FAKE? PRETENDING? Say what?

Here's another entry from my collection of "comments about adoption." This one is from The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the novel. The construction is amazing and so is the writing. But there is this little interaction on page 350 that jabbed me--hard. I'm still thinking "Ouch!" Yes, it’s fiction. Yes, it's a character's reaction. Still, it bugs me.

Here it is:

“Let’s adopt.” I’ve been thinking about this for weeks, months. It seems like a brilliant escape route: we will have a baby. It will be healthy. Clare will be healthy. We will be happy. It is the obvious answer.

Clare says, “But that would be fake. It would be pretending.”

(Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler’s Wife, p. 350)

Comments

[LIB]

I understand why that bugs you, but in Clare's defense (yes, I realize I'm defending a fictional person) the reason they were considering adoption was to avoid the possibility of inherited tendencies. Choosing adoption SOLEY to avoid inheritable tendencies is what is fake, pretending--not adoption itself.

[Leslie Gould]

Henry's motivation for adopting was to stop the miscarriages and threats to Clare's life. It's been awhile since I read the book, but I don't remember either one of them being that concerned about passing on the time traveling--yes they were aware of the possibility and did discuss it, but they kept conceiving for years in their attempt for a viable pregnancy. Henry's motivation to adopt was to protect Clare and have a child. Clare's motivation seemed to be to have a bio baby. And I don't see how choosing adoption could solely be to avoid inheritable tendencies--it would have to be to have a child also.

[LIB]

You're right--it's been a long time since I read the book, too. I'd forgotten the miscarriages and the threat to Clare's life. I was just thinking about avoidence of the time travel thing.

[Leslie Gould]

Just reread my previous post and, hmmm, I came across a little strong. Sorry. There's nothing like the adoption issue to bring out the mama bear in me. BUT--no need to direct it at you, Libby. You know I love more than I can even say! Thanks for being so gracious.