This article by Cindy L Carlson is found in Constructions of Widowhood and Virginity in the Middle Ages. It talks about "the connections between Mary's virginal body and the social body of which she is an anomalous part, with special reference to the N-town cycle." It highlights the social problems that arise concerning the visibility of Mary's pregnancy in contrast to the invisibility of her virginity. Carlson makes the argument that Mary's virginity and the community are connected inherently, that Mary's virginity both threatens the cohesion of the society she lives in while also providing a model for the society to recover its purity and wholeness.
It talks a lot about Mary's doubters, particularly Joseph himself, and also the political system and trials that they get caught up in. From there, she discusses how the pageants that concern Mary are as political as they are spiritual.
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