Aahuti mkbu paper writing comprtition
- 1. Research Paper Writing Competition Research Paper Presentation March 11, 2022 Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar Uni. Bhavnagar Aahuti D Dhandhukia Research Scholar(Ph.D) Department of English MKBU Asst. Prof.(English) Government Engineering College, Bhavnagar
- 2. “Breaking Bones or Barriers?”- Disability, Crises and the Role of Society in Jodi Picoult’s Handle with Care Author Jodi Picoult www.jodipicoult.com
- 3. Significance of the Paper Isolation, dismemberment and deprivation of the disabled people is inseparable to human experience and existence. Human experience of Disability needs to be explored and to be integrated in teaching and scholarship. Disability Studies examines meaning and consequence of disability as socio-cultural construct to understand lived reality of disability. Representation of disability in literature shapes people’s perceptions. Realistic representation helps us empathize to disability experience. Insight to understand disability is essential to create barrier-free and inclusive society. (UN’s MDGs and SDG-10 of Reducing Inequality).
- 4. Disability and Social Perspectives Socio-cultural perspectives on disability continue to vary and change (Munyi 1). Disabled people are completely rejected or treated as economic liability (Munyi 2). Society discriminates and reinforces isolation to physical, cognitive, emotional or sensory difference of disability (Kuppers 109). Disability, in America, is used to justify inequality to other groups and still is absent from historical inquiry (Bantyon 17). disabled
- 5. Medical Model • It views disability in terms of ‘impairment’ and seeks ‘correction’ or ‘cure’. • Considers disability as ‘personal tragedy’, ‘life-long dependence’ and ‘burden to health-care system’. • Medical Humanities including literature and art can develop the doctor’s insight to understand patient’s subjective world (Oyebode preface vii). Therefore, it can become essential for disabled people seeking medical assistance.
- 6. Social Model • Disability Activism distinguishes between ‘impaired by body’ and ‘disabled by society’. • Inaccessible structure and apathetic attitude of the society makes person ‘disabled’ in social environment. The onus of responsibility is shifted from person to society. • Leads to the formation of disability legislation world-wide. • Challenges: (qtd in Shakespeare 15-17) o Ignores voice and agency of disabled person. o Reduces disability to singularity. o Accessibility to each type of disability is not possible. o Does not address emotional experience and pain of disability.
- 7. Literary Disability Studies • Addresses fundamental human experience of disability with its wholesomeness. • In English Literature, disabled characters are rare and marginalized. They are presented to bring out virtues of protagonist. • Literary critics often tend to interpret disability as literary device, which restricts our understanding of disability experience. • Considers disabled characters as “complex characters living everyday life in different way” (Hall 2). • There exists a gap between disability experience and its representation in American literature. Stereo-types to arouse pity and fear highlights physical difference (Garland- Thomson 11).
- 8. Research Gap • To study severe and rare disability in literature which is depicted at the level of character and theme. • To study type, nature and intensity of disability in disability experience. • To study interactive nature of Medical Model and Social Model for certain types of disability.
- 9. Research Objectives • To understand human experience of severe physical disability of Osteogenesis Imperfecta • To analyze the nature of Medical Model for the disability of Osteogenesis Imperfecta • To explore physical, emotional, familial, financial, educational, moral-ethical crises presented in the novel Handle with Care • To examine the role of contemporary social institutions in the life of disabled child with Osteogenesis Imperfecta
- 10. Handle with Care (2009) by Jodi Picoult The literary text has been analyzed with following aspects: • Osteogenesis Imperfecta and Medical Institution • The State and Accountability of Conduct • Dismemberment at School • Wrongful Birth Suit and Moral-ethical implications • Technology and Media • Disability, Care and Family • Disability and the Church • Role of Disability Organizations • Desire and Death
- 11. Willow Tree and Breaking Bones https://appiamerica.com/lessons/chapt er-13-osteogenesis-imperfecta/ Willow Tree (Google image) Bends but does not break
- 12. Osteogenesis Imperfecta and Medical Institution • The novel introduces Willow’s disability in a straight forward way, in terms of impairment in Prologue. • OI type III is severe and rare disability with respiratory issues, joint problems, bone pain, mussels weakness, skull-spinal deformity and short stature. • Likely emotional disorders are anxiety, post-traumatic disorder, awareness of being ‘different’ and suicidal thoughts. • Non-disabled doctors’ opinions perpetuate myth about disability (Brisnden 173). The expert doctor of OI lacks in empathy. • Direct association of medical institution differs according to type and intensity of disability.
- 13. Disability and Accountability of State • Disability legislation provides protection but ignorance of government officials about particular type and nature of disability does more harm to disabled persons and family. • Willow’s bones break accidently but parents are accused of child-abuse. They are not allowed to see Willow at hospital. • Due to insensitive conduct, family trip turns out into a disaster.
- 14. Dismemberment at School • inclusive education is master-key to inclusive society. • Infrastructural inadequacy and lack of empathetic attitude make disabled child Willow feel estrangement and dismemberment at school. • Though she is called ‘Little Einstein’ (19), she needs to go to school for physical activities and socialization. • In stead of growing, Willow experiences infantilization when, because of her short stature she is assigned the role of baby in a house-game and she cries out “I’m not a baby”(109). • When education institute escapes from its obligation, Willow breaks hardest shoulder-bone and looks like “broken wings of bird”(108).
