Relevant Issues
The Soap Opera Book, 1978
Prison Conditions
This year on Love of Life, Ben Harper was convicted of bigamy and sent to prison. At first his imprisonment was marked by boredom and depression; later he learned of the violence that is equally characteristic of prison life. He was subjected to physical attacks, and even to attempted rape.
The show tried to realistically depict the cruelty and degradation experienced by men behind bars. (In addition, this story marked the first time that male rape was ever discussed on a daytime serial.)
The "Right to Die" Issue
On Ryan's Hope, Dr. Seneca Beaulac was tried for having disconnected the respirator which was keeping his wife alive, in an irreversible state which Seneca defined as death. The trial dealt seriously with legal definitions of death, and the ethical dilemma faced by physicians and relatives. Seneca was convicted, and can no longer practice medicine. He is usefully employed in the administration of the neurology and neurosurgery department at Riverside Hospital.
The "right to die" issue has also been raised on Search for Tomorrow, One Life to Live, and more recently on The Doctors and The Young and the Restless.
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