This piece was my most challenging piece because I found it very difficult to write a paper about such a controversial issue and still remain objective. I had a hard time remembering that this paper was not about what I thought about abortion, but more about the history of it and how its history effected the decision of women in the 1920s. Also, I had a hard time finding much information about abortion in the U.S. in the 1920s, with the exception of one work by Margaret Sanger. I found information as far back as 515 B.C. up to about 1890-1900, then there was a gap until around the 1960s. The lack of information is what made me decide to include so much history in the paper.
Megan Weeks
Ms. Evelyn Beck
ENG 202
19 April 2007
The Effects of Abortion Throughout History
Abortion has been a controversial issue among humans since as early as 515 B.C. The laws governing this act have changed nearly as many times as the method in which to perform the act. In Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants,” a young man and woman wrestle with the idea of the woman having an abortion in the 1920s while on a trip in Europe. The man is confident that the procedure is completely safe and natural, while the girl, named Jig, is not quite as sure about her decision. It is important to understand the history of abortion and abortion law throughout the world to understand the weight of the decision they are forcing themselves to make.
People’s opinion of abortion has changed quite frequently throughout history, especially in the last 900 years. In the later part of the 12th century, the church adopted the idea that, while a moral crime, abortion was not cruel enough to be considered murder. In the 13th century it was declared a sin, but not a serious one, by Pope Innocent III. Then, in the 14th century, it became a punishable sin, but not until the fetal movement could be felt. The 15th century deemed abortion as witchcraft. Later on, in the 19th century, the American Medical Association began unwavering protests against abortion, resulting in the Comstock Laws of 1873. During the early parts of the 20th century, well-known female authors such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Mary Wostonecraft opposed abortion.
There is much information to be found on abortion practices in all parts of the world dating back as far as 5000 years ago. Emperors in China performed the earliest known practice of abortion using mercury around 500 B.C. There have also been writings found of ancient Greeks and Romans using large amounts of poison to induce miscarriage. In those writings were also found instances where the woman’s uterus was poked at with long needles, knives or other sharp objects. Needless to say, the woman and the fetus were frequently both killed. Often in other primitive cultures, activities such as climbing, running, or heavy lifting were used as mechanisms of abortion. One of the earliest pictorial representations of abortion is that found in a Cambodian carving from roughly 1150 A.D. It is that of a demon inducing a miscarriage on a woman who was sent to the underworld. Around the 1700s, Japanese cultures began erecting statues in memory of children who had died, whether in the womb or out.
When the 19th century arrived, modern practices of abortion began to arise, especially in Europe and America. Along with these modern practices came protesters and laws banning abortion. In the early parts of the century, Great Britain put a ban on all forms of abortion. While this law reduced the number of induced miscarriages, the number of unwanted miscarriages began to rise. It was later discovered that these deaths were due to the lead pipes carrying the water throughout the country. With this discovery came a rise in the number of women using lead to illegally induce miscarriages. In Calgary, Alberta, women began using poison from Spanish fly to induce abortion. Moving into the 20th century, women in Manhattan would often sit over a pot of steam, among other things, to induce miscarriages. Instruments such as glass rods, penholders, curling irons, spoons, knives, and catheters were also used frequently. Around the 1920s the most common practice became flushing the inside of a woman’s uterus with water. In the United States, this practice was extremely affordable where in Great Britain it cost nearly 5% of a middle class family’s yearly income. Dilation and curettage (D & C) instruments were developed in France in the 18th century, but were not improved upon until the 19th century. These devices, now much more practical, are still used today. Early in the 20th century, vacuum devices were created to perform suction aspiration of the fetus. These devices were used widely throughout countries such as the Soviet Union, Japan, and China. Around the 1960s, they were brought to the United Kingdom and the United States.
With the bans on abortion remaining intact during the 19th century, advertisement for it had to change. People began to market abortion in disguised forms to keep from being charged with any crimes. This furtive style of advertising was seen widely throughout the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Companies would use many different euphemisms for pregnancy in their advertisements. Words and phrases such as “irregularity, obstruction, menstrual suppression, and delayed period” were used frequently. Often suppliers would specifically “warn” women against using their drug, as it would inevitably cause a miscarriage.
