The importance of the title

[Stephen]

All the time I've been reading this I've been wondering about the significance of the title.

The Cider House Rules were posted by well intentioned people who didn't live in the cider house and who didn't really understand what life there was like. It's also unclear just exactly what gives them the authority to impose and/or enforce them. The migrants that lived there for the most part rightfully ignored them.

The parallel with Dr. Larch's ignoring the laws against abortion are clear. Even Homer's reasonable stance of disapproving of abortion and yet condoning Dr.Larch's activity while refusing to do any abortions himself are drawn into question. The whole question of "waiting and seeing" and "electing to do nothing" make it perfectly clear. The only thing missing is to quote burke so I'll do it.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
― Edmund Burke

Those on both sides of the abortion issue have been careful to couch their positions in positivity one side is pro-choice, the other is pro-life - neither side wants to be negative. Yet, while the act of abortion itself may be negative, the book begs the question what greater negatives might result from the unexamined enforcement of that law.

[Mia]

I interpeted the title as referring to society's rules vs. the individual. Rules are made, but it is up to the individual to follow them, so it is a question of free will. Larch doesn't agree with or respect the legislature's rules concerning abortion. He makes a choice, breaks the rules, and provides illegal abortions. Larch sees a moral need to break the rules.

Homer, grounded in his beliefs, refuses to perform abortions. But as the novel progesses he enacts his freewill, and he decides to break the rules.

I also associated rules with control. The legislature controlled women and their reproductive rights, and Larch attemped to control Homer (i.e. training him to take over at the orphanage).