This work has been based around the theme of abortion, looking at the ethics behind it and trying to understand other peoples beliefs towards this subject. My mum opened up to me a year ago about the abortion she got back in 1990. Before this she had kept it a total secret, telling no one at the time, for fear of being judged and disappointing her parents. I have used this project as a way for her to open up about her experience with abortion alone at such an important time in her life- my mum was just finishing her officer training in the RAF when she found out she was pregnant and this was a major factor to influence her decision.
I wanted this work to be a way for my mum to open up about her feelings and maybe help her to lift the burden of guilt she had been dealing with all these years. This project has also ended up looking at my relationship with my mum, humanising her in a way which you cant really see when you are younger- you feel like your parents can’t do any wrong or have any thing bad happen in their lives; you idolise them. So this has helped me to put myself in my mums shoes, especially since she had the abortion when she was my age. Ultimately this work has been about understanding what women have to go through when making the decision on whether to terminate a pregnancy or not, and the lasting effects it can have on their lives not just physically, but emotionally as in the case of my mum and the immense guilt she still feels today.
This project looks at themes of political, ethical, and religious beliefs, family ties, and emotional doubt.
