The Spark of life is a famous novel written by Jodi Picoult in 2018.

It
tackles the moral and ethical concerns of abortion. Jodi Picoult had presented
certain situations that allow her readers to ponder and challenge their views.
In fact, she had brought real life situations that women around the world face
so that everyone can fathom, empathize, and understand that not all women
have a choice and not everyone enjoy undergoing this process however, their
situation forces them to do so. Jodi Picoult did not hold back to demonstrate
all the contributing factors that most people don’t really talk about and add up
to the equation. The story was presented in a reverse chronological order,
starting at the time when a gunman holed up some hostages in an abortion
clinic. This radical way of conveying the novel had lit the curiosity of readers.
And as the the novel progresses, it enlightens its readers why the hostage
took place and why did some characters wind up in the center.
Since the novel started when the shootings took place, the deaths of
the characters and outcomes of the hostage situation, left a huge emotional
impact. The individual lives of the multifaceted characters were narrated in the
next chapters. Jodi Picoult also emphasized the reproductive rights of women,
their right to inquire and procure birth control.
Respect for Autonomy
Abortion is legal in countries like United States of America.
Mississippi is one of the states in the United States of America, located on the
southeastern region. Roe v. Wade is a legal case in 1973 that made abortion
legal in this state. Abortion is a constitutional rights but it has limitations. As
mentioned in the novel, Elizabeth or Izzy was unable to undergo the surgery
since legally, she needs a written consent from her guardian and if she
couldn’t, she should file for apetition to get a judicial waiver.
According to the Mississippi Legislature (2018), the House Bill 1510,
also known as The Gestational Age Act is a law that recognizes the
constitutional rights of women to have abortion but also sets a limitation when
the procedure shouldn’t be encourage. Maximum gestational age that
warrants the undergo the surgery is 15 weeks (.
As defined by the law and bioethical principles, minors or children
decision regarding a medical treatment or procedure is not absolute and a
parent or guardian should give a written consent first for the procedure to
commence. Minors can only be included in the decision making process but
their decision can be ruled out. This was established to prevent harm or
death and to ensure that the minor has all the medical benefit in every
decision (McCormick, 2018) .
Given this, Izzy have violated this principle. As a minor she should
have gotten a written consent from his father George or file for petition for
judicial waiver. But given the situation she had been, it was impossible to
acquire both.
Nonmaleficence
Nonmaleficence is a principle that emphasizes the duty of an individual
or medical practitioner to do no harm at any cost. Even if pregnancy
termination will be accepted legally, in moral view, it is still wrong. No matter
what the context is, abortion can undeniably caused harm to the developing
fetus and sometimes to the mother.
Although perception of pain does not emerge until 24 weeks of
gestation, at 12 weeks, the fetus organs are already functioning. A fetus is
considered a human being as it has organs, muscles, limbs and bones that
are functioning and also a well developed sex organ.
Abortion also poses danger to the mother’s health. Complications
acquired by mothers after undergoing abortions include pain, bleeding,
infection, and post-anesthesia complications, uterine atony and subsequent
hemorrhage, uterine perforation, injuries to adjacent organs, cervical
laceration, failed abortion, septic abortion, and disseminated intravascular
coagulation. The complications depend on the the method of termination and
the gestational age. The more late the abortion was performed, the more
dangerous it is.
As a feminist and pro-choice who supports reproductive justice and
rights of women, the novel had reminded me why I do what I do and advocate
what I think is beneficial and right for women around the world.
Although abortion in the perspective of bioethics is wrong and
unethical, I support women who chose to undergo this procedure.The
rationality in this is that I have seen a lot of women younger, older or even at
my age struggle at their everyday life. If getting abortion means they could
spare themselves and their child from pain and suffering that a particular
situation, person, or thing can inflict to them, then they have the every right to
do it. I'm not in the situation they are in so I don’t have the right to tell them
what to do.
For women who are victims of sexual abuse, I genuinely support them
if they chose to end their pregnancy as well. As a person who is a victim of
such action, I know how difficult it is to overcome the pain and trauma. And if
seeing the product of such act is extremely difficult and if the victim knows
that she will not be
However, even if I support women who would undergo, or have
undergone the procedure. If I was place in the same situation as they were, I
would not result in abortion. As a future physician, someday I will swear an
oath to abstain from causing harm to others. Also, as a devout Christian killing
and harming my child wiil go against my beliefs.

To conclude, abortion should be viewed as a thing that has a large

impact to the lives of women who are not still ready to the responsibility, who
are victims of abuse, and to those that are avoiding to cause harm or suffering
to the human being they are carrying. The Spark Of Life by Jodi Picoult have
delivered this message clearly and served as a an effective approach to
tackle sensitive issues like abortion.

I. References

McCormick, T. (2018). Principles of bioethics. Principles of Bioethics | UW

Department of Bioethics & Humanities. Retrieved January 15, 2022, from
https://depts.washington.edu/bhdept/ethics-medicine/bioethics-topics/articles/
principles-bioethics

Mississippi legislature. (2018). Retrieved January 15, 2022, from

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2018/pdf/history/HB/HB1557.xml