Catherine Called Birdy By Karen Kushman Sparknotes

Think of having a life that is chosen by someone else. This is how a young girl named Catherine lives her life. The book Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Kushman is a very interesting novel with much excitement and suspense. The author is trying show the reader all of the hard work that the women went through in their everyday life in the medieval times. Catherine is a young girl who spends her days weaving and sewing for her mother in a hot and stuffy room. As spring cleaning arrives Catherine is to catch fleas. Catherine runs into many situations in her life that she learns to overcome. Catherine's father wants Catherine to wed a man by the name of Shaggy Beard. Upon the request of her brother Edward, Catherine writes an entry in her journal every day. Catherine’s father (Lord Rollo) is high in command, her mother (Lady Aislinn) is married to her father Lord Rollo. Catherine’s brother Edward is a monk and he teaches, her brother Robert and …show more content…
In Catherine’s very words, “The stars and my family align to make my life dark and miserable. My mother seeks to make me a fine lady---dumb, docile, and accomplished---so I must take lady lessons and keep my mouth closed." (4,5) Catherine is to sew and weave for her mom all day in a very hot room. During the Spring, Catherine is to catch the fleas. Catherine is to weave and sew all year long, she never gets a break from it. “More lady-lessons. It is impossible to do all and be all a lady must be and not tie oneself in a knot. A lady must walk erect with dignity, looking straight before her with eyelids low, gazing at the ground ahead, neither trotting nor looking about nor laughing nor stopping to chatter.” (118) After working all day, Catherine sneaks out to go spy on a boy by the name of Geoffrey whom she has had a crush on for a long time. After her lady tasks one day, Catherine witnesses Geoffrey making fun of her friend Perkin who has a