Many of the best literary works have been made into a movie. When the film is created, there becomes a question of which form of entertainment is better, book or movie? A question that is typically not asked, but should be asked, is, “Why do people read books and watch movies to begin with?”. Maybe the purpose is to escape reality, be a part of a fictional reality, or to take a break from thinking for two hours or even an evening. For either reason, books and movies are a huge pastime for people all around the globe. The Cider House Rules, by John Irving, was one of many books recreated into a movie. This book is set in the early to mid twentieth century and is about an orphanage that illegally performs abortions. It shows how different characters’ develop their positions on abortion as they journey through life. When it was made into a movie, there was a lack of characters, which contributed to the “book or movie” argument. Abortion is the biggest and main issue in the story and still is a huge societal controversy contemporarily. This book makes the readers ask themselves, what are some things that restrict the ability to get an abortion? Does life begin at conception or is abortion the interruption of gestation before life? What are its long term effects? Is it the woman’s right to choose and right to privacy? Whether one reads the book or watches the movie, it provokes them to find the answers to these questions.
Whether one likes the book or the movie more is a matter of if they like creating images with their own imagination or having the images created for them. It’s appropriate to say it’s easier to have the images presented by watching a movie than it is to read the book. After watching the movie, the images created by reading the book are usually replaced with the images from the movie. Although, in The Cider House Rules, not all of the readers’ images from the book will be changed because there are some characters missing from the film. When watching the movie, the main characters Melony and Angel don’t even exist. The lack of characters completely changes the effect that the movie has on the viewer.
One of the characters that is in the book, but not the movie is Melony. She is quite the character. She is an orphan who is older than Homer(Irving, 1985, p.75). She falls in love with him and is Homer’s first experience with a female(Irving, 1985, p.75). Melony is a difficult person because she was abused from a very young age, becoming sexually active while in her youth(Irving, 1985, p.83). Because of that, she does some things that are not lady-like and are rather crude. As the story developed, she became a lesbian and injured numerous people that tried to mess with her(Irving, 1985, p.276). She was most likely left out of the movie because it could not be a G-rated film with her in it because she is so overbearing. Without Melony in the movie, Homer’s life is much simpler. Although in the movie, Mary Agnes acts as Homer’s admirer and seems to have a crush on him, but she is not nearly similar to Melony’s tough character in any other way.
Another character that is not featured in the movie is Angel. Angel is Candy and Homer’s son. Without him in the movie, the viewer does not see how in depth Candy and Homer’s relationship actually is and that they have a child together. Also, having Angel contributed to Homer’s view on abortion. Having his own child reinforced his pro-life feelings toward abortion. Homer’s struggle with his position on abortion is an important element of the whole book. Not having Angel in the movie detracts from that. That being said, the characters in the book and the movie vary on whether they are pro-choice or pro-life.
What the reader feels when finishing the book is much different than the feeling that a viewer walks away with leaving the movie. The book leaves the reader with much more emotion than the movie does. Because the movie leaves out so many parts and characters, the movie is not as intense and is most likely a disappointment to someone who previously read the book. The changes made in the movie abate and detract from the story told by the book.
The Cider House Rules shows that the topic of abortion is a complex issue with a broad range of mixed feelings. The two main characters, Homer Wells and Dr. Larch, illustrate a relationship that highlights the struggle that people face when trying to decide on whether or not they are pro-choice or pro-life. Looking at how the characters develop through the book and movie is key to understanding this topic that has so much that needs to be considered when forming a conclusion.
Homer Wells grows up at St. Cloud’s, an orphanage he adores, and throughout the book and movie realizes that he wants to be at a place where he is of use(Irving & Halstrom, 2000). At a young age, Homer began the journey of becoming a doctor under the supervision of Dr. Larch, the headmaster of the orphanage(Irving, 1985, p.105). In the movie, Homer gets defensive about being called a doctor by one of the kids at the orphanage, Curly(Irving & Halstrom, 2000). He tells Curly that he’s not educated enough to be a doctor, even though deep down inside he knows that that’s not the case(Irving & Halstrom, 2000).
Dr. Larch feels a fatherly love toward Homer, and in the movie he proclaims that Homer is different and special compared to the other kids at St. Cloud’s(Irving & Halstrom, 2000). After finding Homer’s stash of inappropriate pictures, he decides he’s old enough to start training to be a doctor(Irving, 1985, p.105). Dr. Larch throughout the book refers to Homer as his, “Work of art”(Irving, 1985, p.515).
