The Frozen River

By Nate Feldman

Plot Summary:

It is the winter of 1789-1790 in Maine, and a dead man has been discovered in the Kennebec River.  The man turns out to be Joshua Burgess, a reviled rapist who had run afoul of many people in the community.  Martha Ballard, a midwife who has delivered most of the town’s babies, is certain upon seeing his body that the cause of death is hanging and not an accidental drowning.  However, who was responsible for this is uncertain.  Ballard learns that her eldest son, Cyrus, had a fight with Burgess the night of his death at a local dance function when the latter acted inappropriately with one of her daughters.  

Meanwhile, one of the women Burgess raped, Rebecca Foster, is taking her case against Judge Joseph North, who she says raped her along with Burgess.  Martha Ballard, a close friend of hers, is willing to testify on her behalf in court.  However, in a town, and at a time, where the voice of women is limited in an extremely patriarchal society, she has an uphill climb in getting the justice she seeks.  Also, due to his position of power in the town, North is able to manipulate things to keep himself safe from facing the consequences. Things are even more complicated as Foster is pregnant with one of her rapists' child.  There are also people in town accusing her  husband of having Burgess killed. 

The Frozen River is based on the journal of Martha Ballard, a historical figure who kept a record of the happenings of her town.  It highlights the challenges that women had to face to have their voices heard and the consequences they encountered if they dared to challenge the system.  

Themes:

*An unfair society: 

A leading theme of the story is the role women had in a society controlled by men.  They couldn't testify in court without their husband's presence, and often their wisdom and experiences were considered secondary to men's.  

But, this world was not just cruel to women.  Martha's son, Cyrus, suffers because he is mute.  No woman will marry him even though he is a good man who protects his sister and is a loyal son.  In many ways he would be more ideal for the women than the men they marry, but his handicap is used against him.  

In patriarchal societies, such as the one depicted in Frozen River, women often bring down other women, often in an attempt to protect themselves and their positions in the community.  In the story, take for example all of the women willing to work against Rebecca Foster, the woman who has been raped.  First and foremost, there's Lidia North, the wife of the accused judge Joseph North, who serves as an alibi that her husband was at home the night of the rape.  Her husband has not only assaulted another woman, but he has betrayed her.  Nevertheless, through thick and thin, she has his back and will protect him at great lengths against charges against him.  

Another woman, Sally Pierce, testifies that she overheard Rebecca Foster saying her husband killed Joshua Burgess, further complicating Rebecca's already difficult circumstances.   

It is very challenging for women to overcome systems that work against them when there are many among them working against their interests.  

There is also the story of Sarah White, who gave birth to a child out of wedlock to a temporarily stationed militiaman.  Many of the local townswomen gossip against her and see her as an outcast.