Jillian Weise was born in Houston, Texas in 1981. Her first collection of poetry was The Amputee’s Guide to Sex which was published in 2007. This collection of poetry is very fitting for Weise because she herself is an amputee. Weise was born with a birth defect which then made her an above the knee amputee. This idea of disabilities and being disability advocate can also found in many of her other poems. To Weise writing about disabilities is another form of advocacy. As she states in an interview with BOA Editions, “Many writers still use Sydney 's paradigm for how to write disability: Laugh at it or cry at it.”(BOA Editions). In writing about disabilities Weise likes to take a more realistic approach which to some is considered almost dark-humor. This allows her to write about disabilities and advocate for people …show more content…
Weise never intended to finish this poem, “I abandoned this poem for a while.Then I was reading Eileen Myles and David Lee and Ray McManus. Their work inspired me to go back to it”(Jillian Weise). Knowing that Weise has a disability allows reader to see that clearly in the poem.It also helps to make references to disablility more realistic for the reader since Weise has been dealing with it her whole life. Though just like Weise and other writers with disabilities do not like to be defined by their disability this poem is not only referencing disabilities. Weise writes about sex like in her first poetry collection The Amputee 's Guide to Sex but she also writes about relationship, mostly broken ones or ones which have lost passion like in her latest poetry collection The Book of Goodbyes.Her poem “ Beside You on Main Street” is no different,it also has to do with a loss of love and how passion and sex decrease in a relationship over
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Show MoreThe article states, “She took home gold at the state gymnastics championship” (Lewis 7). This shows, how you should always stay optimistic because Jen had a disability,
n Nancy Mairs essay, “Disability”, she illustrates the lack of representation of people with disabilities in the media. While disability plays a major role in Mairs’ life, she points out the various ways her everyday life is ordinary and even mundane. Despite the normalcy of the lives of citizens with disabilities Mairs argues the media’s effacement of this population, is fear driven. She claims, “To depict disabled people in the ordinary activities of daily life is to admit that there is something ordinary about the disability itself, that it may enter anybody’s life” (Mairs 14). Able bodied people worry about the prospect of eventually becoming physically impaired.
When people hear handicap they think not able to care for themselves. Nancy wants to be known as a tough individual able to take care of herself. The reader can feel the agony of what Nancy is feeling. The tone of this passage is determination and agony. Nancy feels that cripple is more stronger word than “handicap” or ‘disabled.”
In “Unspeakable Conversations” she details her experience. Harriet McBryde Johnson effectively uses the rhetorical appeals of ethos and pathos, along with her uses of first-person narrative and descriptive language, to support her argument that contrary to stereotypes, a person living with a severe disability can live a happy and fulfilling life. Harriet McBryde Johnson was born in 1957 with a neuromuscular disease. At the time of this essay, she had been disabled for over four decades. Born to parents who both taught foreign language, they were able to afford hired help but she knew it could not be for her whole life.
In her essay Nancy gracefully articulated her perception of her situation and chooses to label her as “Crippled”. The struggles that she goes through to in a day to day bases, for example when she starts off the essay by describing her experience in a bathroom stall and how she laughs at her own situation. She insightfully defines her being crippled in the way she pursues and interacts with the world. As I defined the word in a sense of being incompetent in day to day societal procedures which is exactly proven in the essay. She is slow and struggles in her day to rituals and she accepts it.
Reflection on the article, “The Virtues of Ballpark Normalcy” by Lisa Blumberg Lisa Blumberg defines ballpark normalcy as “ life that is not quite normal-but is ‘in the ballpark.” My question is what is normal? Every person young or old has strengths and weaknesses; this is true to anyone, whether they have a disability or not. The word ballpark in this context refers to a range.
In the essay, “On Being a Cripple,” Nancy Mairs uses humorous diction and a positive tone to educate people about life as a cripple and struggles of people with disabilities. She does this to show how hard it is to be disabled and how it differs from the life of someone without a disability. She talks about the struggles and the fears that disabled people must deal with on a daily basis. Mairs use of rhetoric creates a strong sense of connection and understanding for the reader. Nancy Mairs is successful in using detailed imagery, diction, and tone to educate her readers about the difficulties of living with a disability.
