Norden, Martin. “You’re a Surprise from Every Angle: Disability, Identity, and Otherness in The Hunchback of Notre Dame” Diversity in Disney Films: Critical Essays on Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Sexuality and Disability. Cheu, Johnson, ed. McFarland, 2013. Print.
In this article, Martin Norden examines the representations of Quasimodo portrayed in the Disney animated movie, the Hunchback of Notre Dame. His main claim is that instead of improving social acceptance towards disabilities as indicated by the filmmakers, the film in fact reinforces the attitudinal barrier which excludes disabled people from the communities. He illustrates his main claim by focusing on the identity issues which inform the Quasimodo character and the way that the producers
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He received his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1977 with a major of Radio-TV-Film. His study focuses on the film representation of people with physical disabilities, the film construction of evil, selected Disney films and so on. So Norden can be considered as a credible writer. This article is peer-reviewed by Johnson Cheu, who is a professor of writing as well as rhetoric and American culture at Michigan State University. The McFarland Company is a publisher for academic books. It had published 5000 titles by 2011. The editor and publisher both add credibility to this article. Norden’s propose in writing this article is likely to add discussion to the Social model of disability studies, which is the social and cultural construction of individual’s disabled status. His intended audience is the scholars who also do research in the related fields and the producers who are responsible for portrayals of disabled characters, since he tries to call attention to improve the long-existing discrimination towards disabilities. However, since most of Norden’s studies focus on the representation of disabled characters in films or on TV, his analysis might lacks of practical applications in realistic world. Another bias is that he mainly discusses how the filmmakers conflict with themselves in creating the figure of Quasimodo, but he doesn’t combine his discussion with sufficient evidence in the
The two essays “On Being a Cripple” by Nancy Mairs and “A Plague of Tics” by David Sedaris are excellent pieces of work that share many similarities. This paper would reflect on these similarities particularly in terms of the author, message and the targeted audience. On an everyday basis, people view those with disabilities in a different light and make them conscious at every step. This may be done without a conscious realisation but then it is probably human nature to observe and notice things that deviate from the normal in a society. In a way people are conditioned to look negatively at those individuals who are different in the conventional
While the novel Of mice and men and the film What’s eating Gilbert Grape have different plots and settings, the themes of the two stories are very comparable. The stories depict how taking care of people with disabilities is very challenging and the problems they encounter in their day to day activities. Gilbert (What’s eating Gilbert Grape) has the task of taking care of Arnie his brother and George (Of mice and men) takes care of his childhood friend Lennie. Both of this characters Arnie and Lennie have mental disabilities and rely on their caregivers in life. The responsibility of taking care of Arnie and Lennie is frustrating but George and Gilbert still love them. This paper aims to compare and contrast the novel Of Mice
All these and more evidences used in the book support Peterson’s thesis and purpose—all of them discuss how having a disability made Peterson and others in her situation a part of the “other”. Her personal experience on media and
The hardships of living with a disability are communicated using minor characters as props and how they are misconceived as being unintelligent or even abnormal. For example, a waitress suggests that Raymond is a “very clever boy”. Fascinatingly, she is the only minor character who treats Raymond with respect and sympathy, in contrast to Charlie and the general public who evidently takes advantage of his condition. In addition, the mise-en-scene composed of high key lighting and a wide-angle shot creates an ambient atmosphere, which makes it seem as if Raymond is unique, in contrast to abnormal or strange.(Cinematheque, 2010, p. 1). This conversation with the waitress shows that Ray’s disability makes him unique, in a positive way, especially because the general public seem to be uneducated about mental disabilities in this film; this is evidently shown where a man is seen screaming as Raymond, as he stands in the middle of a busy intersection. As a result, the director breaks down these misconceptions and generalisations about the, as if he is reprimanding that the disabled are a part of our society and that they should be treated with respect.
Riley uses strong method to write this article like, logos, pathos and ethos, he argues how the people with disabilities are portrayed in the media. He uses good examples and he has feelings towards this topic and expresses through respectful tone. He gives many problems and discussion on the problem and the solution for it. Throughout an article, Charles uses his rhetorical organization to argue that people with disabilities are not treated with respect and right way, and it needs to be change. It doesn’t matter if he or she is a celebrities or not people with the disabilities should be treated
Disability is a ‘complex issue’ (Alperstein, M., Atkins, S., Bately, K., Coetzee, D., Duncan, M., Ferguson, G., Geiger, M. Hewett, G., et al.., 2009: 239) which affects a large percentage of the world’s population. Due to it being complex, one can say that disability depends on one’s perspective (Alperstein et al., 2009: 239). In this essay, I will draw on Dylan Alcott’s disability and use his story to further explain the four models of disability being The Traditional Model, The Medical Model, The Social Model and The Integrated Model of Disability. Through this, I will reflect on my thoughts and feelings in response to Dylan’s story as well as to draw on this task and my new found knowledge of disability in aiding me to become
In the book, The Short Bus, Jonathan Mooney’s thesis is that there is more to people than their disabilities, it is not restricting nor is it shameful but infact it is beautiful in its own way. With a plan to travel the United States, Mooney decides to travel in a Short bus with intentions of collecting experiences from people who have overcome--or not overcome--being labeled disabled or abnormal. In this Mooney reinvents this concept that normal people suck; that a simple small message of “you’re not normal” could have a destructive and deteriorating effect. With an idea of what disabilities are, Mooney’s trip gives light to disabilities even he was not prepared to face, that he feared.
