Assignment task: The question: "Why is literary representation of disability important"?
Image
The image depicts the film Music, directed by SIA, and a tweet next to it highlights the extreme acting that they mention is done by able-bodied people to make fun of people with autism often. The film is an example of a negative representation of older teens/adults with autism; showing an "uncontrollable" behavior that COULD be feared, stressful, and outside the able-bodied person. To add salt to the wound, the actress is dole-bodied, so they could never understand the physical aspect or the condition.
Video
The video is taken from the film Elf and shows Peter Dinklage playing a successful CEO/Business owner, as Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell) calls him an 'ell' for his height. It can be argued that this is a positive representation, as Dinklage's character is strong, confident and independent as he defends himself from the "bullying." Dinklage has achondroplasia, and the scene takes a comedic route as buddy is genuine in his questions. The scene works well because it isn't funny because of Dinklage's disability; it's because Buddy doesn't know and is experiencing more of the real world.
Article
The article talks about a mother named Lindsay Filcik and her daughter, Ivy, who has Down syndrome. Lindsay went viral on instagram after posting a photo of her daughter with a doll that looks like her and explained how disabilities for children have to be represented through media and small things such as toys. These positive representations not only work to include disabled community but create a new normal within society.
Explain that whiteboard narratively by engaging the reading and lecture material from weeks 7-9. You can make references to several of the assigned texts, but you must focus your response on ONE theoretical text from Tobin Siebers, "Disability in Theory: From Social Constructionism to the New Realism of the Body" (DSR 173) and ONE literary text from Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of the Four (Chapters 7-12)
- Minimum of 1,000 words, excluding large block quotes, that explains the "I argue that..." sentence
- Must focus on one theoretical text and one literary text from the assigned material
- Must reference at least one idea from the video lectures