Womb For Rent - For A Price

1. Ellen Goodman starts her writing off by making it seem as though some people are getting involved into "baby production" as a job. She points out that for some women in foreign countries, being a surrogate mother can make them a decade's worth of income in 9 short months. Towards the end of her piece, Goodman starts to touch on more of the ethical views of this "free market approach to baby-making". What if it's dangerous? What rights do the birth mother have? What should the children be told? And if we can't sell into slavery, or sell our children, then what gives us the right to sell our sperm/embryos?

2. Goodman's appeal to pathos include trying to make us feel bad for those who are so poor that they can help a woman out by being a  surrogate mother, and end up making a ton of much needed money for it. By mentioning the woman who saved her money for her son's heart operation, she's wanting us to feel sympathetic to these ladies. By using the quote, "We give them a baby and they give us much-needed money. It's good for them and for us", Goodman is helping us to understand where they are coming from.

3. Kairos; What motivated the author to produce this piece? I think the author was motivated to write this, to open our insights on some of the people that get involved in surrogacy. I think Goodman is also wanting to raise questions in our mind as to the roles these women play in the family/children's lives.

4. What strikes me as memorable about this piece, is the questions Goodman raises at the end. She's right by saying that slavery is illegal, and selling our children is illegal, but surrogacy could fall into that category, so why is it legal? Yes, there are some people who need it and use it positively, but like everything, some people will corrupt the system. It also does make me question the fact that there is a such thing as open adoptions for women who give their children up for adoption, but is there the same thing for if you are a surrogate mother?