The Cider House Rules
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Image:Cider house rulezzz.jpg The Cider House Rules is a 1985 novel by John Irving. There is also a 1999 film starring Tobey Maguire and Michael Caine and directed by Lasse Hallström based on the novel. There is also a powerful 2 part play based on the novel adapted by Peter Parnel from the concept of Tom Hulce, Jane Jones, and Peter Parnell.
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Plot of The Cider House Rules
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 Devil's Work" (as opposed to obstetrics, referred to as "The Lord's Work") and trains Homer in the realm of gynecology/abortions in a paternal way. 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.
Controversy
The novel clearly takes a pro-choice stance on abortion. Dr. Larch, the novel's primary abortion-advocate, feels strongly towards the "left" on the subject because he believes 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 alley" 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.