Book Review on No Pity PDF

Preview

Summary

REVIEW THE BOOK- NO PITY...

Description

1

Book Review: No Pity by Joseph Shapiro

Student's Name Institution Affiliation Course Name and Number Instructor's Name Date

2

Book Review: No Pity by Joseph Shapiro Summary No Pity is a book about people with disabilities who struggle to receive civil rights. As he would encourage other nondisabled persons, Shapiro regarded incapacitated individuals as "fully accepted participants in everyday life" (p. 332). Shapiro considers disabled persons as belonging to a minority group. According to Shapiro, "Nondisabled Americans do not understand the disabled ones' (Shapiro, 1994, p. 3). The statement is a clear indication of the need to create awareness about the needs of disabled people. The book is a result of the findings of Shapiro's study of several disabled persons that he had interviewed. Shapiro uses interviews and historical information from real-life happenings as the primary data sources in his book. The Plot The story dates back to the 17th century in Martha's Vineyard of the deaf community. Shapiro tells of the story of Ed Roberts, a handicapped activist whom the society despised and described as a "freak in a bicycle." In another chapter, Shapiro talks about Jim's confinement in a Minnesota mental institution because of his learning disability. The writer argues that Jim could have done much better, receiving a mechanical skill, than going through the regular education system. Shapiro is, however, inconsistent in his views regarding people with disabilities. He does not interview or feature individuals living with chronic sicknesses but describes them as active participants of the movement. On a scale of one to 10, the plot receives six points.

3

Character Development Shapiro has strong character development. Many of Shapiro's generalization concerning the views and beliefs of the disabled persons are correct. Shapiro introduces individuals who broke the chains of disability and made remarkable achievements. Besides introducing characters such as Ed Roberts, Jim, Nancy Cleaveland, and Larry McAfee, Shapiro tells about T.J. Monroe, who had spent twenty-three years in institutions. Monroe left the institution, became part of the self-advocacy movement, and encouraged disable persons to "speak for their rights" (Shapiro, 1994, pp. 192-193). Besides, Shapiro introduces the story of President George Bush, who had many disabled relatives. Shapiro describes the family as a "hidden army" that formed influential politicians (p.105). Character development gets a scale of nine out of 10. Organization of the Book In No Pity, Shapiro describes the hardships that disabled people encounter as they fight for inclusion in a civil rights movement. Shapiro has a great organization of his book. He begins by showing how nondisabled individuals mistreat and discriminate against the disabled. Shapiro uses real-life stories to narrate and describe the experiences of people living with disabilities. However, Shapiro discourages feeling pity on people with disabilities. He shows their struggle and achievement informing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. The organization of the book rates nine out of 10. Images and Graphics

4 This book contains several images that assert its purpose. One image is that of a blind person holding a bundle of pencils in one hand and tin in the other. Secondly, a boy scout helping an older woman cross a street. Thirdly, the poster child battling to walk although crippled. Fourthly, the embittered life of a meager confined in a wheelchair. To disabled persons, these images and graphics are self-diminishing, while the nondisabled consider them as helpless persons struggling to live through the mercy of well-wishers. Through illustrations, Shapiro examines the special concerns of the disabled persons and the positive impact of technology by developing multiple aids. Style of writing In his book, Shapiro uses persuasive writing to persuade and influence readers to accept his personal opinion of not pitying the disabled persons but regard them as equal members of society. He states that disability "is the one minority that anyone can join at any time" (p. 7). However, Shapiro tends to impose and assert his views regarding how people with disabilities feel about their conditions. For example, Shapiro (1994) narrates about a woman painfully struggling to walk but cannot and still holds onto the belief of walking again. Shapiro considers this as "a way to hide from the stigma of disability" (pp. 218-219) Themes Several themes in No Pity include disability as an identity, discrimination, and social inclusion. The book describes the disability movement as a transition from pity. Disabled persons object to the message that they are less than the rest of the people in society. The charity billboards and the poster children of telethon show that disability is curable. Shapiro calls for

5 social inclusion of minority groups. He disapproves of discrimination and stereotyping of disabled persons. Personal Reflection In No Pity, Shapiro calls for the involvement of disabled people in work, society, and opportunities to interact with other people. It is essential to consider incapacitated persons as equal to nondisabled persons. Shapiro triumphs in advising the need to banish stereotyping through his narratives and subtle statements. Shapiro recommends to society not to look down pitifully on people with disabilities. The interviews provide the reader with an understanding of the lives of disabled persons. The narratives from the interviews bring life to the story.

6

References Shapiro, J.P. (1994). No Pity: People with disabilities forging a new civil rights movement. Times Books....