In this paper I will discuss concepts from “Accidents of Nature” that stood out to me. “Accidents of Nature” is a story based on the life of a young girl with cerebral palsy who attends a summer camp for people who have disabilities which opposes her usual life of living in normalcy. This experience is much to the new for her as she has not fully experienced this life before. The concepts that I will discuss in this paper will relate to topics that are stressed and focused upon in our class and will exemplify many important features that are stressed upon each and every day. Understanding concepts of this story is important to do because it allows the reader to understand how the characters in the story are exactly feeling. The first main …show more content…
By that I am not saying that in this story the campers were perfect, because no they were not, but the campers did not stand out to be different to one another because they were all people with disabilities that were bound together. In this facility, these campers were able to be okay with who they really were and were not be ashamed by that. As shown (pgs. 112 & 113), these campers fought against stigma. Truthfully, these campers were able to see how stigma “marks you as different…” and were able to avoid that belief. In a true representation, Sara brought up the story “Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity” because it was a true depiction of what a person with a disability deals with. But in this story, the campers were able to be okay with their true self depiction. They did not have to be afraid to accept who they were. Most importantly, they did not have to deal with feelings of hopelessness, distress, shame and depression. The campers in this story are no lesser of a person than any human being in this world because of a disability and in this story, at this camp, they were able to truly have that feeling. These campers accepted themselves and the people around them and together they were able to express themselves as not people with disabilities but one as a whole. I truly believe that self-acceptance and avoidance of the so
The two essays “On Being a Cripple” by Nancy Mairs and “A Plague of Tics” by David Sedaris are excellent pieces of work that share many similarities. This paper would reflect on these similarities particularly in terms of the author, message and the targeted audience. On an everyday basis, people view those with disabilities in a different light and make them conscious at every step. This may be done without a conscious realisation but then it is probably human nature to observe and notice things that deviate from the normal in a society. In a way people are conditioned to look negatively at those individuals who are different in the conventional
1.Who is the narrator of the story? How is he or she connected to the story ( main character, observer, minor character)?
The experience changed her life, she learned to rethink her own attitude and self determination. I learned that people with mental retardation are not to be separated from society or even treated with less respect because of their disability. “Riding the Bus with My Sister” taught me to never neglect people with mental disabilities. Readers learned that people with mental retardation, just like everyone else, have families, desires, and determination. They cry, they laugh, they have emotions just like the rest of us. We can learn new things from those suffering from mental retardation. ‘Riding the Bus with My Sister” taught me that civil rights apply to
“I am a Cripple,” when people typically hear these words they tend to feel bad for that person, but that is exactly what Mair does not want. She prefers that people treat her the same as they would if she did not have the disease. Throughout the essay, Mair discuses her disease openly. She uses an optimistic tone, so that the reader will not recoil with sadness when they hear her discuss the disease and how it affects her life. In Nancy Mair’s essay “On Being A Cripple,” Mair uses her personal stories, diction, and syntactical structures to create an optimistic tone throughout the essay, so that the audience can better connect story.
“I felt I could do good for other persons with disabilities precisely because I had authority from that medical degree.” This line makes the reader stop for a moment and really evaluate what has been said, due to the contrary effect that was intimated from the beginning. The switch from negativity to positivity demonstrates the change from the author’s feeling has changed and how society has changed.This revelation brings us to the end, how she said she hopes the next generation will see things differently, “Disability right thus aren’t something we seek only for others. We must also seem them for the ones we love and for ourselves.” The author stating this at the very end reflects people who have the disability need to help themselves and have disability right, not just looking for help from others.
Often, individuals reflect upon their lives, remembering all of the accomplishments, stories and struggles; Roland Johnson takes the opportunity to reflect on his life in his Autobiography Roland Johnson’s Lost in a Desert World. In addition to his reflection, Johnson shares his life experiences, which no one is compelled to experience again, thanks to his efforts. Also, an abundance of lessons are present in Johnson’s book, which are applicable to daily life, additionally advocating for others with disabilities. With the perspective of a future educator an abundance of knowledge applicable in several ways after gaining a better understanding through the book as well.
...derstand the history behind the story, and how it can interpreted in many different ways because of it's enigmatic plot, and characters.
I decided to focus my plunge on adults with mental and physical disabilities, because I had no prior experience with this group. Coming from an able-bodied family where no one has significant handicaps, I was generally shielded from people with disabilities. Over the years, I grew to associate dangerous stigmas with these people, even though they have no control over their circumstance. The
Although Linton describes instances in which she attempts to distance herself from the passivity her condition seems to require by demanding her newly disabled body be taken seriously (especially by an “unassuming” salesman trying to take advantage of fitting her for a prosthesis), it is not until one hundred pages in that readers might begin to get the feeling Linton is finally approaching the real crux of her story. This is not to say that the text before this point is trite or inconsequential; on the contrary, as after her hospital stay she writes about exposing herself to a new world where she is a curious entity, moving to California to attend college only to find they have already discovered “the disability movement” and she does not quite fit into their image of it just yet, and situating the disabled body against “normative” notions such as travel, dance, sex, intimacy, and celebrity. It is precisely in this section’s substantiality that Linton is at last able to reach a crucial narrative point, revealing a poignant and pivotal moment in her life’s bumpy journey.
Discuss the importance of the themes to the story, especially dualism and reputation, but also some others.
This includes the historical period of the writing of the novel, the symbolic meaning of the plot and other parts of the narrative, and the characters which help us understand the way we should act in society being just, empathetic and
In the book, The Short Bus, Jonathan Mooney’s thesis is that there is more to people than their disabilities, it is not restricting nor is it shameful but infact it is beautiful in its own way. With a plan to travel the United States, Mooney decides to travel in a Short bus with intentions of collecting experiences from people who have overcome--or not overcome--being labeled disabled or abnormal. In this Mooney reinvents this concept that normal people suck; that a simple small message of “you’re not normal” could have a destructive and deteriorating effect. With an idea of what disabilities are, Mooney’s trip gives light to disabilities even he was not prepared to face, that he feared.
At this point there seems to be one main character (setting the scene, and the past scene as this is important to the story) but she mentions others as well, which will be involved later on, the first chapter seems to represent the foundation to what is going to happen later on.
Literary elements are demonstrated throughout the story and further improve our understanding of the central idea. The setting is important to the central idea because it shows the reader the type of society being described in the story. The language is also important to the central idea because it contains metaphors which further prove that the people are afraid of going against tradition because they are scared of being the target of violence. The conflict contributes to the central idea as well, because there are many examples of the society going against character, Mrs. Hutchinson, for not respecting the traditions put in place. The central idea is important to our understanding of the story because it sums up the main objective and furthers our
The story envokes the realization that anyone can be mentally liberated if they simply only open their eyes and behold the value of individuality. It is up to each of us to explore this meaning. Through compassion we can unlock the true purpose and meaning of ourselves and others. We need to be open to and understanding of people who are different. Therefore, students who are mentally challenged need to be surrounded by those who dare to add value to their lives. We definitely need more people like the coach.