Communication Studies Internal Assessment

Name: Christian Ray Khan

School: A.S.J.A Boys’ College San Fernando
School Code: 160001
Candidate Number:

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 INTRODUCTION
This portfolio is focused on the theme, “Abortion”. The main study however, is based on,
“The Morality of Abortion”. This topic is a current issue that occurs worldwide, including my
country, Trinidad. As such, the general purpose of this portfolio is to determine whether abortion
is morale and inspect the manner in which these procedures are conducted.

The theme that I chose has significant relation to my personal interest. It is my personal
opinion that women over the past years were forced to have an abortion because of their
predicaments. This portfolio is intended to find out the effects as to why women have abortions
and whether they are justifiable. It also relates to my academic interests because I learned about
this topic in Biology, when studying sexual reproduction in humans and what it entails in going
through with having an abortion. In relation to work-related interests, in the future I would like to
further my studies and become a teacher, allowing me to educate future generations of children
about the abortion. Educating students at an early stage in their life will greatly assist them in
making better, firmer decisions.

This portfolio comprises of three sections: the expository, reflective and analytical. In the
expository section, I presented a brief speech on my theme in which I ponder the morality of
abortion and the effect which it has on women. Furthermore, I also collected and used as two
secondary sources, two articles on the same topic. In the reflective section, I have created a short
story titled “Morale Murder” which is directly linked to my theme. This section is accompanied
by a preface which gives an account of my purpose, intended audience and the context where
this dialogue can be used appropriately.

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 Preface
 
Abortion on women is an immoral act that may sometimes be a necessary evil.  For my
reflective piece, I have composed a short story entitled, “Morale Murder.” I have chosen this
genre because I believe that it is the most appropriate medium through which the potential
effects of abortion can be effectively portrayed. The purpose of my piece is to portray a scenario
where abortion may be considered to be beneficial to the wellbeing of a person.
     
  This piece can be used in a neighbourhood women's group, ranged from ages 18-60, as well
as girl schools in Trinidad of ages 12-18 that are focused on highlighting the effects of abortion.
The topic of abortion can be discussed with both women and girls who passed through a similar
situation as well as the women and girls who are now becoming sexually active. 
 
This piece would best be presented at a mini workshop, student issued magazines that are
focusing on abortion and at Women’s Groups so that women and young teenaged girls would be
made aware of the issue of abortions and the varying impact it can have on their lives. A video
presentation can also be constructed to further enhance the points being made.

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 REFLECTIVE PIECE

Morale Murder

“I may be young, I’m only 17 years old and I had an abortion last summer”, said Gabriella as
she wiped the tears from her pale cheeks. Gabriella was a happy teenage girl, who had a great
boyfriend, with whom she engaged in sexual activity. She made a great effort to work diligently
in school and made a very concerted effort to attend church, where she was a member of the
choir. Furthermore, Gabriella is the co-captain of the girls’ football team at her school, engages
in many co-curricular activities and plays the piano quite well. Her supporting mother would
always tell her with a serious look on her face, “Child, yuh know sum day yuh go be sombody
special who go make ah change in life!” Gabriella always replied with a slight chuckle, “Doh
worry ma, I goh make yuh proud.” But after school discharged everyone for the summer, her
period was four weeks late. She tried to forget about it, thinking that it was probably stress or
poor diet and the problem would go away. One day while looking at herself in the mirror, with a
puzzled look on her face she softly murmured, “I cyah be pregnant right now, my life goin too
good!”

A month later in August , Gabriella started getting worried. Her period still had not come.
But unknowingly, she simply brushed it off, thinking it was no big deal. But then, in late
August, when she visited close relatives in Port-of-Spain, her 75 year old grandmother smirking
and looking at her with a constant gaze said, “Gabs sweetie, wha happen. How yuh putting on so
much weight? Yuh pregnant or wha?” Gabriella smiled nervously, looking away from her
grandmother’s stare, “Granny, don’t be crazy!” making a random comment that she was gaining
weight which made her look like a pregnant woman. Then when they got back home, Gabriella
bought a take-home pregnancy test. While she was awaiting the results her palms were sweating
profusely and she was shaking like a leaf. When the results showed up as positive her face turned
white. “Omg! What have I done?” said Gabriella with tears running down her cheek messing up
her make up. She couldn’t stop crying. Her life couldn’t afford having any “road blocks” and her
boyfriend would be shocked. So Gabriella quietly just kept it to herself, and was also cutting
down on food and exercising even more so no one could tell she was pregnant. But drastically,
her appetite grew, and she was constantly eating.

But then, two weeks after she found out, her boyfriend of ten months left her for another
girl. This made Gabriella feel more worried and nauseous. Even though she told him that there
was a possibility that she could be pregnant, with his face turning red he yelled in defense, “I doh
wah nun tuh do wit you or dat wha yuh now tell me” quickly leaving her house . A few days
later, Gabriella’s best friend went with her to get a pregnancy test. Of course, she already knew
the answer. The doctors gave her an exam and went on to tell her with a shocking look, “Ms.
Stewart, Are you aware that you are ten weeks pregnant?” Gabriella remarked in a soft voice
replied as tears as crept down her dimples, “Yes Dr. Basdeo, It was a terrible mistake and now I
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have to suffer the consequences,” embarrassed and avoiding eye contact with the doctor,
Gabriella stared blankly at the floor in the doctor’s office. The nurse let her out the door but she
couldn’t tell her best friend the news. So, Gabriella went back to her house and called her ex-
boyfriend and told him that she was pregnant. He was in disbelief but I told him it was definitely
true. But instead of telling her it was going to be all right, he explained in a harsh tone, “Well
here wat nah, I doh wah no baby now so yuh better start tinkin bout having an abortion!” He also
blurted out that she would not only get kicked off the football team, but also wouldn’t be able to
dance anymore if anyone knew of her circumstances. His family is a strong Christian family and
his father was in the special forces. He kept telling her that he would disappoint his family and to
think how his parents would react. But it wasn’t only him that was pressuring Gabriella to get an
abortion, her new boyfriend, friends and it seemed like the world wanted her to terminate the
pregnancy. Finally, twelve (12) weeks pregnant, Gabriella finally went to get the abortion. It was
the most painful procedure she’s ever gone through mentally and physically.