Homer is unsure of whether he wants to be a doctor or not. As an unlicensed doctor, Homer only performs birth procedures. Although, he is always pressured to decide if he wants to perform abortions. One day while analyzing an autopsy of a baby, he decides the child is a living soul, and that he will not partake in performing abortions (Irving, 1985, p.172). This is a key moment in the book because it solidifies that Homer is pro-life, and doesn’t want anything to do with abortions.
Dr. Larch displays frustrating feelings toward Homer’s decisions throughout the book and movie. When Homer tells Dr. Larch he doesn’t want to be a doctor, it breaks his heart, although he tells Homer it’s his choice(Irving, 1985, p.172). Dr. Larch at this point of the story must feel heavily depressed. His “Work of Art”, whom he’s training to be a doctor, breaks the news that it’s not what he wants to do. Once Homer leaves, Dr. Larch feels frustrated, even though he knows it’s best what’s best for him.
After deciding that he doesn’t want to be a doctor, he decides to leave St. Cloud’s with Candy and Wally to work on an apple orchard(Irving & Halstrom, 2000). He tells Dr. Larch that it’ll be for a short amount of time, but Dr. Larch feels it should be for a longer time because of the great opportunity (Irving, 1985, p. 206). While Homer is gone, he and Dr. Larch send frequent letters to each other, as a way to communicate their daily lives(Irving & Halstrom, 2000). Homer is faced with a difficult decision while away from St. Cloud’s. Rose, a character from the apple orchard, has sexual relations with her own father, and becomes pregnant. Homer breaks away from his beliefs, and decides to give Rose an abortion (Irving, 1985, p. 567). This was a difficult decision because it broke his one rule of being a doctor. When Dr. Larch dies, it absolutely breaks Homer’s heart (Irving & Halstrom, 2000). He decides to take over St. Cloud’s, but decides he’ll never perform an abortion, legal or illegal(Irving, 1985, p.580). Homer is faced with unbelievably tough situations in this story.
Dr. Larch realizes that he doesn’t have much more time being the head of the orphanage and a doctor. He decides to create a fake persona for Homer, whom he names Dr. Fuzzy Stone(Irving, 1985, p. 268). He even goes as far as writing an obituary for Homer, because he believes that the only safe place for Homer to practice is where he can be untraced by the board(Irving, 1985, p.268). Dr. Larch loves Homer exponentially, and clearly doesn’t want anybody but him to take over his job.
Dr. Larch’s biggest conflict of the story is the fact that Homer doesn’t want to be a doctor. Through letters, Dr. Larch repeatedly reaffirms to Homer that he’s a doctor, and claims he has no choice but to be a doctor(Irving & Halstrom, 2000). He explains to Homer that if abortion is illegal, he has no choice but to do abortions because he knows how(Irving, 1985, p.518). He asks Homer to imagine the possible unqualified people that will do the abortions if he doesn’t perform them (Irving, 1985, p.518). On the other hand, he says that if it’s legal, he has the choice, but until then he is trapped (Irving, 1985, p.518). This seems to be one of Dr. Larch’s last pleas to influence Homer to come back and be a doctor.
Homer and Dr. Larch illustrate the complex viewpoint on the issue of abortion. Homer displays the pro-life belief that a baby is a human, but ultimately comes face to face with the tough real life controversy on if it is a moral decision. Dr.Larch illustrates through the book the pro-choice viewpoint, and that it’s up to the women to make that decision. This book beautifully encloses the conflicting thoughts on abortion.
Abortion was and always will be an ongoing and complex debate. It deals with moral issues, biological issues, along with the topic of women’s rights. The list of considerations and precautions leading up to this surgical performance is lengthy and thorough.Today, nowhere in America is this practice illegal, but there are many restrictions that vary by region. Sometimes these restrictions are enough to declare abortion an “undue burden”(Hinman, 2014). Under certain conditions, an individual may classify as pro life, and there are other conditions where they may identify as pro choice. There is nothing cut and dry about the issue of abortion. There once was a time when it wasn’t legally obtainable, and problems arose from this. When did this change? What problems came out of trying to make abortions illegal? Is there a correct answer to this moral and biological issue? Those are all questions that must be answered while on this topic.
Does a beating heart mean life? When is the fetus considered a human being? Is abortion murder? The questions are never ending and the answers vary based off of morality, religious views, political views, age, economic status, emotional stability; the list goes on. Is it fair to take the gift of life away from a voiceless and innocent baby who has never even gotten the chance to see the beautiful world that was created for them? Well, if you say it like that then abortion seems like a very demonic thing. There’s much more to take into consideration, though, like rape and incest. Also, it’s argued that women should have the right to make their own decisions, considering it’s their own body.
