One of the major aspect of the story Dearth that really struck me was the fact that at some point, the potatoes do not grow back. at one point she eats one and it doesn't re-appear as it used to. It doesn't appear to be relevant that she eats it (she already ate the potatoes once and they grew back), but the fact that she is sick tells us something. This story is obviously a metaphor for pregnancy, and in my opinion, this shows an example of "miscarriage". At the point where she eats the potato, she isn't even trying to get rid of them anymore, she just does it by "tradition". It is never clear if she is sick from the potato or from a form of guilt. My opinion is that now that the babies are fully formed as "babies", she feels guilty for "killing" one of them. She could have attempted to get rid of the other six, now that one did not come back, but she did not.
A miscariage can be a tough experience for a pregnant woman, both physically and mentally, at it might lead to a reaction very similar to what the woman is experiencing after eating those potatoes. This really brings back to all the pregnancy related details (babies, 9 month growth). I think this may be suppose to relate to miscarriages.
Romain Dahan Post 5
Very interesting observation that the potato who is eaten but does not come back could represent the idea of miscarriage. I had not thought of this possibility. The idea of miscarriage also speaks to the woman's loneliness--that those whom she loves have deserted her before.
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