Groce's and Bauby's Novels Pertaining to Disability - Book Report/Review Example

Disability Studies: Critical review of Groce and Bauby Pertaining to Disability BY YOU YOUR SCHOOL INFO HERE HERE Critical Review of Groce and Bauby Pertaining to Disability Studies Introduction The book by Nora Groce, “Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Heredity Deafness on Martha’s Vineyard”, is a poignant book that takes the reader through the sometimes distressing history of deafness in New England while attempting to also break new ground in producing an emotional tribute to those with hearing impairment. Though many elements of this book are historical in nature, it is the rich history and documentation used to research the novel that creates a new appreciation for deafness and its impact on society. In somewhat opposite accord, the book “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” is a more agonizing tour of the difficulties associated with stroke patients who suffer from rare stroke-related symptoms. In some instances, the book produces an emotional response from the reader that is forlorn and depressing as it describes the physical and emotional sufferings of the editor-in-chief of Elle Magazine. However, much like Groce’s book, it is successful in giving a new glimpse of the human spirit for patients suffering with debilitating illnesses as a means to inspire not only the imagination, but reinforce the ultimate value of human beings and their dedication to live a healthy life even in the face of ongoing physical struggles. Both books’ central themes are reinforcement of the human fortitude and the true character that can be found in society. Comparisons Nora Groce’s book uses anecdotal commentaries as a means to place historical events with deaf citizens in the minds of readers so that contemporary readers can find personal linkage to understanding the hearing impaired. Because of genetic markers that were becoming spread throughout early New England history, a larger volume of children were being born (one-in-four) with hearing impairments. This led to the need to establish a new language so that communications could be possible and those with these disabilities could be respected within the community. There seems to be a typical theme in today’s society that negates the importance of those with disabilities, somewhat shunning them from the majority with a misguided belief that hearing impaired are less vital than their hearing-blessed counterparts. The historical renditions highlight situations such as when two young men on the island wanted to woo several young ladies on the island by pretending to be deaf, thus gaining their attention by signing to one another. Stories such as this, when viewed through the historical lens, reinforce that today’s prejudices or stereotypes against those with disabilities were not always present and people were included and incorporated into the broader society. By spotlighting the history of deafness and using anecdotal evidence from that earlier period, it attempts to persuade the reader to change their own misconceptions or prejudices about the hearing impaired. Bauby’s novel is similar in design, however it approaches the issue of disability from a different angle. Jean-Dominique Bauby used an interpreter to assist in writing the book, being forced to blink out a single letter in order to form a word. The process was agonizing and took 277 days to complete through this process (since each word blink took two minutes to muster). Bauby’s problems were unique in that his disability left him completely paralyzed and unable to even gesture when he had a need or emotional desire. The book describes the many difficulties of this condition, as if attempting to promote a sense of compassion and dismay in the reader during the early portions of the novel. However, as the story evolves and the reader becomes more familiar with the stroke victim and his personal emotional struggles, a sense of heart is established to persuade the reader to reconsider the value of those with severe disabilities; much like Groce’s novel regarding those with hearing impairment. The central theme that is common in both books is first to understand the physical and practical constraints that are caused by disabilities of different varieties. Groce, in the novel, expresses concerns that contemporary society tends to expect people with disabilities to adjust themselves in order to fit in with the social majority without making personal sacrifices in order to mold themselves and fully incorporate people with deafness into the social fold. The author describes the situation of majority versus minority as “an arbitrary social category” (Groce, 1985, p.108). This means that the author is attempting to reinforce that the needs of the disabled are impacted negatively due to the uninformed or illogical determinations being imposed on them by those in society who do not have experience or personal battles with disability. Groce describes in the novel a historical situation in which people in Martha’s Vineyard who were deaf would sit alongside their hearing peers so that the Sunday sermon could be taught using sign language. This replay of events occurring in history between majority society and those with hearing deficiencies reinforces that there was once a social connection between disabled persons and their non-disabled peers that brought considerable positive outcomes to both parties. Somewhere along the lines, the author seems to be attempting to point out that these social bonds and desire to express human value have been lost, being replaced with stereotypes that have served to isolate deaf citizens from participating in worthwhile activities such as love, loyalty and social cohesion. Despite the story being inspirational, it acts much like a wake-up call to the reader or to general society that these elements of human compassion and love for brother man should be redeveloped using these touching historical journeys as a mold for self-development in attitude toward the disabled. This is where “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” are considerably similar in their approaches to shedding new light on the struggles and triumphs of disability. As Bauby takes the reader through his personal journey of emotional heart-break, by comparing his physical deficiency to that of being trapped in a pressurized diving bell, he reinforces that underneath the exterior of paralysis lies a needful and emotionally-charged person looking for camaraderie, compassion and association. By having an autobiographical theme to the book, it gives a first-hand account