What A Young Wife Ought To Know Analysis

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Hannah Moscovitch’s play What A Young Wife Ought to Know takes viewers on an emotional journey back to the 1920s in Ottawa, whereby they are confronted with the startling reality of the status of reproductive health. In a post-world-war one era, issues concerning marital love, sex, and birth prevention are explored. The play follows the life of Sophie (Liisa Repo-Martell), her sister Alma (Rebecca Parent), and Sophie’s eventual spouse (David Patrick Flemming) who all end up facing physical and emotional repercussions for succumbing to their individual sexual desires. Prior to entering the theatre at the GCTC, I had little expectation as to what I was walking into in terms of stage appearance. What I encountered was a minimalist setting, with a table, bench,…show more content…
The topic of abortion is still discussed at length today, and so it was appropriate to draw parallels between the struggles of women in the 1920s, and the similar natured struggles of women in the 21st-century throughout my viewing of the play. Women in Canada today may have safer opportunities, however there are still places around the world where women are facing similar struggles in relation to the lack of reproductive education, and the ability to maintain good reproductive health. The message of the performance stays with us because of the quality of the production, but also because it reminds us that this is hardly a strictly dated struggle. What A Young Wife Ought to Know is a quality Canadian play well-worth viewing. Moreover, it will linger with you long after you have renounced your role as an observer; exiting the theatre and facing the Ottawa neighbourhood, I was confronted with the fact that the play is both metaphorically and literally

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