People with disabilities and their caretakers are stigmatized for not being able to keep up, but they are not viewed as not having a “real” disability if they are too productive. Instead of viewing this as a symptom for their disease or disability, Hillyer believes this is a healthier way of living, and she encourages her readers to adopt similar techniques for managing their responsibilities. She especially criticizes the unrealistic, fast-paced speed that women are expected to maintain, despite personal obstacles. Hillyer, having lived in the intersection between the feminist and disability communities for most of her life, emphasizes the importance of allowing women to abandon the traditional concept of a highly productive “superwoman” and instead replace it with the knowledge that every woman dealing with a disease or disability, in themselves or loved ones, is a
not only does she make fun of herself, but she also has a great sense of humor. The little details she puts on her stories will make you picture it in your mind. She just doesn't want her readers to see her as a handicap person, but a person who wants the world to see her as a tough woman. One whom the fates, gods, viruses have not been kind, but who can face the brutal truth of her disabilities.
People with disabilities are often viewed as less capable, less intelligent and not available to cope well in society. Mairs uses the different persuasive strategies such as ethos, logos and pathos to create a conscious awareness to build a world in which despite the differences everyone is treated with equality and dignity. She imagines her body as something other than problematic, but a reason to fight to build a world in which people wants her in. Mairs mentions in page 169 “I imagine a world where people, allowed the space to accept- admit, endure, embrace- their diverse and often difficult realities.” As Robert M Hensel, a famous Guinness world champion and a man with spina bifida said once “There is no greater disability in society, than the inability to see a person as
“Only 50 years ago persons with intellectual disabilities were scorned, isolated and neglected. Today, they are able to attend school, become employed and assimilate into their local community” (Nelson Mandela). Prior to the later part of the 20th century people with intellectual disabilities were often ridiculed, treated unfairly, feared, and locked away in institutions. According to Rhonda Nauhaus and Cindy Smith in their article Disability Rights through the Mid-20th Century, The laws of any nation reflect its societal values. The real life issue of discrimination towards people with intellectual disabilities in the United States and Australia is demonstrated in the novel, Of Mice and Men by showing how this issue affects one of the main characters, Lennie Smalls.
Scott Hamilton once stated, “The only disability in life is a bad attitude.” Disability is only an obstacle in a person's life, but it does not set the identity of that person. John Steinbeck's novel shows how disabled people are treated differently by writing about their heartbreak and sorrow. Many individuals with disabilities feel that a disability is a wall blocking them from achieving their goals. In our society, people are told what to be and what to do with their disability, but one should have the choice to carve their pathway to success.
She became an activist for the disabled. Keller’s story can inspire many to overcome adversity because of the fact she defied expectations by overcoming her disabilities to live a successful life. Before her sickness, Keller lived a simple, joyful life and showed signs of great intelligence. Keller was born
“Single-Handed Cooking” by JJ Goode speaks about his disability and how although he acknowledges it as an obstacle it isn 't one they aren 't continuously ready to overcome. He uses the example of cooking. It 's a task that for most does not require the intense focus that he needs ,yet it doesn 't stop him from cooking dishes ranging in difficulty. With each dish he successfully creates its a way to prove himself, while the mistakes no matter the cause are a failure. Which is why he continues to tackle demanding recipes because each time he achieves a great end result its another accomplishment.
The novel Flowers for Algernon written by Daniel Keyes effectively explores the complex human experiences of disability and the impact that it has on individuals and society through its three major themes; Self-realisation , Alienation and loneliness and treatment of the mentally disabled by society. Through these themes this response will highlight the difficulties experienced by people with disabilities and the people in their lives. The first theme in Flowers for Algernon is self-realisation. Charlie’s new found knowledge has allowed him to have the ability to voice his needs and wants for understanding, acceptance, and love.