Abortion In The 1930's

The 1950s suppressed women of their sexual desires. Metalious has elements of such in the novel adopted by the characters, but with a twist of acting on desire with heavy consequences. Constance MacKenzie was a single mother who committed adultery and was never in love with Allison Mackenzie’s father. Fear of the town’s sharp tongues she created a lie surrounding Allison’s birth origin. Constance becomes known as the respected widow of Mr. Mackenzie. Therefore, Constance becomes paranoid of her reputation and her daughter’s reputation as well. To Constance sex is the most intolerable act upon human beings, yet she has come to control her sexual urgencies by suppressing them. Metalious confirms, “Constance was as unstill as the river in floodtime

By fulfilling their gender role expectations to the teeth they were respected and honorable to be candidates to be wives and mothers. Elements such as Constance adultery were repugnant in the 1950s let alone having a child out of wedlock, was view as sinful. Although she kept her scandalous occurrences’ a secret, she had inner conflicts within herself. In like manner, when woman from the 1950s committed adultery they had two options either to have an illegal abortion or be labeled as an adulteress as a result of bastard children(s) who will be both ridicule and the subject of gossip in America. Individuals who found out of the origin of someone’s birth were from an unconventional act they would try to disassociate themselves from them. Another element from Constance scandalous circumstances was the fact that she was a single mother and head of her household. Which at the time in the 1950s was also non-traditional for women to be head of household. Having the label attached meant woman were challenging the idea of men being emasculated for not being able to take care of their