In one essay, Nancy Mairs, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, labels herself "a cripple." Mairs chooses this straightforward statement in order to inform the reader of her acceptance of the ramifications of her illness as well as her courage in face of the devastating malady. The honesty and sometimes bitter tone of the piece help convey Mairs" message behind her blunt assessment.
Mairs" ardor for the truth explains why she chooses to call herself a cripple. Mairs refuses to describe herself with kinder sounding euphemisms such as "disabled" or "handicapped" because she feels their definitions do not accurately describe the limitations imposed by her illness. Though she realizes that declaring herself a cripple might seem like a harsh statement to others, the author believes it is the term which fits best. "I like the accuracy with which it describes my condition. I have lost full use of my limbs." According to Mairs, the other popular euphemisms negate the magnitude of her illness. "I refuse to deny that I have lost anything in the course of this calamitous disease." The author's refusal to sugarcoat her ailment demonstrates her reasons for calling herself a cripple.
A bitter tone throughout the essay also imparts Nancy Mairs" basis for pronouncing herself a cripple. As Mairs writes in lines 10-13, "I want them to see me as a tough customer, one to whom the fates/gods/viruses have not been kind, but who can face the brutal truth of her existence squarely." This remark suggests that while she is angry that multiple sclerosis has robbed her of the ability to walk, she is still willing to face up to the disease. In another example of the bitter tone in the essay, Mairs writes, "Society is no readier to accept crippledness than to accept death, war, sex, sweat, or wrinkles." This passage indicates her agitation with society's inability to face the difficult truth in the way she has done.
Fortunately, most of us will never know what it is like to be handicapped or a "cripple". ... She became handicapped (though she prefers the term cripple) as a result of multiple sclerosis. ... She states, "Whatever you call me, I remain crippled" (241). "As a cripple I swagger? ... How did she become a cripple? ...
Throughout history our society, the "able-bodied society- looked down at crippled people as being only part human or "the other- because of their imperfections that most of us can't cope with, such as them being not able to walk. ... Even though in the Cripple of the Inishman by Martin Mcdonagh and " The Incomplete Quad- by David Sedaris, the authors write about different ideas about the disabled and how they are treated, they both seem to be aware of the ideas that Fiedler writes about in his essay about how the crippled are perceived and thought of in the world today. ... In Martin Mcd...
Just by opening with the phrase, "I am a cripple," Nancy has already set a serious tone for the reader who by now is asking the questions how is she a cripple and why has she said this? ... She says the word "cripple" has an "honorable history" as if the word itself deserves praises for being so truthful in its description. ... She uses the word "accurate" to explain her use of the word "cripple." ... Just as some gay or lesbian people call themselves queer, so does Nancy in referring to herself as a "cripple." She says that she would never refer to another person as a cripple, so it is a ...
"I Love Lucy" Too General purpose statement: To commemorate Specific Purpose statement: To commemorate Lucille Ball because she was a brave and brilliant woman Gained Attention and interest: Sometimes when people become famous they misplace their personal identity among the chaos and develo...
It is not a pleasing thing to be a crippled teenager. Adolescence is hard enough in normal circumstances, but when you add on other struggles it becomes a whole other world. It was as if a cow came falling from heaven and landed smack on top of me. One minute I was running, catching, and havin...
"One Step at a Time" Imagine going through life without being able to walk. People look at you differently, and sometimes even treat you differently. This is the case of my own mom, Rhonda M. Rhonda, a 40-year-old beloved mother and wife, has Advanced Lyme Disease. She ...
Poliomyelitis is a crippling disease caused by the poliovirus that can affect the entire body, including muscles and nerves (2). ... Poliomyelitis is a crippling disease caused by the poliovirus that can affect the entire body, including muscles and nerves (2). ...
This already gives the reader an idea of the cripple's characteristics, he is miserable and depressed. The next sentence tells how this cripple looks on life. ... In verse two Owen describes the cripple's life before his accident. ... "like some queer disease" It says in the next sentence that now he is "old", but he isn't, he is only one year older than he was before he got crippled. ... Owen tells the reader that girls no longer look at the crippled man but their eyes drift away to people with whole bodies. ...
Our character, Laura Wingfield, from Tennessee Williams" play, The Glass Menagerie, suffers from a crippled leg that causes her to limp whenever she walks. Over time, her crippleness has caused her to become incredibly shy to strangers and almost everyone around her. ... Her crippled leg over time has become a looming invisible adversary. She has been living in a dream world created by her mother whereas her leg is not crippled, but only a minor defect. ... She should know that other people probably wouldn't care that she is crippled. ...