of the problems associated with stroke paralysis so that the reader can role-play for a moment and consider how they might feel in a similar disabled scenario. The author uses a series of comparative metaphors to describe his plight so that readers understand the passion that a disabled person carries even though their bodies no longer perform like the rest of the social majority blessed without disability. Using concepts of humor, generosity and human drive, Bauby exposes misconceptions about disabled persons so that readers will rethink their modern attitudes about social inclusion and support for stroke victims to better the psychological and physical condition of people who suffer. From a comparative lens, both novels seem to underpin issues in society, though this is much more apparent in Groce’s book as it is expressly defined throughout the book. Groce believes whole-heartedly that people with disability can be functional and rewarding members of society if others will work harder to adjust their own belief systems and offer the support needed. The gains, as proposed by Groce, are immense and she uses actual historical events to support these assessments as a means to change reader attitude. Bauby accomplishes the same but through a personal telling of his fight for emotional and physical liberation while being essentially tossed around by caretakers like nothing more than a stone. With much less overt lessons, Bauby definitely assists the reader in taking on a new appreciation and understanding about stroke paralysis in a similar persuasive and poignant telling. Contrasts Groce’s novel stresses the value of the deaf through an age-old journey of situations that unfolded in a real-life society where deaf citizens abounded. It acts as a template, a foundation, to create a new social comprehension about the need for change in society and the variety of lessons that should be learned by a more self-centered modern culture. Bauby, however, uses personal experience and metaphor in an attempt to instill a sense of empathy for the plight of the paralyzed, almost in a more clinical methodology to reinforce that there is still a person with social belonging needs, dreams and personal goals, and an imaginative mind with much to offer those with the patience to uncover these hidden emotional desires. The largest difference between the two books is in the approach with Groce offering a social commentary and Bauby acting as a social educator. Bauby’s novel reinforces that underneath all human beings, regardless of their situation, is a need to cling to life even when trapped in a body that is simply flesh and blood with many physical weaknesses; his bedridden travel notes (Bauby, 1997). It is a tale of mortality versus godliness while the author emphasizes personal desire to recharge human spirit with an inherent desire to grow and experience the joys of living. It is the inspirational element of Bauby’s work that makes it distinct from Groce’s underlying theme who expresses the fundamental problems with modern society and their majority view on disabled persons. Bauby’s work is more in-depth and psychologically-based that deals with emotional issues of personal need for affiliation and positive reinforcement, while Groce uses a more factual approach as a means to compare universal human value to the state of current social standards and morality. In contrast, Bauby’s tale is inspirational while Groce’s work tends to be educational (at least in some aspects) as a means to make positive community changes that will benefit the broader society if adopted and reconsidered. Key Learning Lessons on Disability Both novels, despite their similarities and differences, manage to successfully elicit a sense of arousal in the reader that excites a new method of thinking about those struggling or managing disabling dysfunction. Key learning lessons in Groce’s work rest in knowing, based on fact, that deaf citizens can not only engage in positive interpersonal relationships, but also experience the human joys of romance and friendship. Even though the method needed to communicate with this group is substantially different from verbal discussion, the underlying principles that govern human behavior are present in the deaf citizen and need fulfillment by others in the community. “Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Heredity Deafness on Martha’s Vineyard” highlights the ability of citizens to come together as a unified force to bring more emotional value to the lives of those with hereditary deafness, emphasizing through historical tellings that it is absolutely possible and meets with long-term positive outcomes for the social majority. Bauby’s story gives a new insight into the mind behind the mask, in a proverbial sense, when considering the needs of those suffering from stroke-related problems and lying in a complete physiological paralysis. The first-hand account of internal issues such as affection and self-esteem, as two relevant examples, gives a more powerful educational experience so that the reader can familiarize themselves with the issues of anger, joy or even self-determination that are absolutely present despite disabilities. Conclusion The central themes of both novels are reinforcement of issues of human spirit and fortitude. Disabilities create difficulties for non-disabled members of society, as a matter of fact, when attempting to incorporate the disabled into regular lifestyle or social activities. Having to sign as a means of communications can be frustrating and time-consuming to learn, however Groce uses history as a means to show that if a person is willing to take the time and invest it into understanding and learning using sign language, they will find that deaf citizens provide considerable value and can build bridges between ignorance and knowledge. Both novels are tremendous in their approach to understanding disabilities and needs at the emotional level. Bauby’s novel gives a clinical and emotional overview of the problems associated with paralysis, perhaps in an effort to ensure that the reader never allows another stroke victim to proverbially fall through the cracks. Groce is much more aggressive in illustrating the social problems today using deafness as a catalyst for this understanding. Whether similar or in direct contrast, both novels change the reader in positive ways. References Bauby, J.D. (1997). The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. New York: Vintage International. Groce, N. (1985). Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness on Martha’s Vineyard. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Read More