A woman who constantly wears a green ribbon around her neck is the subject of Carmen Maria Machado’s “The Husband Stitch. ” She keeps telling her husband to never touch it, but he keeps asking. This little asks about basic boundaries disregarded, so confirming how often women’s decisions are not honored. The green ribbon stands for personal space and control, but her husband’s inquisitiveness becomes entitlement. He feels he is entitled to all of her, merely because of their marriage.
The narrator undergoes the normal trajectory expected of ladies falling into marriage, marrying, and becoming a mother. Still, in a loving partnership, she never has total control over her own body. Acting as if he is entitled to know what she will not reveal, her husband regularly inquires about the ribbon. This shows how much women are usually supposed to give up their pain, comfort, and even privacy in support of men’s wants. The title of the story alludes to a true medical ritual whereby surgeons after childbirth add stitches, supposedly to improve things for the husband, frequently without the lady’s knowledge. This unsettling little fact serves to show how society usually puts men’s pleasure above women’s welfare.
Machado alludes to earlier fairy tales throughout the narrative where women are penalized for attempting to rule their own lives. Plainly stated, these narratives communicate that women should not keep secrets, establish boundaries, or demand freedom. The narrator suffered the same in “The Husband Stitch. ” Her head falls off once her husband at last undoes the ribbon. This time is equally symbolic and stunning in that it reveals the result of a lack of respect for a woman’s boundaries. It implies that women can completely lose themselves when the world denies them autonomy over their bodies.
The narrator gives story ideas and guidance now and then straight to the reader. This gives the narrative a personal touch; it reads like she is cautioning us about what happens to women who are not permitted their room. It also serves to remind us that women’s narratives are frequently managed by third parties altered, overlooked, or silenced. Machado hopes her readers will consider who tells these stories and what results from women claiming their voices and bodies.
“The Husband Stitch” is about actual difficulties females encounter, not only a ghost story. The green ribbon stands for individual borders, and if taken without permission it highlights the actual danger of disregarding women’s autonomy. The narrative forces us to consider how frequently women’s voices are disregarded, even by supposedly loved ones. It is a strong reminder of the need to honor women’s decisions and pay attention when they say no.
