Self-Doubt

Self-doubt, or a lack of confidence in oneself, is a major theme in The Midwife's Apprentice. The novel tells the story of a young orphan girl who is trying to find her place in the world. Known at first as Brat, then Beetle, the young girl struggles simply to find enough to eat and simply survive in the harsh middle ages. Finding herself in a small village after sleeping in a dung heap for warmth, it is clear when the boys of the village begin to tease her that the girl is resigned to her fate, never considering that she could be anything more than a nobody.

As the girl begins working for the village midwife she begins to learn about the work that is done, but does not seem to recognize that she is learning at all. Instead, Beetle looks at what she is doing as simply...