Roo's unplanned pregnancy

[Old H&A Fan]

This thread discusses the current storyline of Roo's unwanted pregnancy. Why was it allowed to happen? Why did she do it? Why did she continue it? Why did Roo not only get herself pregnant

(and to somebody other than Frank),

why is she allowing this pregnancy to continue knowing it is turning not only her life upside-down, but also Alf's and Frank's?

I'll start off with the absurd line in the "teaser" for today's Episode (77): "Ailsa opposes Alf over Frank and risks a bitter rift. Meanwhile, a sharp body-blow from Bobby threatens Roo's baby"

[codyw1]

I'm not sure there's much to discuss, really. She had sex, got knocked up, and can't bring herself to have an abortion. Since Brett's an ass, and she doesn't want to be an "unmarried mother" (in the 80s, in a hick little town like the Bay), she's trying to con the nice guy into taking responsibility for it. It's manipulative and underhanded and unethical, but I'm not sure it's terribly complicated.

[angelstar1220]

Roo is essentially a self-distructive charcter. She has clearly had a spoilt upbringing, more so since the death of her mother, and therefore believes that she is somehow entitled to get everything she wants. She does things she wants to do because she is unused to dealing with consequences and then regrets it in hindsight. Unfortunately she then covers her mistakes with more mistakes and so it goes on - self destruction. I see it all the time in real life.

I dont think she "got herself pregnant" or "allowed it to happen" - as much as it sucks, sometimes these things do happen. People make mistakes and end up this way. As for the choice not to have an abortion I think that was a hard decision for the character and she knows by the comments that she is making that she is in for some pretty hard times.

However in her usual, quick-fix mentality she latches on to the rare happy times with Frank, adds to it the fact that he is a decent guy and equates that he will solve all her problems. Its not a nice thing to do, and is very manipulative but she just wants to fix it and feel better. She just wants everything to be ok.

Sadly I have friends who have done this very same thing. And it doesnt make it 'right' or 'ok' but it happens.

[ebrett84]

Roo is essentially a self-distructive charcter. She has clearly had a spoilt upbringing, more so since the death of her mother, and therefore believes that she is somehow entitled to get everything she wants. She does things she wants to do because she is unused to dealing with consequences and then regrets it in hindsight. Unfortunately she then covers her mistakes with more mistakes and so it goes on - self destruction. I see it all the time in real life.

I dont think she "got herself pregnant" or "allowed it to happen" - as much as it sucks, sometimes these things do happen. People make mistakes and end up this way. As for the choice not to have an abortion I think that was a hard decision for the character and she knows by the comments that she is making that she is in for some pretty hard times.

However in her usual, quick-fix mentality she latches on to the rare happy times with Frank, adds to it the fact that he is a decent guy and equates that he will solve all her problems. Its not a nice thing to do, and is very manipulative but she just wants to fix it and feel better. She just wants everything to be ok.

Sadly I have friends who have done this very same thing. And it doesnt make it 'right' or 'ok' but it happens.

Yeah, Roo sort of reminds me of Kirsty in this way. She just has a tendency to stuff something up, and then stuff it up even worse when she tries to fix it.

[Old H&A Fan]

....I dont think she "got herself pregnant" or "allowed it to happen" - as much as it sucks, sometimes these things do happen. People make mistakes and end up this way. As for the choice not to have an abortion I think that was a hard decision for the character and she knows by the comments that she is making that she is in for some pretty hard times.

However in her usual, quick-fix mentality she latches on to the rare happy times with Frank, adds to it the fact that he is a decent guy and equates that he will solve all her problems. Its not a nice thing to do, and is very manipulative but she just wants to fix it and feel better. She just wants everything to be ok......

What do you mean "it just happens"? She voluntarily opened her legs to Brett didn't she? Didn't she have a clue about the dire consequences or has she been deprived of sex education to the point that she believed in myths such as babies arriving in storks or cabbage patches??

I also don't get why she refuses to have an abortion especially as that would be a "quick fix" in line with a "quick-fix mentality"? It doesn't make sense!

[Red Ranger 1]

It makes perfect sense!Why do you think there are so many single teenage mothers around in real life?She slept with a boy she didn't really know because she was in a self-destructive mood, didn't think of the potential consequences, found herself pregnant and wasn't cold-hearted enough to just shrug her shoulders and kill her baby because it was an inconvenience.Yes, hindsight's 20/20 and she could have avoided a lot of trouble by persuading Brett to pop down to the bar and use the fruit machine first but it all seems completely realistic to me.

[Old H&A Fan]

It makes perfect sense!Why do you think there are so many single teenage mothers around in real life?She slept with a boy she didn't really know because she was in a self-destructive mood, didn't think of the potential consequences, found herself pregnant and wasn't cold-hearted enough to just shrug her shoulders and kill her baby because it was an inconvenience.Yes, hindsight's 20/20 and she could have avoided a lot of trouble by persuading Brett to pop down to the bar and use the fruit machine first but it all seems completely realistic to me.

The bit I have highlighted contradicts the self-destructiveness. If you ask me, she deliberately decided to keep it so as to angle for more sympathy and attention because she knows having to have a baby at that time in her life is very difficult, so she relies on Alf, etc. to help her.

If I was her, I would have had an abortion and learnt something from the mistake I made.

[angelstar1220]

Well its not really the place to debate the rights or wrongs of abortion, far too heated a discussion for this time of night (in the UK).

My opinions aside, the character is still human and is shown have feelings (guilt for trapping Frank for instance) including feelings for another human life growing inside of her, hence her rushing to the Dr after being punched by Bobbie. Her aim is to be happy as possible, with minimal heartache, and maybe she doesnt want the inevitable regret she would feel if she killed her baby. Although she did willingly have sex, she didnt plan to get pregnant, and maybe contracteptive methods failed, the writers didnt include that information. She is also a bit of a victim, or seems to feel she is. It seems like she feels she has no control over her life, so pulls it back by manipulating and controlling people. To her quick fix is to marry Frank and be happy with the baby as opposed to being a single parent.

[Red Ranger 1]

It makes perfect sense!Why do you think there are so many single teenage mothers around in real life?She slept with a boy she didn't really know because she was in a self-destructive mood, didn't think of the potential consequences, found herself pregnant and wasn't cold-hearted enough to just shrug her shoulders and kill her baby because it was an inconvenience.Yes, hindsight's 20/20 and she could have avoided a lot of trouble by persuading Brett to pop down to the bar and use the fruit machine first but it all seems completely realistic to me.

The bit I have highlighted contradicts the self-destructiveness. If you ask me, she deliberately decided to keep it so as to angle for more sympathy and attention because she knows having to have a baby at that time in her life is very difficult, so she relies on Alf, etc. to help her.

If I was her, I would have had an abortion and learnt something from the mistake I made.

I don't actually see that as a contradiction.She's causing more problems and inconvenience for herself by keeping the baby rather than getting rid of it.That seems more self-destructive than having an abortion, digging herself further into a hole by lying to Frank, having to face Alf's disapproval, etc., rather than learning from her mistake.

[Old H&A Fan]

Yeah, like I said, along the lines of angling from sympathy because she's given herself a hard life on purpose as part of her destructive mood. Sad, really.