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Mental illness concept paper
Mental illness concept paper
Mental illness concept paper
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In this work Nancy Mairs, a woman with multiple sclerosis, discusses why she calls herself a cripple as opposed to the other names used by society to describe people with disabilities. She prefers the word “cripple” over the words “disabled” and “handicapped”. Nancy Mairs presents herself as a cripple using a straightforward tone, negative diction, repetition, and logical/ethical appeal. In the first paragraph, Mairs explains who she is. She starts off with the simple sentence “I am a cripple”. This sets off the tone as being straightforward; Mairs waste no time in stating who she is. Additionally, the use of the negative diction of the words “wince” and “brutal” adds to the straightforward tone by explaining that cripple isn’t the nicest word to relate her condition to but it is the truth. “People- crippled or not- wince at the word ‘cripple’”. Furthermore, the repetition of the word “I” emphasizes that this is Mairs opinion and that she is the one explaining who she is. “I choose this word” and “I recognize” and “I want”. The Ethos appeal is expressed though the repetition of “I” because it explains that this subject is personal to Mairs; she has …show more content…
Mairs is a “lover of words” and understands the difference between crippled, disabled and handicapped. She is knowledgeable about words. The word cripple “made its first appearance in the Lindisfarne Gospel in the tenth century”. Her knowledge explains her reason for not calling herself disabled or handicapped. Disable can mean a “mental” disability and she doesn’t think she has been put at a disadvantage like handicapped implies. “My God is not a Handicapper General”. Mairs continues to write in a straightforward tone stating, “I like the accuracy in which it (crippled) describes my condition”. Mairs knows who she is and doesn’t sugar coat her condition by calling herself a name that is more
This essay has served to give a brief understanding of the theories and practices of the medical and social models of disabilities, and how they affect people with disabilities. It is an important issue to consider as there are still many things in the world the disable people and we still have steps to make society inclusive.
In her essay “On Being a Cripple,” Mairs describes her path of acceptance of her multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis by declaring that she is a “cripple” in alternative to the more broadly acceptable terms: disabled or handicapped. Her essay is written with humor, satire, an open heart, and open eyes. Mair’s purpose is to describe her acceptances of her condition by using rhetorical elements and appeals, such as ethos and pathos, in order to allure her audience.
Take a second and imagine yourself as an elderly 72-year-old person, struggling with a dreadful disease, multiple sclerosis. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, multiple sclerosis is a defined as a disabled disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body (insert citation). With this picture in your head, think about how society may view you. Think about the struggles you would undergo daily. Most importantly, think about how other people would label you. Personally, would you prefer to be characterized as handicapped, disabled, differently abled, or crippled? While these names may sound a bit harsh, Nancy Mairs, the author of an article called “On Being a Cripple, easily chose her preference. Among the several possibilities, she chooses the word and uses it comfortably throughout the passage; however, she refuses to let it define the type of person she is. Diagnosed at the age of 28, Nancy Mairs sorted through the other politically correct synonyms and found something that is meticulously suitable. Mairs hates the world “disabled” considering that it conveys that she is physically or mentally incapacitated. She also refuses to
In “On Being a Cripple,” the speaker, Nancy Mairs, a multiple sclerosis patient, presents herself as a bold and confident woman through her diction and syntax. For example, Mairs’ blunt diction throughout the passage makes her appeal very sassy. She puts herself out there to be a “tough customer” with a “calamitous disease.” These words are very blunt and straightforward; therefore, this allows the audience to perceive her as an incredibly bold woman. These words also give the impression that she is confident in her own skin, even if she is “crippled.” She also chooses to be called “crippled” instead of “handicapped” or “disabled” because she does not want people to feel sympathy towards her. This just goes to show that she is undeniably bold
Lucy Grealy tells a story about not fitting in, unbearable pain that takes up residence in one’s head as loneliness and confusion, questioning what things mean, being scared and lost in your family, enduring intense physical pain, and most importantly, figuring out who you are. Lucy had no idea she might die, even though the survival rate for Ewing’s sarcoma was only five percent. She does not present her parents as overly afraid for her life, either. Her autobiography is not a story about the fear of death, but about such courage and anguish. Lucy shows how she falls under the spell of her disability, allowing it to control her life and dictate her future to a greater extent than it would otherwise. Having a disability means that sometimes you have to say "I'm disabled, therefore I can't...", but as Lucy finally learns, it also means sometimes saying "I'm disabled, but I can!” Through her traumatic tale of misfortune, she has sifted out truths about beauty, the public, and self-concept.
