters and the subtleties of their distinct, sometimes alien cultural
context. In this sense, Selemei’s dilemma is not that of the Handmaids in
Atwood’s tale or poor women throughout the world who lack affordable, effective
birth control. It’s as much a love story as it is a political narrative. Never
preachy, Wade invites the reader to draw conclusions not by diatribe but by
following Selemei’s emotional journey. Courage comes in many different forms.
The painting is "Anxiety" by Edvard Munch.
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