Instructions: This assignment requires you to use Stage One of the Ethical Analysis Essay – Create an Outline as your starting point for writing an essay that analyzes the ethical dimensions in the film you have already selected. If you have not selected a film, please choose from the list below. If you cannot access these films, you may select a different film, but you will require prior approval from your instructor.
My Sister’s Keeper (2009) – Told from multiple perspectives, My Sister’s Keeper follows the story of 13-year-old Anna Fitzgerald as she sues her parents, Brian, and Sara, for medical emancipation. Anna was conceived as an allogeneic donor for her sister, Kate, who has acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).
Your film analysis should feature the application of one (or more) of the following ethical theories listed below:
Utilitarian Ethics
Ethical Theory: Utilitarian Ethics
In My Sister’s Keeper, Utilitarian ethics can be applied to analyze the characters’ actions, particularly Anna’s decision to sue her parents. Utilitarianism focuses on maximizing overall happiness or utility, suggesting that actions are morally right if they result in the greatest good for the most significant number of people.
Moral Values: The film explores various moral values, including sacrifice, love, autonomy, and justice. Anna’s desire for independence and control over her body clashes with her parents’ intentions to save Kate, highlighting the conflict between individual rights and familial obligations.
Moral Conflict: Throughout the film, moral values are often in conflict, particularly concerning the decisions made by Anna’s parents. While they believe they are acting in Kate’s best interests by using Anna as a donor, their actions raise questions about the limits of parental authority and the child’s rights.
Moral of the Story: By applying Utilitarian ethics to the narrative, viewers can reflect on the ethical implications of sacrificing one individual’s well-being for the benefit of another. The film encourages audiences to consider the complexities of medical decision-making, the importance of autonomy, and the need for open communication and empathy within families facing difficult choices. Ultimately, it prompts viewers to contemplate the balance between individual rights and the greater good in medical ethics.
Essay Format
Title Page – In APA format, include your paper’s title, your name, and your institution (i.e., Galen College), in that order.
Introduction – Provide a brief synopsis of the film that includes the ethical dilemma present in the film. Introduce the ethical theory you will use to analyze the film.
Ethical Analysis – Apply one ethical theory to the medical ethical dilemma presented in the film. First, describe this ethical theory in your own words, using the readings and course materials as textual evidence for your explanation of the moral view. Next, discuss how this ethical theory could provide solutions or recommendations for remedying the ethical dilemma featured in the film. In your analysis, be sure to address the following questions:
What moral values are present in the film (as they relate to the ethical theory you have chosen)?
Are there instances of moral values in conflict with one another?
What moral guidance does the ethical theory that you selected provide the characters in the film?
Reflection – Summarize what you have discussed in the essay and reflect on what you have learned. Lastly, discuss how what you have learned could be applied to your professional and personal life.
Note – Your essay must be written using APA format, double-spaced, 4 pages in length (not including title page and reference page), and written in Times New Roman using 12-point font.