The emotions that were welling up inside her were unthinkable. Something didn’t feel
right. After a short time in the recovery room, the nurse let Gabriella out the back door. On her
way home, she started thinking about what she had done. “I killed my baby,” she kept
murmuring despicably. She decided this was something she had to keep to herself. The father of
the baby never bothered to ask how she was doing nor how the baby was doing, so Gabriella
didn’t bother telling him, nor anyone else. A month after the abortion, her mother found out and
so did the ex-boyfriend’s parents. Gabriella had to confess everything. After the dust cleared, she
started falling into a depression and started cutting herself. Suicide seemed like the best choice to
make and there were many attempts. Then, the support of her friends started making her feel
better and soon she felt alive again. Gabriella also started praying and thinking about what her
life would have been like if she were a parent. She knew that they wouldn’t be able to cope with
it, not to mention that she is still in school and a lot of focus is needed in Cape exams. She finally
realized that abortion is not something you forget, it is something you learn to live with. For a
long time, Gabriella had been trying to force herself to forget. But she’s better now. All that
remains are the overshadow of memories when she carried it for three months. But now
Gabriella knows, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

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 ANALYSIS / ANALYTICAL
In this piece of data I mainly seek to analyze my short story entitled “Morale Murder”
which is based on a teenage girl named Gabriella who went through the process of having an
abortion.

Based on this story, it was noted that a formal register was used between Dr.Basdeo and
Gabriella. The doctor shows a professional relationship between his patient and himself. This
conversation used titles to address each other as seen when Dr.Basdeo says “Ms. Stewart, Are
you aware that you are ten weeks pregnant?” Also there was a level of formality because both
Dr.Basdeo and Gabriella were meeting for the first time. This was made possible because it was
the first time Gabriella went for a blood and urine test. Furthermore, there was also an intimate
register used between Gabriella and her grandmother and this was made possible because of the
way the grandmother called Gabriella, “Gabs sweetie” and also by asking a personal question
and this was seen when the grandmother says, “Gabs sweetie, wha happen. How yuh putting on
so much weight? Yuh pregnant or what?” This showed that the grandmother cares about her
granddaughter and that they were very close.

Throughout this story, communicative behaviors were used by its characters to depict
certain emotions. Behaviors indicated to us what the character experienced. An example of this is
gestures. The reader can tell that Gabriella was feeling a sense of nervousness when her palms
were sweating profusely and she was ‘shaking like a leaf’ while awaiting the results from her
pregnancy test. Facial expressions are also an example of communicative behaviors in the story.
Gabriella’s boyfriend’s face turning red indicated his anger and frustration. Gabriella also started
to pray, showing her behavior in times of personal distress. Facial expressions were also in use,
for example, when Gabriella was crying tears down her cheeks indicated that she was sad and in
disbelief. Also the shocked look Dr.Basdeo showed Gabriella when he was telling her the results
of her pregnancy exam. Avoidance was used by Gabriella to evade the confrontation of telling
her boyfriend and relatives after having the abortion.“The father of the baby never bothered to
ask how she was doing nor how the baby was doing, so Gabriella didn’t bother telling him, nor
anyone else.” Finally, by looking down at the floor in the doctor’s office avoiding eye contact
showed that Gabriella was feeling a sense of shame and embarrassment.

Registers and Communicative Behaviors are two of the four elements which aids in the creation
of an effective analysis and added credibility to the story.

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 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Abortion indeed has a negative effect on women as seen in the information which
was established above. I believe that there should be a law enforced, so as to permanently band
abortion in the island of Trinidad. It is dually recommended that both teenage girls and women
whom which is not seeking to acquire a family and is in fact engaging in sexual intercourse
should use different contraceptive methods thus preventing you from getting pregnant which
leads in having an abortion.

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 Bibliography

 Adler, N., “Unwanted Pregnancy and Abortion: Definitional and Research Issues,” 
 "Types of Abortion Procedures." American Pregnancy Association. American Pregnancy
Association.
 See M. Muldoon, The Abortion Debate in the United States and Canada: A Source
Book (1991)
 J. M. Riddle, Contraception and Abortion from the Ancient World to the
Renaissance (1994)
 Women's Health Book Collective, Our Bodies, Ourselves for the New Century (1998)
 “Roe v. Wade and Beyond: Forty Years of Legal Abortion in the United States.” Dissent
Magazine, www.dissentmagazine.org/article/roe-v-wade-and-beyond-forty-years-of-
legal-abortion-in-the-united-states.
 Hill, Allison. “My Abortion Didn't Empower Me.” ERLC, 22 Apr. 2019,
erlc.com/resource-library/articles/my-abortion-didnt-empower-me.
 “Ethics - Abortion: Religion and Abortion.” BBC, BBC,
www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/abortion/religion/religion.shtml.
 MSU, Student of. Rex v. Bourne, msu.edu/user/schwenkl/abtrbng/rvbourne.htm.

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