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1 - Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 February 2020

Michele Goodwin
Affiliation:
University of California, Irvine
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Summary

This is not a work of fiction, although I wish it were. Some of the cases described here could recall the imagery evoked by Mary Shelly, author of Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, who tells a horror story about a young rogue scientist who creates an unsightly monster through clandestine, aberrant experimentation. Although Frankenstein is the name of the monster’s creator, Dr. Victor Frankenstein, readers would be forgiven for debating who the real monster happens to be. In Policing the Womb, the story of Marlise Muñoz comes to mind. Brain-dead, decomposing in a Texas hospital, forced by state legislation to gestate a barely developing fetus while her body decays and the anomalies in the fetus mount. Eventually, it will be reported that the fetus is hydrocephalic, which means severe brain damage in this case and water or fluid developing on its brain. Medical reports will also show that the fetus is not developing its lower extremities. The state knows brain death is irreversible.

Type
Chapter
Information
Policing the Womb
Invisible Women and the Criminalization of Motherhood
, pp. 1 - 11
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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  • Introduction
  • Michele Goodwin
  • Book: Policing the Womb
  • Online publication: 07 February 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139343244.002
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Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Introduction
  • Michele Goodwin
  • Book: Policing the Womb
  • Online publication: 07 February 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139343244.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
  • Michele Goodwin
  • Book: Policing the Womb
  • Online publication: 07 February 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139343244.002
Available formats
×