Jake Strange
ENGL 254
February 22, 2015
Blog 6
For the second project of our class, I have identified a group that is involuntarily "othered" that may be both unique and interesting to research. After reading Mairs' "On Being a Cripple" and listening to the Invisabelia podcast "How to Become Batman" -- both of which I found to be insightful pieces -- I gave a lot of thought to different forms of impairment and the preconceived notions directed at those who are affected by them. Stemming from this, I believe examining amputees as an "othered" community would yield enough quality information for analysis.
Even from memory, I can think of several "underdog stories" of individuals who defied and exceeded others' expectations, learning (and relearning) to play instruments, compete athletically and live healthy, active lifestyles. That being said, I am sure I finding enough timely texts, both about the group and by the group, to offer a comprehensive understanding of my project will be simple. I am not sure exactly how many different types of texts I will examine at this early stage. I anticipate having a better estimate of this once I begin writing my first draft.
Jake,
ReplyDeleteI think this sounds like a great idea! It even makes me think you could focus on amputees who are war veterans because this seems to be the group that is most covered in the media. It could be interesting to look at the wayrhetorics of war intersect withrhetorics of disability.However, looking at just amputees in general would also be interesting and I think yield some good results.
Remember, though, you'll want to focus on either texts all BY amputees or all texts ABOUT amputees. The idea is to figure out how this group is constructed by those in the "normal" or how they are constructing themselves in relation to "normal."
Hey, Nicole!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the feedback. Reiterating the expectations for using texts (either one style or another) makes things clearer for me. I'll be sure to stick to one when I get started.
I did some preliminary digging around for materials that may be useful for the sake of this project. I found several pieces on a man named Kyle Maynard. Kyle was a state championship-qualifying wrestler in high school and has since wrote a book, won dozens of awards and - in 2012 - became the first quadruple amputee to climb Mount Kilimanjaro without assistance.
One piece that I think would be valuable for analysis is an ABC 20/20 special on Kyle's life. It dates back to 2005, but does a good job of focusing on Kyle's upbringing and determined spirit, much like the episode of Invisibilia we listened to. Can a piece like this be fully categorized as being ABOUT amputees, even though much of the video is interview footage of Kyle and his family members reflecting on his life?
- Jake
Video Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqRJ-178dVk