When the American Medical Association (AMA) began protesting abortion and pushing the federal government to put a stop to it, the Comstock Law of 1873 was voted into law. The Comstock Law made it illegal to provide or possess information on vulgar or obscene material through the mail or otherwise. Material included, but was not limited to, that pertaining to pornography, contraceptives and abortion.
Even with the attempted enforcement of this law, women all throughout the United States still flocked to abortionists. One of the most well known was Madame Restell, who franchised her “women’s clinics” throughout New England. She later committed suicide after being arrested by the chief proponent of the Comstock Law, Anthony Comstock.
In 1916, nurse Margaret Sanger founded the United States’ first birth control clinic in New York City. In 1918 she was charged and found guilty of providing contraceptive information. This decision was later overturned by her appeal. It was through her that the Comstock Law was modified in 1936 and it became legal to distribute information about birth control. Sanger founded what would later become known as Planned Parenthood. During her battle to legalize contraceptives and the distribution of information related to venereal diseases, she published the book Woman and the New Race in 1920. She used this publication to educate the public on why a woman should be able to choose what she wants for her life. “It is the essential function of voluntary motherhood to choose its own mate, to determine the time of childbearing and to regulate strictly the number of offspring” (Sanger 18).
It is no wonder that Jig is having such a difficult time deciding what she wants to do with her unborn child. The man with her continues to push the fact that the procedure is completely safe and natural, that she has nothing to worry about. In fact, he pushes the idea so hard that it seems as if he is trying to convince himself more than her. They both know the risk that is involved with an abortion, especially during that time. It was not until the 1960s, well after the time that this story is set, that much safer procedures were adopted in the United States, Great Britain, or Canada. If the couple is considering going to America to have the procedure done, Jig must decide if it is worth being sent to prison, as the Comstock Law was not officially overturned until 1936. She must decide if risking her life is more important than risking her relationship that seems to be doomed regardless of her decision. Aside from the obvious physical risk that she may be taking, she is also taking a risk at the persecution of those around her. If she is religious, her church and/or her family could shun her. While abortion is a very sore topic today, it was just as sensitive, if not more in the 1920s. It is obvious that her decision is very difficult for more than one reason. Even if she is unaware of the history of abortion itself, she is aware of the weight of her decision.
Works Cited
“Comstock Laws.” Answers.com. 16 April 2007. http://www.answers.com/topic/comstock-laws.
Hemingway, Ernest. “Hills Like White Elephants.” The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 5th ed. Paul Lauter. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006. 1422-25.
“History of Abortion.” Answers.com. 16 April 2007. http://www.answers.com/topic/history-of-abortion.
“Margaret Sanger.” Answers.com. 16 April 2007. http://www.answers.com/topic/margaret-sanger.
Sanger, Margaret. Woman and the New Race. Bartleby.com. 16 April 2007. http://www.bartleby.com/1013/.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Literary Analysis Essay 2
This piece was my best work because I felt like I understood the main character's issues with his brother. My brother went through a time similar to what Sonny went through and I had a very hard time learning to trust my brother again. When I finally did, we were able to talk about his past and why he did some of the things that he did. Having that personal insight made me feel like I was able to connect with Sonny's brother.
Megan Weeks
Ms. Beck
ENG 202
26 March 2007
Drugs and Addiction in “Sonny’s Blues”
“
Sonny’s Blues” is the story of two brothers trying to overcome many difficult situations in their lives. The narrator, who remains unnamed throughout the story, is not only constantly trying to overcome the racism and stereotypes of African-Americans in the early 1950s, but is also trying to overcome his reservations about his brother’s drug use and choice of profession. The narrator’s brother, Sonny, is striving to overcome his internal suffering and his heroin addiction. While the story’s author, James Baldwin, writes about the brothers’ past lives before the drug use became an issue, the bulk of the story surrounds drug use by African-Americans in poor cities such as Harlem and New York, and how it affects the individuals as well as their families; but what was the main point that Baldwin was trying make about drug use during this difficult time?
