Khrystalle's Analysis of "We do Abortions Here"

Khrystalle Weathers
Writing 150
Critical Analysis Paper
The Reality of Working in an Abortion Clinic

Of all the careers available to today’s society, working at an abortion clinic proves to be one of the most emotionally trying, mentally controversial, and involves separation of physical and emotional processes. The challenges and stresses of this career are openly revealed within this account provided by Sallie Tisdale. Her first-hand involvement brings forth the reality of this career path by drawing the reader into her experiences and making each specific situation real and relatable. In We Do Abortions Here: A Nurse’s Story, Sallie Tisdale uses anecdotes, internal dialogue and pathos to effectively communicate her experience as a nurse performing abortions on a daily basis.

One instance of an anecdote is present on page 183 when she shares her experience; “Soon I am talking to an eighteen-year-old woman pregnant for the fourth time. I push up her sleeve to check her blood pressure and find row upon row of needle marks, neat and parallel and discolored.” It is an extreme example of the type of women that Tisdale found herself working with. She simply does not state that she works with women of all extremes, suffering from addiction, failed contraception or a variety of other hardships, such examples are scattered throughout the text to communicate countless points. This more powerfully contributes to the story by providing real accounts of real women which forces the reader to realize the reality of the topic.

An example of internal dialogue takes place on page 184, “I look at abortion as if I am standing on a cliff with a telescope, gazing at some great vista. I can sweep the horizon with both eyes, survey the scene in all its distance and size. Or I can put my eye to the lens and focus on the small details, suddenly so close…How can we do this? How can we refuse?” This is an internal conversation that Tisdale experiences, debating the moral standing of her chosen career. She banters back and forth with herself, establishing both pros and cons to her field of work. Majority of this article is written from the first person perspective, leaving immense amounts of room for internal dialogue. Including this tool successfully draws the reader in, thinking of each of the author’s experiences from a more personal point of view, sometimes placing themselves in her shoes.

An instance of the use of pathos is present on page 188, “Maggie helped her onto the table, and as she lay down the fetus was delivered into Maggie’s hands. When Maggie told me about it the next day, she cupper her hands into a small bowl-‘It was just like a little kitten,’ she said softly, wonderingly. ‘Everything was still attached.” This is a direct example of the ongoing debate as to whether or not a fetus is considered alive or human, Maggie’s experience demonstrated the realness of life before birth. Her apparent overwhelming of emotion is hard to ignore, the loss of life, whether it be in a born or unborn child, pulls on the strings of anyone’s heart. Various examples similar to this are utilized throughout the story to, once again, make the issue more real and relatable.

In We Do Abortions Here: A Nurse’s Story, Sallie Tisdale uses anecdotes, internal dialogue and pathos to effectively communicate her experience as a nurse performing abortions on a daily basis. Many of her very personal experiences are cleverly and artistically incorporated into her piece. Each of the tools that she involves throughout her paper makes this article incredibly compelling and surprisingly interesting to read. Her perspective, as someone who has chosen to pursue a career in this field , is unbelievably intriguing and effective at opening readers’ eyes to the other point of view.