he power to make a restart, a rebirth. It is especially illustrated in the line nothing could have penetrated it. Nothing can penetrate the control these women have over their reproduction systems. Even through all the shame and the uncertainty, they feel they still possess control. It is the one thing in their lives that can be counted on. If it leaves, eventually it will return, and no male can have the power that they have in this area. The thick dark metallic gouts of blood will be the savior (153). The diction that Drabble uses here attests to the strength of menstruation. It is impenetrable: it is strong and will not fade. The most important thing that Drabble shows is the perseverance of women. She shows that even in the roughest times the women will survive and keep control. Unlike many of the women in the novel, Hattie Osborn sees her reproductive system in both a sexual and a functional way. She views menstruation with a lighter approach. Hattie Osborn is most likely the most sexually provocative woman in the novel. She openly uses her sexuality as a weapon and a toy. Her menstruation and reproductive system are all a joke and a game for her until Aaron Headeland comes along. Hattie changes when this occurs, she goes from a carefree, sexually explosive being into a caring and concerned woman with child. Drabble reveals her in the beginning as having no regrets about not having children: she has completely put aside that part of her. Then later in the novel when she finds out she could be pregnant she is not in the least bit upset or concerned in a bad way, she is happy. She can feel the changes inside her she quickens, she feels herself quicken, as the small cells cluster and she is completely in tune with the movements in her body. Drabble creates a sense of serenity and control in Hattie even though it is a very uncertain moment. She is excited and renewed. She is not scared of the reaction of her friend L...