One thing that Baldwin tried to explain through this story is why many people become addicted to drugs in the first place. More often than not, one may become addicted to drugs as a form of self-expression. In the story, Sonny tells his brother that when he was listening to the woman on the street singing, her voice reminded him of what it felt like to be high, “ ‘warm and cool at the same time. And distant. And—sure…It makes you feel—in control’ ” (Baldwin 2210). In a world where white supremacy was the norm, minority groups often felt as if they had no control over their lives—as if what they felt and what they said were meaningless to society. Sonny knew that if he could not get his own brother to understand and accept him, then he had little or no hope of getting society to do so. Sonny tried desperately to express himself through his music. When that was not enough, he resorted to heroin. It gave him a sense of control and expression as well as that extra “edge” that he felt had been missing in his life. Heroin helped him, not so much to play well, but “to stand it, to be able to make it at all” (Baldwin 2210).
Another point that Baldwin tried to clarify was that drug use affects not only the person actually doing the drugs, but that person’s family and friends. When the narrator first read of Sonny’s drug use and then arrest in the paper, it made him feel literally sick. He had suspected that Sonny was using but kept himself in a sort of denial by never trying to find out the truth. He was sad, angry, and disappointed all at the same time. After a while, the narrator finally sent Sonny a letter. When Sonny responded, the narrator decided that he was anxious to see him when Sonny was released. He told Sonny about his kids and his wife and how they were doing. Sonny was told about missing his niece’s death. When they arrived at the narrator’s home, Sonny realized that, while his older nephew remembered him, the younger one did not, though he did like his uncle. In his letter to his brother, Sonny mentioned that he was glad that his mother and father were dead so that they could not see what had happened to their son. He also told his brother how he knew that he had hurt him and that he felt sorry for that, as well as hurting and letting down all of the other people who had been so helpful to him and believed in him (Baldwin 2198). When a person becomes dependent on any substance, the only needs or feelings that they become concerned with are their own. It took Sonny going to jail and rehabilitation to finally see how much he had hurt his family. Not only had he hurt them, but he also had also shattered their trust in him. The narrator constantly considered searching Sonny’s room for evidence that he was using again. If it had not been for the brothers’ outing at the end of the story, they may never have had a chance to bond in any way again. While his brother would probably still doubt Sonny’s sobriety for a long time, their trip to the club was a huge step forward for the narrator. It was a way for him to finally see his brother for who he was, a musician.
Not only is this story about the effects of drug use on a family, but it is also about a man’s struggle to kick that habit. Sonny will have a long way to go before he can honestly say that he is no longer a heroin addict. He realized the pain that he caused his family, and he must learn to deal with that struggle, and he will have a hard time since struggling is what pushed him to using in the first place. If he continues to play music, which at the end of the story seems to be his intention, then he will have to learn to deal with the constant temptation of using again and how to say no to it. He was even tempted by listening to the voice of the woman singing on the street (Baldwin 2210). He will have to become strong enough mentally and physically to make it on his own again. Most importantly, he will have to regain the trust of his brother. he battle will take many years, but it is a necessary step before he can claim the he is fully rehabilitated.
In “Sonny’s Blues.” Baldwin writes about the struggles of being an African-American during the 1950s. However, one of the struggles that he writes about is the constant temptation of drug use. Often in his other stories he wrote more about racism, while in this story he only wrote about the murder of the brothers’ uncle by drunken white men. It seems that in this particular struggle, he wanted his readers to know that racism, while extremely difficult to deal with, was only one of the battles that African-Americans faced during that time.
Works Cited
Baldwin, James. “Sonny’s Blues.” The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter and Richard Yarborough. 5th ed. Vol. E. Boston: Houghton Miller Company, 2006. 2194-2215.
Class Lecture on “Sonny’s Blues”: For the Jazz and Literature Unit of Literature and Social History; An AP Class in English Literature. U.C. Davis University. 27 March 2007. http://cai.ucdavis.edu/uccp/sblecute.html#bebop.
