Essay on bring a cripple PDF

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English college level essay on bring a cripple...

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JOURNAL # 7: NANCY MAIRS, ON BEING A CRIPPLE

SECTION (A): SUMMARY Nancy Mairs, now 70 years old, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 28. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease that damages the nerve cells and makes it difficult for parts of the nervous system to communicate with one another. In Mairs' essay "On Being a Cripple", she explains why she prefers to use the term "cripple" in identifying herself. She says it is "a clean word, straightforward and precise," and that it accurately describes her situation and condition. To her, words like "handicapped" and "disabled" are "moving away from [her] condition, to be widening the gap between word and reality," and "some realities do not obey the dictates of language." Another term Mairs mentions is "differently abled", which she calls "pure verbal garbage designed, by its ability to describe anyone, to describe no one." Through her discussion of the word "crippled" as opposed to its politically correct synonyms, she reveals her disdain for such linguistic gymnastics that are performed in order "to describe anyone" and "to describe no one." Still, she says that she "would never refer to another person as a cripple," for it is only the word she has chosen for herself, not others. This clarification establishes that the words one uses to identify oneself, whether they be politically correct or not, should not be dictated by other people. One must choose their own identifiers, not have them be chosen by someone else. She has her doubts and says that "tugging at the fringes of [her] consciousness always is the terror that people are kind to [her] only because [she's] a cripple." Mairs confides, "I hate being crippled, I sometimes hate myself for being a cripple." Yet even though she identifies herself as "a cripple", Nancy Mairs does not allow it to define her entire life and says, although she has suffered many losses, "I’ve been lucky so far...a disease is not...going to determine who I am." She finds amusement and joy in life "propped by the acceptance and the assistance and, sometimes, the amusement of those around me." But Mairs makes the distinction that "what [she] hate[s] is not [herself] but a disease," because while much of her life is affected by her MS, "[She is] not a disease."

SECTION(B): WRITING POINT AND QUOTATION

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“As a cripple, I swagger.”

The Irony highlights the pride she finds in a label that others may find as offensive, but she finds truthful and correct. ●

“I am not a disease.”(page 253)

A very short yet strong quote with a lot of meaning behind it Shows that she will not let a disease define her, and control her life. ●

Maris compares herself to, “Some sort of bright fingered muse.”

She uses this metaphor, because one of her students are so fascinated with the details she puts into painting her fingernails. The student looks Mairs as an inspiration for fine detail, so the student continues to write essays. (page 264) ●

Mairs also compares, “to feeling like Tiny Tim, peering over the edge of the table at the christmas goose, waving my crutch, piping down God’s blessing on us all. Only sometimes I don’t want to play Tiny Tim. i’d rather be caliban, a most scurvy monster.” (page 266)

This simile shows how mairs feels upon being crippled. She will be the person she is and live it to it’s most potential, although she would rather be someone who is capable of breaking the potential she holds.

SECTION (C) : FREE RESPONSE Nancy Mairs uses vivid imagery in order to paint a stark portrait of the challenges faced with being disabled. Mairs describes her condition as “crippled”, parts of her body incapacitated due to degeneration from multiple sclerosis. A disease that affects the autoimmune system, MS erodes away at the myelin sheath on the axons of neurons, scarring motor tissue. As a result, loss of mobility, eyesight, and control over bodily functions are some of the challenges faced by MS patients. Mairs delves into deep underlying issues of the disease. Not only does Mairs feels she is a prisoner in her weakening body, her mind is also under extreme duress. She resents the idea of being a burden to those around her, and as a result strives to

remain an active individual, despite her condition. Mairs preoccupies herself through studying, teaching, and freelance editing; all while tackling the challenges of motherhood. Mairs details her experiences with MS through using a humorous tone, in order to inject light into such a dark topic: “I lead, on the whole, an ordinary life, probably like the one I would have led had I not had MS. I am lucky my predilections were already solitary, sedentary, and bookish” (48). Here, Mairs pokes fun at her condition by stating her life has not changed much, since she already preferred cerebral activities over physical ones. Mairs uses quirky anecdotes in order to portray that her life is not as grim as people assume. Nancy Mairs’ story of the trials and tribulations of MS reminds my of my friend’s mother. All throughout Middle School, I had one good friend, who I spent weekends and holidays with. Her mother also had MS, and as a result certain activities such as blow drying her hair proved to be stressful on her hands/joints. As a result of MS, she suffered from a constant throbbing pain throughout her limbs. Despite this, she did not let MS control her life. My friend’s mother was always upbeat, active, and positive. Every year we would go to the annual MS walk on Jones Beach in support. Her zeal for life made me appreciate the small things that we often take for granted....