"I Had an Abortion": A Feminist Analysis of the Abortion Debate

Authors

  • Elizabeth Fleitz Kuechenmeister Bowling Green State University

Keywords:

rhetoric, abortion, pro-choice, Burke, feminism, dramatism

Abstract

This article explores the rhetoric surrounding the controversial “I Had an Abortion†t-shirt, sold by Planned Parenthood in 2005-2006. In order to understand the rhetorical impact of the t-shirt, Burkean dramatism is used to identify what terms are added and what terms are overlooked. A dramatistic analysis of both pro-choice and pro-life rhetoric is included to position the t-shirt in the abortion debate.

Author Biography

Elizabeth Fleitz Kuechenmeister, Bowling Green State University

I am an instructor of General Studies Writing at Bowling Green State University, teaching freshman composition. My research interests include gender studies, rhetoric and the materiality of the body, and the study of rhetorical practices unique to women.

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Published

2012-10-15

Issue

No. 8 (2012)

Section

Issue #8

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