When you hear the word “cripple,” do you instantly develop a negative image of a person in a wheelchair, who is unable to care for himself or herself in any way? Or do you think of someone with just a minor disability, maybe a physical one, but who still has the brainpower of an average person, such as Stephen Hawking? Both definitely do exist, but it’s a matter of personal perception that affects how you think of inconvenienced individuals. To most people, the life of a cripple seems abstract and unthinkable, but when one writes an essay about her life, it gives new perspective to those who cannot understand it first person. In her essay, “On Being a Cripple”, Nancy Mairs maintains a prideful tone, develops a sympathetic mood within the reader,
This tone is also used to establish an appeal to pathos which he hopes to convince the audience of the fact that handicapped people are still people and not less than anyone else. A very prominent example of Peace’s emotion is displayed when he says, “Like many disabled people, I embrace an identity that is tied to my body. I have been made to feel different, inferior, since I began using a wheelchair thirty years ago and by claiming that I am disabled and proud, I am empowered,” (para. 15). This declaration demonstrates to his audience that Peace is honored by who he is and what disabled people can do and that he is tired of being oppressed by the media. Peace also makes this claim to support his thesis in the first paragraph that states, “The negative portrayal of disabled people is not only oppressive but also confirms that nondisabled people set the terms of the debate about the meaning of disability,” (para. 1). This is Peace’s central argument for the whole article and explains his frustration with society’s generalization of handicapped people and the preconceived limitations set on them. Peace’s appeal to pathos and tone throughout are extremely effective in displaying to his audience (society) that those who have disabilities are fed up with the limits that have been placed in the
Society is quick to judge and label people different from themselves. Whether it is because of different ethnicities or any form of disability. Most of the time these labels are put forward with intention to hurt the recipient’s feelings. In the passage Nancy Mairs challenges and rebels against society’s discrimination and use of improper labels. She emphasizes that she should only be called crippled rather than handicapped or disabled because from her perspective the other labels make her seem weak and inferior. Mairs establishes her claim through the use of rhetorical devices such as tone, diction, and anaphora.
This backdrop may be used to represent various issues such as language, labels, and a reclaiming process that is undertaken by many people in the community who are oppressed. For example, the people who are disabled in the community are usually not different in any aspect that may be presented in the text. In the expression of the term cripple, the author finds it offensive and decides to use freak instead. Also, he explains why he does so by narrating a story to the people who are disabled to make them feel better. Hence, the use of the word freak by Clare does not imply a negative meaning. Instead. It reinforces the attitude the disabled people have towards themselves (Rosemarie
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it,” says Charles R. Swindoll. This statement, although seemingly inaccurate, is brought to life by the testimony of Nancy Mairs. After being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Mairs had every reason to give up on life, but in “On Being a Cripple” she shows her audience that pushing forward was worth the challenge. Her life as a cripple isn’t easy, but through her writing, Mairs hopes to explain and create awareness about her life living with MS. Through her personal experience and positive attitude, Mairs shows her audience that not only is she a source that others can trust but that life is exactly what you make it, no matter what cards you are dealt.
In Nancy Mair 's "Disability" and Matthew Soyster 's " Living under Circe 's Spell" the authors give the reader a firsthand opinion and experience on what it is like being disabled. In Mair 's opinion, disabled people should be viewed as normal people. In contrast, Soyster does not view his disability as normal,but instead as something that is ruining his life and independence. Through their essays they give their personal opinions on their lives as cripples, but their aims in discussing the topic differs. Mair 's finds her disability to make her who she is and has grown to accept it. She uses figurative language such as description, diction, and allusions to disclose her forbearance of MS. In contrast, Soyster believes that his disability is dwindles down his worth and purpose. Mair and Soyester both use language, tone, and rhetorical strategies to convey these message, but their intended audience diverges.
A popular early twentieth century belief about disabled people can perhaps be best summarized Julian Huxley, Aldous Huxley's brother: "Every defective man, woman, and child is a burden. Every defective is an extra body for the nation to feed and clothe, but produces little or nothing in return" (CITATION!) Thus,
During this speech, I learned a lot of elements about disability. Smith says that disability is something we want to see. I thought of the Walking Dead. Even though I am not a die-hard fan, the fact that some of the zombies may or may not have limbs intrigues me. I focus on their movements and wonder how they are going to get in contact with the characters. Smith states that moving images often manipulate disabilities to produce an unable feeling. Amputation is shown as bad thing. It is often shown as a dragging, crawling or depressing inferiority. They are often shown as not being able to convey anger because they are helpless. The example of a man being angry and falling from his chair in Forest Gump was a great representation of this. The disable moves are shown as depressed, sad and only drag and or fall. The viewer feels distance from the amputee because they don’t have what would be considered to be abled body. It is displayed as inferior to regular movement. One man shared his story of not having legs and used crawling as an uplifting experience. He also had a very intellectual profession which showed that he was not a helpless man because of this lack of having legs. He was just like any normal
In this paper, I have attempted to establish the concept of ‘disability’ as a constructed one and how associated notions of disability results into people with disabilities being marginalized and oppressed. The identity of a disabled cut across the boundaries of race, class, caste and gender and tends to shift these groups to the corners of the society. The term ‘disability’ in itself holds the negative and discriminatory connotations that lead to further prejudiced and stereotypes against the disabled people in the society.
In the essay “Disability,” Nancy Mairs discusses the lack of media attention for the disabled, writing: “To depict disabled people in the ordinary activities of life is to admit that there is something ordinary about disability itself, that it may enter anyone’s life.” An ordinary person has very little exposure to the disabled, and therefore can only draw conclusions from what is seen in the media. As soon as people can picture the disabled as regular people with a debilitating condition, they can begin to respect them and see to their needs without it seeming like an afterthought or a burden. As Mairs wrote: “The fact is that ours is the only minority you can join involuntarily, without warning, at any time.” Looking at the issue from this angle, it is easy to see that many disabled people were ordinary people prior to some sort of accident. Mairs develops this po...