Megan Weeks
Ms. Beck
ENG 202
26 March 2007
Drugs and Addiction in “Sonny’s Blues”
“
Sonny’s Blues” is the story of two brothers trying to overcome many difficult situations in their lives. The narrator, who remains unnamed throughout the story, is not only constantly trying to overcome the racism and stereotypes of African-Americans in the early 1950s, but is also trying to overcome his reservations about his brother’s drug use and choice of profession. The narrator’s brother, Sonny, is striving to overcome his internal suffering and his heroin addiction. While the story’s author, James Baldwin, writes about the brothers’ past lives before the drug use became an issue, the bulk of the story surrounds drug use by African-Americans in poor cities such as Harlem and New York, and how it affects the individuals as well as their families; but what was the main point that Baldwin was trying make about drug use during this difficult time?
One thing that Baldwin tried to explain through this story is why many people become addicted to drugs in the first place. More often than not, one may become addicted to drugs as a form of self-expression. In the story, Sonny tells his brother that when he was listening to the woman on the street singing, her voice reminded him of what it felt like to be high, “ ‘warm and cool at the same time. And distant. And—sure…It makes you feel—in control’ ” (Baldwin 2210). In a world where white supremacy was the norm, minority groups often felt as if they had no control over their lives—as if what they felt and what they said were meaningless to society. Sonny knew that if he could not get his own brother to understand and accept him, then he had little or no hope of getting society to do so. Sonny tried desperately to express himself through his music. When that was not enough, he resorted to heroin. It gave him a sense of control and expression as well as that extra “edge” that he felt had been missing in his life. Heroin helped him, not so much to play well, but “to stand it, to be able to make it at all” (Baldwin 2210).
Another point that Baldwin tried to clarify was that drug use affects not only the person actually doing the drugs, but that person’s family and friends. When the narrator first read of Sonny’s drug use and then arrest in the paper, it made him feel literally sick. He had suspected that Sonny was using but kept himself in a sort of denial by never trying to find out the truth. He was sad, angry, and disappointed all at the same time. After a while, the narrator finally sent Sonny a letter. When Sonny responded, the narrator decided that he was anxious to see him when Sonny was released. He told Sonny about his kids and his wife and how they were doing. Sonny was told about missing his niece’s death. When they arrived at the narrator’s home, Sonny realized that, while his older nephew remembered him, the younger one did not, though he did like his uncle. In his letter to his brother, Sonny mentioned that he was glad that his mother and father were dead so that they could not see what had happened to their son. He also told his brother how he knew that he had hurt him and that he felt sorry for that, as well as hurting and letting down all of the other people who had been so helpful to him and believed in him (Baldwin 2198). When a person becomes dependent on any substance, the only needs or feelings that they become concerned with are their own. It took Sonny going to jail and rehabilitation to finally see how much he had hurt his family. Not only had he hurt them, but he also had also shattered their trust in him. The narrator constantly considered searching Sonny’s room for evidence that he was using again. If it had not been for the brothers’ outing at the end of the story, they may never have had a chance to bond in any way again. While his brother would probably still doubt Sonny’s sobriety for a long time, their trip to the club was a huge step forward for the narrator. It was a way for him to finally see his brother for who he was, a musician.
Not only is this story about the effects of drug use on a family, but it is also about a man’s struggle to kick that habit. Sonny will have a long way to go before he can honestly say that he is no longer a heroin addict. He realized the pain that he caused his family, and he must learn to deal with that struggle, and he will have a hard time since struggling is what pushed him to using in the first place. If he continues to play music, which at the end of the story seems to be his intention, then he will have to learn to deal with the constant temptation of using again and how to say no to it. He was even tempted by listening to the voice of the woman singing on the street (Baldwin 2210). He will have to become strong enough mentally and physically to make it on his own again. Most importantly, he will have to regain the trust of his brother. he battle will take many years, but it is a necessary step before he can claim the he is fully rehabilitated.
