When Babies Aren't Enough by Jessica Hopkins

For those that make the decision to terminate their pregnancy, stigmas and negative stereotypes are often used to label the women as irresponsible, murderous, selfish and not a mother. In 1945, “The Mother” by Gwendolyn Brooks, challenged these conventional assumptions by forcing its audience to renegotiate the stigmas surrounding abortion and recognize the struggles that follow, while also redefining what qualifies as motherhood. The use of pronouns, thoughtful stanza organization, and an eliciting title, stylistically unite to express that abortion is not always a desirable choice for a woman but that the decision inflicts emotional turmoil that continues to trouble these women. Most importantly, it demonstrates that the choice can be a selfless endurance of pain made in the best interest of the child, an action viewed as characteristic of motherhood. The use of pronouns evolves throughout the poem, mirroring the evolution of the poem in its contention that abortion is not always a desirable choice for a woman and that the decision comes with hardship.

Betty Friedan, after experiencing feelings of depression, self-loathing, and dissatisfaction as a mother and housewife, published The Feminine Mystique in 1963. The book, which focused on the “problem that has no name,” promoted awareness of society’s pressure on women to be seen in a certain way, especially in advertising. As Joyce Hart points out in her essay, this propaganda told women that being a wife and mother was all there was to their lives, and that they had to find meaning by standing in their family’s shadow. Hart states, “As young wives, women sought recognition through their husbands. As mothers, women promoted themselves through their children.

Michael M. Boland goes to say “And no person should ever have to suffer the pain and anguish of abortion”, then why should a woman put herself through the kind of pa... ... middle of paper ... ...arily negative emotions about their abortion still felt that they had made the right choice.” But what they don’t understand is that even though these women feel like they’ve made the right choice, they still primarily have negative emotions. Negative emotions can lead to depression and other psychological issues so by saying that women don’t feel anything after an abortion is somewhat ridiculous. Lastly, a woman must not be selfish. She must think wisely and precisely on what to do if she gets pregnant. I once heard someone say “If that girl didn’t make the choice to have an abortion and stay in school, she might end up being the same girl that finds a cure for cancer” but what if that child she was carrying in her stomach was the child to cure cancer one day?

There’s very little honor in that Assignment.” (Lowry 21). The mother’s reaction shows the extremity of hatred for motherhood is present in many novels’ societies. Whether in an unstable or stable society, mothers and births should always be present. Motherhood might make a woman insane, but in time the child makes her sane. In Brave New World ?

I believe that woman should be entitled to make choices of her own when it comes to becoming a mother. In other words, becoming a mother is intense and exhausting at times and some women cannot handle having a child. Birth-Control works to prevent reproduction, but there are times when women make mistakes. Should they be penalized and forced into motherhood? Or should it be our choice to decide when the time is right?

Consequently, this state is telling its citizens that a woman’s worthiness only depends if she is able to produce or not. In fact women who are barren, and are not of a high class are sent to the colonies. The handmaids’s only purpose is further amplified through the rights Gilead abolishes; they can not communicate with others, in fact Offred says, ‘How I used to despise such talk. Now I long for it’ and are no longer able to go outside alone or without being spied... ... middle of paper ... ... is only alive in her dreams, she aches for her and fears that her child will not remember or even she is dead. Atwood writes about motherhood, and the irony lies in the fact that Offred did not have an ideal relationship with her mother even though Gilead’s system was not established, yet Offred who is separated for her daughter shows affection towards her child by constantly thinking and dreaming about her.

Without a woman's right to do what she chooses with her body, her freedom and ... ... middle of paper ... ...nking of herself, she also thinks on behalf of her baby. Abortion clinics do not make the choice easier, nor do they force the woman into the surgery. People who are against abortion have the choice not to have one. It is not fair to take away the choice of people who do want one. The reason I believe so strongly about the abortion issue is because sometimes circumstances beyond a woman’s control present themselves.

The women who get abortions are critiqued as cold and technological (441). These normal everyday women have made this moral decision for centuries. Although society needs to be realistic our world is over populated and some women are not designed to have children. How do women make this moral decision? Many circumstances effect the decision of whether or not to have an abortion.

(Sagatun, Edwards 1995) One of the main controversies within this topic is the question of fetal person hood by the law. Fetuses hardly have any legal rights since they are not considered to be children. Abortion rights advocates say that these laws may prevent women from receiving pre-natal treatment. They think that the women will be scared of getting caught. A spoke person for the National Abortion and Reproduction Rights Action League says, "Women do have a responsibility, to have a healthy outcome if they've chosen to carry to term."

Date Accessed February 5th 2014. Website Available: http://prospect.org/article/demographics-abortion-its-not-what-you-think "Mother Teresa Quotes". 2013. Brain Quotes. Date Accessed: January 28th 2014.