Abortion In Wallace's Good People

In Good People, Wallace seems to make it evident that abortion is a painful topic. It is a powerful story, written about a young Christian couple, facing a difficult decision. Wallace allows vivid insight into the couples thoughts and feelings. The couple finds themselves with an unplanned pregnancy. The pregnancy, leaves them with a choice that they feel is both morally and religiously wrong. Tension between personal morality and the fear of hypocrisy, begin to rise. In this short story, Wallace shows what goes through a boys mind in an ethical dilemma.
The short story setting takes place at a park, with a lakeside view. There was a downed tree in the water; setting the mood for the story with dark sadness. The two main characters; Lane Dean, Jr. and his girlfriend, Sheri Fisher, are sitting on one of the picnic tables. This setting leaves an unsettling atmosphere. The timing of how long the couple is sitting at the table is not stated, but Sheri’s cheeks began to turn pink on one side from the sunlight. Both of the main characters are very young to be in the given situation. Lane is nineteen years old and studies business. He is written as a reflective individual. “He might be somewhat of a hypocrite, like the Assyrians in

“She was blank and hidden” (Wallace 227); a twenty year old filled with thoughts of sadness. Sheri’s character is described through Lane. Due to the narration and the way Wallace flows Sheri’s character through Lane, some may believe that the couple struggled with issues. He promised to stay with Sheri throughout the procedure but it had not brought her comfort. Lane never intended to push Sheri into doing something that she was not comfortable with. He believed he was holding a secret from Sheri. The secret of not loving her, “That she knows he does not love her, not that way…” (Wallace). He is frozen in fear at the utter thought of telling Sheri what is playing in his