From Dirty Dancing to GLOW: How abortion on screen has changed

Jessica Jones (2015). Still image via Marvel / Netflix

Jessica Jones (2015)

In Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Hope Shlottman is raped by Kilgrave. He also mind controls and abuses her, eventually forcing her to shoot her own parents. While she is in prison for the crime, she repeatedly asks other inmates to beat her in the hopes of inducing a miscarriage. She is disgusted by the fetus growing inside of her and says that carrying it to term is unthinkable. Having a piece of Kilgrave inside of her makes her desolate, angry, and prone to self-harm.

After learning of the pregnancy and Hope’s attempts to self-abort, Jessica brings her medicine that will end the pregnancy safely.

Although pregnancy from rape has been a plot on shows like Law & Order: SVU, it has rarely been the focus of an abortion story elsewhere. It is even more rare for a character to vehemently despise a fetus, even in cases of rape. Although Kilgrave’s mind control powers are a result of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the fact is that mentally and emotionally abusive partners can do just as much damage as physically abusive ones.

Jessica Jones unapologetically focuses on stories of survivors and allows those survivors to experience anger and express violence toward their abusers. For Hope, abortion is the only option. She cannot allow her baby to be born after what Kilgrave did. Presumably, she is not the only rape victim to feel that way about a pregnancy after the fact, and it is great to see that story portrayed on screen.