The restrictions began in the 1800s. According to Johnson, “abortion laws began to appear in the 1820’s, forbidding abortion after the fourth month of pregnancy”(Johnson, 2014). Eventually, in the late 1800s, abortion became illegal(Lewis, 2016). The issues arose. Women were so desperate to end their pregnancies that they found their own ways to do so. Some mothers tried to abort their own children, putting their own lives at risk. Other women went to doctors who illegally performed abortions, but this also was unsafe and fatal. There are many understandable reasons as to why a mother should be allowed to have an abortion. Whether it be rape, incest, for their own safety, or feeling incapable of caring for a child, that is their business and their choice.
According to Findlaw, “Federal law has protected a woman’s right to choose an abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision in 1973”(Findlaw). Though abortion became legally obtainable, there are restrictions that, depending on which state, may declare abortion as an “Undue Burden.” The list of restrictions consist of mandatory ultrasounds, fetal heartbeat bills, waiting periods, physician scripts, liability and reporting(Abortion Restrictions, 2016).
Unknown (Photographer) Abortion Restrictions Map. Retrieved from http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024394589
This map demonstrates the number of restrictions that apply and vary for each state in the United States. There are many states that have 4-10 restrictions, and this is a problem because then abortion becomes nearly impossible to obtain. “Two years ago, Texas had more than 40 facilities performing abortions. The number is about to be winnowed to seven, at most. These rulings mean that about one in six Texas women seeking an abortion will live more than 150 miles from the nearest clinic”(Marcus, 2014). The restrictions will only be harmful for the women in Texas. It’s such a difficult task for women to obtain it. Abortion is nearly an undue burden for women living in Texas, but sadly, Supreme Courts voided the Texas abortion regulations as an undue burden, so the restrictions remain. (Marcus, 2014).
Abortion has not always been legal in the Unites States. It was illegal until 1965 when the Griswold vs. Connecticut trial loosened regulations on different forms of contraception(Siegal, 2015). A group of lawyers, doctors, and professors from Yale University got together with Estelle Griswold from the local Planned Parenthood clinic to help fight the ban on contraception(Siegal, 2015). They also started the fight for a right to privacy.
Before this time, people were not allowed to receive any form of contraception(Siegal, 2015). So any type of birth control that was made specifically for a female was very hard to come by and also illegal. With these forms of birth control being illegal, abortion was illegal. This would cause women to get themselves into dangerous situations(Siegal, 2015). They would go and have to find a doctor who was willing do something that was very illegal for a woman who does not, legally, have a choice over what happens to her body.
The Griswold vs Connecticut trial was a way for women to start taking control of their bodies and what happened to them. The group of professionals who fought for the women to be able to make choices for themselves also fought for the right to have privacy between a person and their doctor (Siegal, 2015). This contributes to the argument of should women have the right to privacy.
Many people went to the trial and had said that it should not be okay for someone outside of the relationship to say what they could and could not use as a form of birth control(Siegal, 2015). This is how they swung the trial and won. Winning this case had opened so many new opportunities for women all across the country to choose what type of birth control that seemed to fit them. Also, one receives the right to have privacy in the doctor’s office(Siegal, 2015). Because of this, everything one discusses in the office will be kept hidden from those who are not authorized or have no right in viewing.
People all throughout the country would fight and stand up against or for the right to choose. Although, there is so much to be considered when thinking about having an abortion. Some may not realize how hard it may be for a woman to decide that she wants the right to an abortion. Many are fighting for her to have restrictions such as a waiting period or a signature consenting that she may abort the child. So many things are demanded of this woman during a time where she may feel uncertain or have doubts. She may have a very good reason for wanting to have an abortion. The reason may be medical, that the child was conceived through rape or incest, or because she may not be financially able to support a child. Whatever her reason may be, it is argued by some that a country should not be the one deciding whether or not she can make that decision freely.
Books and movies are one of America’s favorite ways to escape from reality. In some cases, they may provoke thought and questioning. In The Cider House Rules by John Irving, the topic of abortion is very controversial and still is in today’s society. The characters in the book make one think about their lives and their actions and where they stand on abortion. Through watching movies or reading books, one can relate to the characters as they develop, especially in The Cider House Rules. Books and movies are available for entertainment, but they are also available to make people think about what really is going on in the world around them.