Communicated Content- Abortion continues to be, as it long has been, one of the most divisive topics in public discourse. The topic comes up for debate from just about every perspective: moral, philosophical, practical, medical, political, religious, ethical, and beyond. The question of where we can draw the line between a woman’s life and that of the fetus she is carrying lends itself to a debate that can often turn ugly. Being such a sensitive topic, it’s hardly a surprise that debating it can get people heated.
Once the divisive nature of the debate surrounding abortion may have led teachers to avoid raising it within the classroom, this attitude is beginning to shift. Many college courses are now beginning to broach the topic of abortion, and students may find themselves tasked with an assignment to write class assignments that discuss the matter.
For students tackling this challenge of writing about abortion, it’s important to consult a varied range of sources. This means checking out resources like pro-life literature, or perhaps an online resource for students that provides examples of pro-choice arguments, such as essays at https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/pro-choice-abortion/. If you’re looking for a range of abortion books that can help you take a stance on the pro-life vs pro-choice debate, look no further! Here’s a list of 5 books that will help you understand the debate from both sides.
Shout Your Abortion by Amelia Bonow and Emily Nokes
Originally spawned from a viral hashtag that circulated the internet in 2015, this 2018 book by Amelia Bonow and Emily Nokes includes over 250 pages of women sharing their personal experiences of receiving abortions. This book makes for a great place to begin researching the reality of what an abortion entails before jumping to any moral or political conclusions.
They Weep On My Doorstep by Ruth Barnett
Ruth Barnett’s They Weep On My Doorstep tells the story of a female abortionist prior to the landmark Roe v. Wade case in the USA in 1973, paving the way for abortion rights for generations to come. An autobiographical look at the reality of abortions before they were legal, Barnett’s novel provides education on how the culture and practice surrounding abortion have changed as a consequence of its legality.
Life’s Work: A Moral Argument for Choice by Dr. Willie Parker
On account of his Christian background, a student may open up Dr. Willie Parker’s book on abortion, Life’s Work, and expect to find a pro-life treatise. However, with his writing, Dr. Willie Parker instead uses his background in practising legal, safe abortions in order to make a pro-choice argument. Rather than shun his religion, Dr. Parker uses both moral contemplation and unbiased facts about abortion in order to teach a lesson in rethinking your perspective.
The Choices We Made: 25 Women and Men Speak Out About Abortion edited by Angela Bonavoglia
Split into the two eras that precede and followed the Roe v. Wade decision, this book offers musings on the abortion debate from a whole range of voices in society. Men, women, young, old, pro and anti-this book in itself serves as a class in the diverse range of experiences that abortion encapsulates. While not exactly academic in nature, this book is one of the best to read for school, as it paints an unbiased portrait of the spectrum of abortion-related experiences.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
It would be impossible to discuss novels that touch upon abortion and women’s rights without mentioning Margaret Atwood’s modern classic. Atwood paints a dystopian reimagining of an America overrun by religious fanatics who take extreme measures to police women’s reproductive rights. While the world of the novel is an unrecognizable society, there are certain parallels present that make for an interesting discussion. Many students on both sides of the abortion debate have made use of this novel in order to illustrate their points. In fact, it’s one of the most commonly discussed pieces of literature in classrooms on the subject of women’s bodily autonomy.
These are just five of the most valuable books you can read to find inspiration for an assignment on the abortion debate, but there’s a whole world of literature out there waiting to be explored!
