`Erin Brockovich` Movie

Erin Brockovich

Ethical Questions

2007

There are several ethical questions brought up in the movie Erin Brockovich , with Erin , and the actions of PGE . Concerning Erin Brockovich herself , morals are brought up and questioned concerning the fact that she has three children , and she is single . Also , that she has been married , and divorced twice . The most judged aspect of her though is the way she dresses . Being a mom , and working in a lawyer 's office people expect her to dress conservatively . Another ethical matter is her use of

foul language , and her abrupt and blunt way of talking to others especially in a professional environment . Concerning her family , the ethical question of work versus home comes out the time she spends away from her kids and new boyfriend compared to how much time she is spending on the Hinkley case itself . This time away from home causes a breakup in Erin and George 's relationship at one point , and causes stress between her and her son , who becomes upset at the lack of time she is spending with him . Towards the end of the movie , when her son realizes that she is helping a sick child his own age , with a sick mother , his attitude does change

Away from the inner ethical questions that come from Erin herself are the outer questions that come from the case . One of the points was the fact that PGE lied to the residents of Hinkley concerning what type of chromium was being released into the ground water , and what the effects of the chromium were . Also , PGE tried very hard to keep it hushed up by sending them to doctors that were paid for by PGE , and lying to the residents about their sicknesses . Another reference to ethics comes up when looking at the low amounts of the original offers that were made by PGE when they were trying to buy out the residents . A very pointed example of questionable ethics was brought up by Erin when she was sifting through documents at the Water Board and she asks the man that works there How can you sleep at night , knowing what PGE was trying to hide ? You knew these documents were here all along ' The man 's guilt was proven by his silent response to her question

The movie brings up many different ethical questions , these are some of the more controversial of them...