- 15. Wrongful Birth Suit and Moral-ethical implications • Lawyer’s perception about disability- “emotional burden of living day in and day out with the child with these particular health-problems” (49). • Wrongful birth suit assumes that had the mother been informed of severe disability of foetus by her obstetrician, she would have choice to terminate her pregnancy. • For doctors, it is moral-ethical dilemma: How to decide which disabilities are worth living, and how far the doctors have authority and accountability to approve or annihilate any human birth?
- 16. Cont….. • Charlotte initiates this suit for financial security for her daughter Willow, but her win of law suit and rewarding damages turns into loss as husband Sean seeks divorce and Willow feels abandoned. • Women’s rights over their body confront with disabled children’s birth and existence. Disabled children are viewed as ‘mistake’. • Selective termination of pregnancy is painful for mother. • Such concept leads to eugenic concern of genetically designed babies and extends the rights of state to normalize the body.
- 17. Technology and Media Technology has empowered the life of disabled people by offering opportunities of learning and socializing and thereby overcoming mobility restriction. During hospitalization and bed- rest, Willow continues internet surfing and learning new facts. She contacts disabled friends through e-mail. • Print and electronic media play disruptive role as they give wide coverage to wrongful birth suit initiated by Charlotte and people suspect and criticize her for this action. Willow and Amelia come to know the details of law suit through media reporting and feel insecure and humiliated in public.
- 18. Disability, Care and Family • Parents were informed about the disability of OI and they welcome Willow’s birth with eagerness and warmth. • Mother stops working as chef and provides constant care to Willow. Whenever Bones break, it is she to rush to the hospital, stay with Willow, dresses her and takes her to the washroom. • Father admits to Willow: “I love you in theory, if not in practice”(233). • The novel explores sibling care, concern, ignorance and rivalry. Amelia is aware of what Willow is good at and what she can not do. As Willow consumes parental priority, she feels ignored. She also falls victim of bulimia and self-injury and gets restored through rehabilitation.
- 19. Disability and the Church Religion treats disability as either angelic or evil but not human. The Catholic priest considers Willow “a special child” but consoles father Sean as “God does not give burden one can not handle”(188). His desire to heal Willow through his blessings degenerates disability to a curse. The Role of Disability Organization Disability activism has raised self- awareness as well as community- identity among the disabled people, which formed cross-disability and disability-specific organizations. Charlotte takes Willow to Biannual Osteogenesis Imperfecta convention, where Willow meets likewise people and feels Normal. This Convention makes Willow feel happy what she missed at school.
- 20. Desire and Death • Contemporary American society is not presented as completely barrier-free and accessible. Places of occupation and recreation are very few for wheel-chair users. • At the end of the novel, we are introduced to Willow’s voice. As she feels bored at home, she desires for adventure. • She tries to walk on frozen ice of a pond, ice breaks and Willow is drowned. • Willow is happy that it is ice that breaks… not she. • The author may have wished this novel to be ice-breaking to empathize with disability experience and create inclusive society.
- 21. Conclusion • Severe disabilities such as OI are crises that are immense and multifold. • Even accessible society can not stop bones from breaking, but inclusive society can ensure that hopes and desires of the disabled do not break. • Severe disability of OI are precarious human identity that a small lapse in care, a small step to fulfil human desire may turn devastative. • Family is back-bone for disabled children; and Disability Studies should address kinship relationship and policy and programmes should consider empowerment of family along with disabled person. • In the case of certain disabilities, Medical Model cannot be dispensed with and hence, needs to emancipate with Medical Humanities. • Different disabilities need different infrastructure for accessibility. • Medical Model and Social Model should be interactive to improve quality human life of disabled people.
- 22. Works Cited • Brisenden, Simon. "Independent Living and Medical Model of Disability." Disability and Society 1.2 (1986): 173-178 • Convention on the Rghts of Persons with Disabilities. 2008. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs.2008, https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html. • Disability and Millennium Development Goals: A Review of the MDG Process and Strategies for Inclusion of Disability Issues in Millennium Development Goal Efforts. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. 2011, www.un.org.< www.un.org/disabilities/documents/review_of_disability_and_the_mdgs.pdf. • Douglas, Baynton C. "Disability and the Justification of Inequality in American History." Diability Studies Reader, edited by Lenard J. Davis, 4th ed., New York, Routledge, 2013, 17-33. • Garland- Thomson, Rosimarie. Extra-Ordinary Bodies:Figuring Physical Disability in American Culture and Literature. New York: Columbia University Press, 1997. • Hall, Alice. Literature and Disability . New York: Routeledge, 2016. • Kuppers, Petra. Disability Cilture and Comminity Performance: Find a Strange and Twisted Shape. UK, Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. • Longmore, Paul. ""Heaven's Special Child"- The Making of Poster Children." Disability Studies Reader. Ed. Lennard J Davis. 4th Edition. New York: Routledge, 2013. 34-41. Print. • Munyi, Chomba. "Past and Present Perceptions towards Disability: A Historical Perspective." Disability Studies Quarterly 32.2 (2012). • Oyebide , Femi. Mindreadings: Literature and Psychiatry. Ed. Femi Oyebode. South Indian Edition. London: Byword Books, 2009. • Picoult, Jodi. Handle with Care. New York: Washington Square Press, 2009. • Shakespeare, Tom. "The Social Model of Disability: An Outdated Ideology?" Research in Social Sciences and Disability 2 (2002): 9-28. • Snyder, Sharon L, Bendra Jo Brueggmann and Rosemarie Garland- Thomson. "Introduction: Integrating Disability into Teaching and Scholarship." Disability Studies: Enabling Humanities. Ed. Sharon L Snyder, Brenda Jo Brueggmann and Rosemarie Garland- Thomson. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 2002. 1-12.