Cider House Rules Analysis

As is the case with most moral debates, too often a black and white approach is taken in order to choose a stance on the issue. Perhaps this is most true in the abortion debate as the majority of people seem to be polarized into one of two extreme opinion sets. However, the reality of life rarely deals in absolutes or black and white circumstances but rather in a varying shades of gray. Thus, a set of definitive and rigid viewpoints infrequently provides intelligible solutions when faced with actual situations and moral dilemmas. In consideration of the inherent limitations presented by the classic liberal and conservative viewpoints on abortion it is imperative that conventional arguments be challenged by the presentation of realistic circumstances.

The film accomplishes this by presenting two young women contemplating undergoing an abortion procedure. While these two situations occur in the same geographical setting and within a short period of time the situations surrounding each woman and the motivation behind their decisions is extremely very different. Each abortion therefore allows an opportunity to view the different arguments for and against the availability of abortion. Furthermore, the two different spectrums of circumstances allows the characters in the film to confront their own personal beliefs and challenge convention by examining the actual human element as well as the various amounts of social and physical complications that occur as a result of each

She chooses to have an abortion because her lover, Wally, has volunteered to fly dangerous bombing missions overseas. In consideration of Wally’s impending military deployment as well as the fact that the two are unmarried Candy decides to have an abortion. This situation represents a very common set of circumstances that often accompany the choice to undergo an abortion. Frequently, individuals who are themselves young and thus likely lack the ability to take full responsibility for a child or family of their own are faced with a decision that many times leads to an abortion procedure. Candy’s case is representative of these conditions because had she chosen to carry the child to term she would have been left alone as a single mother with very limited options for the future. After examining the complexities of her case it becomes easier to relate to and understand the ultimate decision that Candy takes in the