In “Sonny’s Blues.” Baldwin writes about the struggles of being an African-American during the 1950s. However, one of the struggles that he writes about is the constant temptation of drug use. Often in his other stories he wrote more about racism, while in this story he only wrote about the murder of the brothers’ uncle by drunken white men. It seems that in this particular struggle, he wanted his readers to know that racism, while extremely difficult to deal with, was only one of the battles that African-Americans faced during that time.
Works Cited
Baldwin, James. “Sonny’s Blues.” The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter and Richard Yarborough. 5th ed. Vol. E. Boston: Houghton Miller Company, 2006. 2194-2215.
Class Lecture on “Sonny’s Blues”: For the Jazz and Literature Unit of Literature and Social History; An AP Class in English Literature. U.C. Davis University. 27 March 2007. http://cai.ucdavis.edu/uccp/sblecute.html#bebop.
Literary Analysis Essay 1
If I could do this piece over again, I would write more about what was so appealing about Bill Totts to Freddie Drummond. I really left that part out and it was a big part of what I wanted my paper to be about. I guess I didn't know how to get that across. I also should have written more about the arrogance that it must have taken to believe that it was so simple to cross over from one side to other.
Stereotypical Classes
In Jack London’s “South of the Slot”, one man had the rare opportunity to lead two completely opposite lives. Freddie Drummond was not only able to live his own life of high society in the presence of formally educated people, but he was also able to live the life of “Big” Bill Totts, the uneducated blue-collar working man who lived south of the slot. “The Slot was the metaphor that expressed the class cleavage of Society, and no man crossed this metaphor, back and forth, more successfully than Freddie Drummond” (526).
Freddie Drummond was a sociology professor at the University of California in San Francisco. He was the typical middle-upper class man of his time. He was easy mannered, reserved, and extraordinarily polite. He was clean and simple. His counter-part, Bill Totts, was quite the opposite. He was a “man’s man.” He smoked, drank, fought and cursed. Drummond became Bill Totts, initially, to help him write books about the working class folk. His first attempts to fit in to the working class were disastrous. He tried to act like himself, Freddie Drummond, and was greeted with serious beating by his fellow factory workers. They found his politeness and inexperience unusual and suspicious. It was after his second attempt at working south of the slot that he realized that he needed to change. Thus, Bill Totts was born.
Drummond created a man in himself that epitomized the blue-collar class. In the beginning, he struggled to become Bill Totts. Drummond had been brought up with what he considered class. He went to college and was a strapping football player in his day. He was clever and controlled. He had kind eyes and was trusting of others. He looked further ahead in his life than tomorrow’s dinner or the weekend’s plans. He saw things clearly. All of these things were expected of him in the society in which he lived. Drummond looked down on the lower class people on San Francisco. He considered their causes to be barbaric. He even looked down on their food. He did not dance; he never talked about his work outside of the university; he didn’t have many friends. He had no true respect for women and saw them merely as distractions, meant only for marriage material. He sought marriage for financial and status purposes. Though he was fond of the woman he chose, Catherine Van Vorst, he did not love her. He was appalled at the thought of “sleeping around” and philandering. While Drummond seemed kind and sincere, the motives behind his actions were quite underhanded. His entire life was the stereotype of high society. It was difficult for him at first to look past his upbringing and “stoop” to the level of his new self, Bill Totts.
Bill Totts was a very simple man. He was well liked by both men and women. He was a big supporter of the woman’s right to work. In fact, he slept with several working women. He was flirtatious, and delightful. He loved to dance and have a good time. When he decided it was time to marry, it was because he had fallen in love with a woman, Mary Condon. His main concerns in life were getting dinner on the table for that week. He would worry about the next week when it got there. Whenever there was trouble anywhere, “Big” Bill Totts (as he came to be known) was at the front of it. He sought to lend a helping hand to those who couldn’t help themselves, whether he was invited to help or not. He developed an amazing peace-making ability. He was the kind of man that everyone liked, because everyone felt like he was like them. He was the stereotypical working class man.
