The Cider House Rules
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The Cider House Rules book cover |
This article relates to the novel,
The Cider House Rules by
John Irving.
The Cider House Rules (film) is also a
1999 film starring
Tobey Maguire and
Michael Caine, directed by
Lasse Hallström.
Homer Wells, an un-adopted
orphan, is the book's central protagonist; Homer grew up in an orphanage directed by Dr. Wilbur Larch. Dr. Larch is also secretly an
abortionist, and believes that he is doing the world a service because "one way the
poor can help themselves would to be in control of the size of their families." Dr. Larch also refers to abortion as "The Lords Work" and trains Homer in the realm of gynecology/abortions in a paternal sense. The novel continues as Homer decides to leave the orphanage with Candy Kendall and her boyfriend Wally Worthington, a young couple who work at the Worthington family apple orchard. Wally leaves to fight in
World War Two, but his plane is shot down over
Burma. Believing Wally to be dead, Homer and Candy have an affair and Candy subsequently becomes
pregnant. Candy secretly gives birth to a boy named Angel at the orphanage (the first child to go home with its mother). Wally is found alive, so Candy and Homer return home, lying to the family about Angel's parentage (they claim that Homer decided to adopt him). Wally and Candy
marry shortly afterwards. Many years later, when Angel is a teenager, he makes friends with Rose Rose, the daughter of Mr. Rose, a migrant worker. Rose Rose becomes pregnant with her father's child, and Homer performs an abortion on her. Homer decides to return to the orphanage after the
death of Dr. Larch, and works as the new director. Homer and Candy eventually tell Angel that they are his biological parents.
The novel also follows a sub-plot of Melony, Homer's fellow orphan, and her
lesbian-lover, Lorna.
The novel clearly supports a woman's right to an abortion. Dr. Larch, the novel's primary abortion-advocate, feels strongly towards the "
left" on the subject because he believs an infant who is unwanted is too emotionally painful for the mother and the child. Homer is initially reluctant with the subject, but understands Dr. Larch's perception when he must perform an abortion on Rose Rose. The novel also introduces
adoption as an alternative.
Many
pro-life groups contend that the uncommon scenario of a father-daughter
rape is not a strong argument for the legalization of all abortions. The novel also takes on many other cases of an abortion being a necessary option for a woman, including the extremely poor,
prostitutes who are incapable of raising a child, and in one instance a young woman who had a botched abortion and died after her "abortionist" left the
crochet needle in her uterus. Irving uses her as an example for people who are going to perform their own "back ally" abortions and need medical assistance for their own safety. Pro-life organizations state that the novel is
pro-choice propaganda, and the assumption that Homer will grow up to be a
moral man if he performs abortions is a poor image.
*
The Cider House Rules (film)*
John Irving*
Pro-Choice*
Pro-Lifehttp://thebookhaven.homestead.com/Z_Cider_House_Rules.html