This tone is also used to establish an appeal to pathos which he hopes to convince the audience of the fact that handicapped people are still people and not less than anyone else. A very prominent example of Peace’s emotion is displayed when he says, “Like many disabled people, I embrace an identity that is tied to my body. I have been made to feel different, inferior, since I began using a wheelchair thirty years ago and by claiming that I am disabled and proud, I am empowered,” (para. 15). This declaration demonstrates to his audience that Peace is honored by who he is and what disabled people can do and that he is tired of being oppressed by the media. Peace also makes this claim to support his thesis in the first paragraph that states, “The negative portrayal of disabled people is not only oppressive but also confirms that nondisabled people set the terms of the debate about the meaning of disability,” (para. 1). This is Peace’s central argument for the whole article and explains his frustration with society’s generalization of handicapped people and the preconceived limitations set on them. Peace’s appeal to pathos and tone throughout are extremely effective in displaying to his audience (society) that those who have disabilities are fed up with the limits that have been placed in the
This movie had made an advocate out of me. Historically, we have been taught that people with disabilities are different and do not belong among us, because they are incompetent, cannot contribute to society or that they are dangerous. We’re still living with the legacy of people with disabilities being segregated, made invisible and devalued. The messages about people with disabilities need to be changed. There needs to be more integration of people with disabilities into our culture to balance out the message. Because of our history of abandonment and initialization, fear and stigma impact our choices more than they would if acceptance, community integration, and resources were a bigger part of our history.
District 9 is a film that takes us into a realm of a different world from the one that we know now. It combines extraterrestrial life with immense science fiction to illustrate a story we could only imagine to ever actually occur. Although it was created for entertainment purposes, the motion picture can be compared to many different types of individuals and situations. District 9 displays many underlying concepts throughout the movie about racism, prejudice and discrimination. While studying and analyzing the plot and characters, these concepts became more translucent to me, the viewer. This paper will discuss the treatment of District 9 residents and equate their treatment to people with disabilities.
Margarita with a Straw enters the domain where it shows disabled bodies as both subjects and objects of a range of erotic desires and practices. It deals with the portrayal of bisexual identity of a girl, Laila, who has cerebral palsy. Laila is depicted negotiating with her sexuality in an abelist and heteronormative culture where the constant subordination of homosexuality to heterosexuality and disability to able-bodiedness allows heterosexuality and able-bodiedness to be institutionalized as ‘normal’ and anything not abiding with the normative comes under scrutiny. The paper talks about the representation of disability and sexuality in the film and the way in which Laila's impairment adds another layer for the film to come under the scanner of Central Board of Film
: It was 1482 on the Day of the Festival of Fools. The protagonist, Quasimodo, otherwise known as the Hunchback of Notre Dame, was named the ugliest person in Paris. The antagonist in this story is Archdeacon Claude Frollo. Frollo uses Quasimodo as a personal slave and keeps him in a tall tower. One day, Quasimodo looks out of the tower to see a beautiful gypsy dancer La Esmerelda. La Esmerelda is dancing in the town square when a struggling poet named Pierre Gringoire attacks her. Quasimodo takes action and saves La Esmerelda. However, when Phoebus de Chateaupers arrives, he suspects that Quasimodo was the one who attacked La Esmerelda. Quasimodo is later put on trial and publicly humiliated. La Esmerelda helps Quasimodo by giving him water. To save Quasimodo’s life La Esmeralda agrees to marry Phoebus. Frollo is quite angry with this plan because he is in love with La Esmeralda. La Esmeralda goes home with Phoebus and on the way home Frollo stabs Phoebus repeatedly. La Esmeralda then falsely confesses to killing him and she is sentenced to be hanged. Right before La Esmeralda is g...
Disney promotes sexisim by forcing young girls to live in a patriarchal world. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The little mermaid, Aladdin, and Snow White are all examples of popular Disney movies that encourage young viewers that they need a man to save the day. Yes, it’s true that there are recent movies such as Moana and Frozen that prove otherwise, but how long will it take to completely get over the fact that women are mainly viewed as secondary citizens compared to the men? There are countless examples of how Disney movies influence this theme, and how much the female characters’ actions, ideas and thoughts are not included in a Disney movie.
“Disability art” refers to the creative work by people with disabilities that reflects a disability know-how, either in content or pattern. This creative sign can be found in every artistic media from the performing creative pursuits, publications, and visual creative pursuits to comic books, movie, and conceive. Disability art has performed a key function in articulating what disability means— democratically, personally, and aesthetically. As such, disability art is advised an integral aspect of both the disability civil privileges action and “disability culture,” or the self-consciously conceived community of varied disabled persons (in terms of impairment kind, race, class, gender, and sexuality) who nevertheless share certain familiarity, standards, and perspectives. Disability art across media portions topics that have helped to shape disability culture: an engagement with political matters applicable to persons with disabilities, a dispute to stereotypes, a focus on the dwelled experience of disability, and the development of alternate aesthetics founded on the particularities of the bodies and minds of persons with disabilities.
In the essay “Disability,” Nancy Mairs discusses the lack of media attention for the disabled, writing: “To depict disabled people in the ordinary activities of life is to admit that there is something ordinary about disability itself, that it may enter anyone’s life.” An ordinary person has very little exposure to the disabled, and therefore can only draw conclusions from what is seen in the media. As soon as people can picture the disabled as regular people with a debilitating condition, they can begin to respect them and see to their needs without it seeming like an afterthought or a burden. As Mairs wrote: “The fact is that ours is the only minority you can join involuntarily, without warning, at any time.” Looking at the issue from this angle, it is easy to see that many disabled people were ordinary people prior to some sort of accident. Mairs develops this po...