It seems to me that by the end of the essay, Selzer feels depressed and confused. He is at a loss because he saw something that he could not recognize. In part, he feels remorse since he perceived the abortion as murder, even if he described it metaphorically. He understands that there is a need for abortions, but he cannot cope with the bitterness, sadness associated with the realization that they killed a living being.
During the procedure, Selzer sees the needle that was in the woman’s stomach twitch. It was a completely unexpected shock for him, even though the chief surgeon said that it was just a reflex (Selzer, 1976). This sight made Selzer imagine that the fetus was struggling with the needle in this way, that he was scared and hurt, that he was trying to save itself. After what he saw, Selzer stopped treating this operation as something ordinary. He even wanted to prevent an abortion when he imagined what the fetus feels like now, being in the uterus.
Selzer understands that a woman has the right to an abortion if the child is unwanted, if she became pregnant accidentally or if the pregnancy threatens her health. He does not try to insist on his point of view, does not try to convince readers of his rightness, does not point out the advantages and disadvantages of abortion – he only describes what he saw with his own eyes and what he felt moment.
This essay touched me to the core because the author used an accurate, even crude description method. Selzer used medical vocabulary but tried to explain it in an understandable way to the ordinary reader. Selzer is an experienced doctor who has seen many different, unpleasant things, but the abortion was a real test for him. This makes us think about the value of life, about the practicality of terminating a pregnancy, about conscience and morality, which are struggling with severe necessity.
Reference
Selzer, R. (1976). What I saw at the abortion.The Doctor Stories. 66-67.