Perfect Peace
I disagree that Henrietta’s crime of “stealing” a baby is just as bad as Emma Jean’s crime of “distorting” one. Henrietta “stole” her sister’s daughter, Trish. At the same time, Henrietta felt she could give her a better life than if she was with her father. Then when Trish got older, Henrietta tried to give her back to her father. While Emma Jeans want to keep it a secrets from everyone that perfect was a boy, even himself.
Both Henrietta and Louise were pregnant at the same time. Henrietta gave birth to a still born baby, and then three days later Louise gave birth then died. Henrietta put her dead baby’s body next to Louise’s dead body and told Preacher Man that both of them are dead. At that time she kept her sister’s baby, only her husband knew about it. If she would have stolen the baby from her sister if she was alive, that would be a different story. Because her sister died and she was her aunt, she should take care of her if her father can’t.
Henrietta felt that she could give Trish a better life if she kept her from her father. She knew she was the only one that can breast her and her father couldn’t. Preacher Man wouldn’t be able to feed her anything and he knew nothing how to take care of her as one his own. As Trish gets older she would need a woman to look up to, someone to show her the ways on how to become a woman. Her father wouldn’t be able to because he’s a guy. The only other person that can teach from an early age is Henrietta. She would teach her things only a woman can teach her daughter.
Henrietta wanted to give Trish back to her father. Her husband agreed that she would take care of her when she was a baby. When she was old enough, Henrietta would give her back to her father. Years later her husband died from a heart attack, and she didn’t want to be on her own. She was too attached to Trish and didn’t want to give her up. One day Henrietta went looking for Preacher Man, but he was nowhere to be found. He just...