Problem:
The first two pages of DeVun's introduction she describes the 'inspection' of Berengaria's anatomy utilizing the only primary source available which relates the events to us. However, this primary source does not relate Berengaria's own thoughts and experience but rather that of the inspector (DeVun 1) DeVun explains"The brief account breaks off before we learn anything about what Berengaria had to say about her own body or about what the court ultimately ruled. We find no hint of Berengaria's experiences growing up , nor anything regarding how , at a moment of crisis, in her marriage, she reacted to news that her anatomy had more the aspect of a man than a woman The clarity of Berengaria's examination , in fact , lies in stark contrast to the opacity of the events that surrounded it. No documents have surfaced to amend these silences; we can only speculate as to what happened to Berengaria's marriage , as well as to her fate thereafter (DeVun 2-3) What does DeVun mean by 'silences ' and why is this important to understand in DeVun's context and when practicing history in general ?