Deaf Like Me

Perhaps one reason that the parents felt such pain at the discovery of their daughter's deafness was that the mother Louise felt partly responsible because she had German measles during her pregnancy. Before their daughter's deafness is confirmed, their greatest fear seems to be that she will appear to be different to others, to the world. She will not be able to communicate through speech, in other words. She will be marked as different, she will, suffer, and they will suffer. They are momentarily relieved when they hear her laugh (22), not only because she has a voice but because it means that she must also have her hearing.

The story goes on to become an awakening for the parents, and for the reader, with respect to deafness and deaf people. Lynn becomes a daughter who is proud of herself and her intelligence and accomplishments, and her parents learn to love her as she is---communicating with sign language rather than the vocal speech they try to impose on her. The pare

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have to resort to gestures [i.e., sign language] or writing things on paper. Whatever sacrifice it meant, it would be worth it (49). These lessons about deafness in particular, and about acceptance un general, are effectively presented because of the simplicity of the style and the honesty of the account itself. The reader moves through the learning experience of the mother and father and daughter from the beginning. We immediately sympathize with the parents, and, of course, like them, would choose to have their daughter be "normal" so that she and they do not suffer. Gradually, however, we come to our humbling education with respect to Lynn and her deafness. Along with the parents, we begin to understand that the most important consideration in dealing with a deaf child is the child herself, and not the self-centered desires of the parents. What the parents wanted---a normal daughter who spoke aloud---was creating a miserable and frustrated child. Lynn was not only encouraged to try to speak, but she was also not allowed to learn to sign. The authors' book is compelling because it does not simply condemn the parents, but takes us step by step through the process of enlightenment they had to go through themselves in ord
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1357
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)