Analysis Of Nancy Mairs s On Being A Cripple

In Nancy Mairs On Being a Cripple, she deliberates the relationship between the English Language, American Society, and her struggle with multiple sclerosis (MS). Mairs criticizes people for wincing at the word cripple, and using terms like â€Å"differently abled,† because they lack reality and accuracy. She equivalents society’s inability to accept crippledness with death, war, sex, sweat, and wrinkles. Through the usage of ethos, pathos, logos and other rhetorical devices, she effectively tells her story and proves that there is power in words, from which she could come to terms with a new fact of her identity, and to accept the incurability of her disease. Mairs begins her essay with a short anecdote that includes a humorous metaphor†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Cripple† seems to me a clean word, straightforward and precise.† This ultimately deems language as an intrinsic factor in claiming an accurate identity. Simply by naming the obstacle when it arises, enables one to regain control over it. Similarly, when placing so many people living disabilities under an umbrella term, it erases the truth and the unique experiences of their ailment, and/or in Mairs’ circumstance, the word may not even appropriately describe them. Additionally, Mairs continues to discuss the role of society in her struggle with multiple sclerosis. Though she has a relatively positive perspective of herself, Mairs admits that her self- perception often wavers not only because of the realities of MS, but also from societal pressures. â€Å"Part of the pressure arises from social expectations. In our society, anyone who deviates from the norm had better find some way to compensate.† Because of this, Mairs intends to be a â€Å"good cripple† and live life to the best of her ability. She recalls her adolescent conflict with self-alienation that was due to the influence of society’s version of an ideal woman, and how those feelings resurged in response to the devastation diagnosis of MS. â€Å"Like many women I know, I have always had an uneasy relationship with my body...the self-loathing I feel is neither physically nor intellectually substantial. What I hate is not me but aShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Nancy M airs s On Being A Cripple1187 Words   |  5 PagesNancy Mairs is the author of the controversial essay On Being a Cripple. Here, she writes of her experiences dealing with the degenerative disease, Multiple Sclerosis, on a daily basis as well as her preferences on the proper terms are for what to call a person who is disabilities. Although she uses the term crippled to describe herself, she believes that no one should use it to describe another. Her argument, though it stands on unstable grounds, is effective in bringing attention in sharing oneRead MoreThe Effects Of Imperialism In George Orwells Shooting An Elephant1633 Words   |  7 Pagesclaim and experiences are very relatable today because as long as there are fathers and mothers and families, there are going to be those that re-live the past and create memories that last their families a lifetime, or perhaps even longer.    Process Analysis: Joan Didion, On Keeping a Notebook   Ã‚  Ã‚   In the selection On Keeping a Notebook, Joan Didion uses her experiences in day to day life as a writer in order to demonstrate the importance/methods of keeping a daily notebook. Didion appeals to her audience