The drabble's cute, but can I offer some concrit? Adoption and grad school are two of many subjects that hit close to home for me, at the moment.
1) It is very unlikely that grad school, draining on the resources as it is, would seriously affect a couple's ability to care for even a third child. If George was out of grad school by the time, he'd probably be making enough money as a professor (even at a community college) to raise three kids, albeit somewhat frugally (medicine and shoes, yes; lots of toys, no). If he was a late starter and was in the middle of grad school, it's possible for him to get student loans, deferred tuition from the university with a TA job (grad school students with kids have always been given careful treatment), or a grad program that allows students to study part-time while holding down a job. There are plenty of ways that a determined couple paying grad tuition could raise three kids. Either George and Lorraine really don't know their options (unlikely), or they don't actually want a third child, but are unwilling to consider abortion or use contraception because of religious or moral ideals (more likely, especially if, as I've seen some people suggest, George was raised Catholic).
2) It is incredibly unlikely that Doc would have gotten Marty unless at least one person involved manipulated the system to an incredible degree. When considering adoptive parents, family and extended family is almost always considered first--Marty would have been more likely placed with Grandma or Grandpa. Even if neither Lorraine nor George had family who would have wanted to take Marty, married couples looking to adopt are given top priority. And in 1968-1969, it's unlikely that a reclusive single older gentleman like Doc would have been considered a good candidate to adopt a child at all, for a number of reasons. Doc would have had to change his life and lifestyle considerably to have a social worker give him a second glance. The only scenario I can reasonably see him taking in Marty by means that are anything near legal are if there was absolutely nobody willing to adopt within about a hundred-mile radius of the McFlys, or if they had become so close to Doc within the passing years that they could convince the social worker that he was a blood relation (and even then, they would probably have to forge some documents, or at least bribe a lot of people).
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momijizukamori
Research is your friend!
Date: 2007-07-04 05:19 pm (UTC)1) It is very unlikely that grad school, draining on the resources as it is, would seriously affect a couple's ability to care for even a third child. If George was out of grad school by the time, he'd probably be making enough money as a professor (even at a community college) to raise three kids, albeit somewhat frugally (medicine and shoes, yes; lots of toys, no). If he was a late starter and was in the middle of grad school, it's possible for him to get student loans, deferred tuition from the university with a TA job (grad school students with kids have always been given careful treatment), or a grad program that allows students to study part-time while holding down a job. There are plenty of ways that a determined couple paying grad tuition could raise three kids. Either George and Lorraine really don't know their options (unlikely), or they don't actually want a third child, but are unwilling to consider abortion or use contraception because of religious or moral ideals (more likely, especially if, as I've seen some people suggest, George was raised Catholic).
2) It is incredibly unlikely that Doc would have gotten Marty unless at least one person involved manipulated the system to an incredible degree. When considering adoptive parents, family and extended family is almost always considered first--Marty would have been more likely placed with Grandma or Grandpa. Even if neither Lorraine nor George had family who would have wanted to take Marty, married couples looking to adopt are given top priority. And in 1968-1969, it's unlikely that a reclusive single older gentleman like Doc would have been considered a good candidate to adopt a child at all, for a number of reasons. Doc would have had to change his life and lifestyle considerably to have a social worker give him a second glance. The only scenario I can reasonably see him taking in Marty by means that are anything near legal are if there was absolutely nobody willing to adopt within about a hundred-mile radius of the McFlys, or if they had become so close to Doc within the passing years that they could convince the social worker that he was a blood relation (and even then, they would probably have to forge some documents, or at least bribe a lot of people).