DEAF 402 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Deafblindness, Eudora Welty, The Main Point
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
20th Century Stories with Deaf Characters
WRITING ASSINGMENT ONE ASSIGNED – INSTRUCTIONS ON CANVAS
- “Why it was W-on-the-Eyes” (1913) by Margaret Montague (American)
o What is the main point of the story? Use only 1-2 sentences and write it on the
board.
▪ The main point of the story was that oralism helps deaf kids and also to
ask questions and don’t assume what people’s stories are.
o The Deaf Experience
▪ How is the deaf experience portrayed or described in this story? To what
extent is the portrayal or description authentic?
• I feel that the deaf experience in this story is positive an authentic.
The kids at the school have access to their language, community,
and culture, which is very important. This story relates to what
today is like for deaf kids, because most of them are put into deaf
schools, introduced into their community, and gaining an identity
through their deaf culture. I know that there are still some kids
who don’t get that experience but a lot of them do, and this story
shows the positive perspective of the deaf experience, except for
the oralism concept in the story.
▪ What does Charlie’s mother symbolize?
• I think that Charlie’s mother symbolizes diversity, acceptance, and
access. Diversity because within their family there are three
different worlds: Deaf World, Hearing/Oral World, and Blind
World. Acceptance because she could’ve just given up on her son
because she’s blind and he’s deaf, but no she accepted this and
fought hard for her son. Access, because she gave her son an
education and connection within his own community.
o Deaf Character: Charlie Webster
▪ How is the deaf character portrayed or described in the story? To what
extent is the portrayal or description authentic?
• Loves the world, can’t communicate with his mom
• Proud and lonely
▪ What is the attitude toward the deaf character?
• Positive because he works so hard to learn to say “mother” to his
mom and is kind to all the students and has a brightness in his eyes
like no one else at the school
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Writing assingment one assigned instructions on canvas. I feel that the deaf experience in this story is positive an authentic. The kids at the school have access to their language, community, and culture, which is very important. This story relates to what today is like for deaf kids, because most of them are put into deaf schools, introduced into their community, and gaining an identity through their deaf culture. I think that charlie"s mother symbolizes diversity, acceptance, and access. Diversity because within their family there are three different worlds: deaf world, hearing/oral world, and blind. Acceptance because she could"ve just given up on her son because she"s blind and he"s deaf, but no she accepted this and fought hard for her son. To what extent is the portrayal or description authentic: deaf, dumb, weird, albert is more quiet and submissive towards ellie, ellie is more negative and speaks her mind, what is the attitude toward the deaf character, pity, sorrow.
