Your Mouth Is Lovely Analysis

Your Mouth Is Lovely starts with Miriam in a cold and unforgiving prison in 1911. Our main character is pregnant, and her execution is postponed until the birth of her child. After the delivery of her daughter, Hayya is taken off of her chest and she is once again alone. Weeks pass, and her death sentence is reduced to life in prison, an act of “mercy”.
The point of view now changes temporarily to third person to describe her parents and both her and her brother’s unfortunate births in 1887. Her older brother was a miscarriage, and that left her mother, Heyne, dejected. It was a miracle when she and Aaron conceived again eleven months later, but when Nechama was delivered into the world, her mother was dry and later ended up walking into the water and drowning herself. Nechama, untouched and ugly was given to a wet nurse, Lipsa, who renamed her Miriam, hoping to rid her of her bad luck.
We follow Miriam as she initially grows up in Lipsa’s household, with six other children. Lipsa’s household is loud but intimate. Eventually, Miriam’s father remarries after many years, which is odd that he would wait as long as he did. He is
Namely Lipsa is made fun of by Tsila for believing in certain things. Not to mention the multiple time she has accused Lipsa of witchcraft and cursing of Miriam. Alternatively, Henye’s ghost is blamed for Aaron’s late remarrying and Tsila’s fruitless body. Despite of Tsila’s ignorance towards irrational belief, she is caught leaving a basket across the river near the swamp filled with bread and food. She never admits her intention, but Aaron, angry at her for bringing Miriam along accuses her of doing it to open her womb. Tsila is embarrassed at this confrontation, but she still tells Miriam later that no matter what Lipsa might do to try to change her fate, “A person’s fate is inscribed in her heart”. No name changing or rituals will change Miriam’s