Feminism Is For Everybody Analysis

The authors of Between a Woman and Her Doctor and Feminism is for Everybody write about similar topics within their works. Mendoza, who wrote Between a Woman and Her Doctor, focuses mainly on the topic of abortion; more specifically what she went through when she was carrying a dead fetus and no doctor would abort it. She writes from a standpoint which is somewhat personal, and really helps the reader to understand her position. Bell hooks, the author of Feminism is for Everybody (in chapter 5), writes about abortion, opportunities—or the lack thereof—that women have to take advantage of abortion, and feminism’s relation to the topic as a whole. Because of these similarities held within their topics, the two essays seem to almost…compliment …show more content…
She talks about the events in the past which led to the freedom that women should have for abortions and contraceptives, and even compliments the male (possible sexist) scientists which developed the contraceptives that women use. One point she makes is that women don’t have access to cheap, reliable, and safe abortions and/or contraceptives. This means that, although there are a few women who can afford them, most women do not have the ability to abort their baby or prevent pregnancy without going to the black market, which is potentially very dangerous and surely not something which they would want to grow accustomed to. She writes for the ability for women to stop or prevent a pregnancy which they may or may not have wanted without worrying about harming their own …show more content…
She writes ““I can’t do these myself,” said my doctor. “I trained at a Catholic hospital.”” (Mendoza) and ““She told me that because dilation and evacuation is rarely offered in my community, I could opt instead to chemically induce labor over several days and then deliver the little body at my local maternity ward.”” (Mendoza) She later elaborates on her research regarding the dangers of her choices. Both choices can strain the woman’s body, but a D&E is safer. Sadly, since her doctor could not perform the procedure, she was searching for a doctor who could abort the baby properly for almost the entire time of her pregnancy. Hooks writes something for this as well; “The development of effective though not totally safe birth control pills (created by male scientists, most of whom were not anti-sexist) truly paved the way for female sexual liberation more so than abortion rights.” (hooks, 27) This statement reflects on the circumstances around sexual liberation for women, and it also describes the breakthroughs made that could have helped women such as Mendoza. I agree with what both hooks and Mendoza are implying with their statements: doctors should know how to abort a baby, especially if it threatens the life of the mother or is dead, as in Mendoza’s case. They should teach their students about abortion techniques and what to do when they encounter a woman who needs one. Carrying a dead fetus, for example, can be