Abortion In James Mcbride's The Color Of Water

resting in the hands of men is incredibly absurd. Of course, new technology has strongly influenced controversy and debate over reproductive rights today. People are becoming more aware of abortion and of its consequences due to media coverage and also due to President 45’s very strong viewpoints regarding abortion and women themselves. A very popular argument against abortion is that involving the idea of Personhood. Personhood grants human rights to embryos (Stabile 334). However, I think that Stabile’s article words it best when asking the important question, “Will the rights of embryos take precedence over the rights of women?’’ (Stabile 334). The answer should be no, but pro-life individuals think otherwise. Returning back to the way technology

In James McBride’s, “The Color of Water”, he addresses issues of race and interracial relationships, abortion, and poverty. Rachel explains in her italicized reflections on her own life that she was truly in love with Peter, a black boy in her neighborhood. Rachel says that it didn’t matter to her that their races were different because their love was real and they would risk anything to be together (McBride 111). Rachel already feels so belittled and afraid of her father due to him sexually abusing her as a child (McBride 42), and so she is petrified to tell anyone of her love with Peter. When Rachel becomes pregnant, she tells her Aunt Betsy because that is the only person she feels like she can tell, due to her parents’ religious views. Aunt Betsy takes her to have an abortion and they don’t discuss it any further (McBride 134). Rachel’s abuse from her father and his hatred of Peter causes her to treat her own biracial children differently than other white women may have later in her life. This illustrates that she was highly affected by her abortion as well as her parent’s religious views and political views about sex and about interracial relationships. Rachel’s transformation into the mother that James knows, Ruth, can easily be tied to the theme of “The Bluest Eye”, and that sexual and social traumas can influence strong opinions and behaviors. If people today were able to realize that abortion is an option that needs to be available for those who need it, then it wouldn’t be so controversial. If abortion contradicts someone else’s religious views, then they should acknowledge that someone else’s choice to have a child or to not have a child does not directly affect those views. If their abortion does not affect you, then their choices shouldn’t directly interfere with your religious