Critical Analysis of The Abortion by Alice Walker - Essay Example

He then throws the dice back at her by saying, “well, think about it”. For Imani, abortion is not an easy process to undergo, having lost most of her blood during her school days. Clarence tells her to think about what she wants to do with the baby; and the writer makes a mental statement that “it was all she did think about”. The man is seen as preoccupied with his job, even going to an extent of performing family duties, for instance, dropping his wife at the airport, with his boss by his side.

Abortion is always known to be an issue when procured out of marriage, but this family carries its struggles to their home as Imani is tired of having more children since she needs to focus on her career. She cannot bear another child because her husband is not supporting her in handling family chores. It is told in the story that despite her weakness due to haemorrhage, she goes out of her comfort zones and struggles to bathe her child. Alice Walker is an award winning author, known for telling stories of human experiences in addressing issues of gender equality and social injustices.

Thesis statement Having an unwanted pregnancy is a painful experience, and the woman bears the greatest responsibility in making decisions on termination or giving birth. In defending this thesis statement according to the story, the writer gives a lot of pointers to show how the man is a passive participant in this process. Clarence (Imani’s husband) is a young man, dedicated to the service of his boss who eats up most of his family time as he is the legal advisor to the mayor. “Clarence was dedicated to the mayor, and believed his success would mean security and advancement for all of them”.

This statement shows the egocentric nature of these men in Imani’s life. Clarence is preoccupied with his career advancement concerns to such an extent that he mixes office duties with private life. Despite the writer exposing him as a responsible man who works hard to fend for the family, this is not enough to keep a united home. Their matrimonial bed “is king sized with a forbidding ridge in the middle (Walker, p. 210).” The mayor is just a depiction of the mean nature of men; he does not notice Imani’s presence when they are in the dining table.

He gives full concentration to Clarence, not even having a quick glance at his wife when she makes a point. Gender defined roles is brought to the fore since the mayor only gives her props when he acknowledges her meals and hairdo. This means that a woman’s role is restricted to the kitchen and within the domestic domains. On her abortion trip to New York, the mayor has scheduled a working lunch with her husband. This is so insensitive since the man is supposed to provide emotional support to the partner during such delicate times.

In the car to the airport, they engage in talks about municipal funds; this could have provided the best opportunity for Clarence to say last words with his wife as he is not accompanying her to New York. At the lounge, he tells her “take care of yourself”, as he walks away to a waiting car (Walker, p. 212). As she heads to take her flight, she makes a mental statement analysing what Clarence had just said: “taking care of myself, is what I have to do”. She had expected her husband to accompany her for the trip but it seems his mind was set on drafting municipality