It is truly fascinating how Drummond was able to actually be two different people. While he had trouble in the beginning converting himself into Totts, he eventually had to fight off the urge to do so. In the end, he lost that battle. Perhaps if he had been better liked in his original life, or if he had not been so well liked in his new life he would have had an easier time returning to his normal life. London really showed in this story which life he favored. He had a difficult time in the beginning of his life, he was a wonderful person to write a story like this because he was one of the few people who had the opportunity to see life on both sides of the slot.
Works Cited
London, Jack. “South of the Slot.” The Heath Anthology of American Literature Fifth Edition. Vol. C. Ed. Paul Lauter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006. 524-36.
Stereotypical Classes
In Jack London’s “South of the Slot”, one man had the rare opportunity to lead two completely opposite lives. Freddie Drummond was not only able to live his own life of high society in the presence of formally educated people, but he was also able to live the life of “Big” Bill Totts, the uneducated blue-collar working man who lived south of the slot. “The Slot was the metaphor that expressed the class cleavage of Society, and no man crossed this metaphor, back and forth, more successfully than Freddie Drummond” (526).
Freddie Drummond was a sociology professor at the University of California in San Francisco. He was the typical middle-upper class man of his time. He was easy mannered, reserved, and extraordinarily polite. He was clean and simple. His counter-part, Bill Totts, was quite the opposite. He was a “man’s man.” He smoked, drank, fought and cursed. Drummond became Bill Totts, initially, to help him write books about the working class folk. His first attempts to fit in to the working class were disastrous. He tried to act like himself, Freddie Drummond, and was greeted with serious beating by his fellow factory workers. They found his politeness and inexperience unusual and suspicious. It was after his second attempt at working south of the slot that he realized that he needed to change. Thus, Bill Totts was born.
Drummond created a man in himself that epitomized the blue-collar class. In the beginning, he struggled to become Bill Totts. Drummond had been brought up with what he considered class. He went to college and was a strapping football player in his day. He was clever and controlled. He had kind eyes and was trusting of others. He looked further ahead in his life than tomorrow’s dinner or the weekend’s plans. He saw things clearly. All of these things were expected of him in the society in which he lived. Drummond looked down on the lower class people on San Francisco. He considered their causes to be barbaric. He even looked down on their food. He did not dance; he never talked about his work outside of the university; he didn’t have many friends. He had no true respect for women and saw them merely as distractions, meant only for marriage material. He sought marriage for financial and status purposes. Though he was fond of the woman he chose, Catherine Van Vorst, he did not love her. He was appalled at the thought of “sleeping around” and philandering. While Drummond seemed kind and sincere, the motives behind his actions were quite underhanded. His entire life was the stereotype of high society. It was difficult for him at first to look past his upbringing and “stoop” to the level of his new self, Bill Totts.
Bill Totts was a very simple man. He was well liked by both men and women. He was a big supporter of the woman’s right to work. In fact, he slept with several working women. He was flirtatious, and delightful. He loved to dance and have a good time. When he decided it was time to marry, it was because he had fallen in love with a woman, Mary Condon. His main concerns in life were getting dinner on the table for that week. He would worry about the next week when it got there. Whenever there was trouble anywhere, “Big” Bill Totts (as he came to be known) was at the front of it. He sought to lend a helping hand to those who couldn’t help themselves, whether he was invited to help or not. He developed an amazing peace-making ability. He was the kind of man that everyone liked, because everyone felt like he was like them. He was the stereotypical working class man.
It is truly fascinating how Drummond was able to actually be two different people. While he had trouble in the beginning converting himself into Totts, he eventually had to fight off the urge to do so. In the end, he lost that battle. Perhaps if he had been better liked in his original life, or if he had not been so well liked in his new life he would have had an easier time returning to his normal life. London really showed in this story which life he favored. He had a difficult time in the beginning of his life, he was a wonderful person to write a story like this because he was one of the few people who had the opportunity to see life on both sides of the slot.
Works Cited
London, Jack. “South of the Slot.” The Heath Anthology of American Literature Fifth Edition. Vol. C. Ed. Paul Lauter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006. 524-36.
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