On Being a Cripple by Nancy Mairs - Essay Example

of the of the English Topic: Write a respond essay to the article "On Being a Cripple" by Nancy Mairs Introduction: Nancy Mair is happy to be addressed as “crippled” instead of other names that find place in the area of philanthropy to describe her condition. No one is defeated in life unless one admits defeat and Nancy is not the one to be overtaken by the inherent suffering involved in going through the processes of her day to day life. She does not like the people to view her personality with pre-conceived notions. She is aware that multiple sclerosis (MS) is a serious condition of her body. But her soul, her courage has remained untouched by the silent tortures this condition inflicts on her. She expects a just treatment from the society and her family members. But she is aware that, “Society is no readier to accept crippled-ness than to accept death, war, sweat, or wrinkles." The inner world of Nancy Mairs is tough and strong and she is willing to accept challenges of life from all ends. She neither desires to be pitied nor condemned. Her psychology, state of mind She has accepted the challenge of MS. Since the onset of the disease, she recalls how drastic changes have taken place in her life. But she is coping up with the disease. On the positive side, she can teach and perform difficult tasks. She cannot avoid dependence on her family members and thanks them for the support. The family treats her well. She is convinced that the process of living is more important. No one is happy to own a disease and when her condition is diagnosed as MS, she reacts with shock initially. She writes, “Let me say that I don’t like having MS. I hate it.” Days, months and years roll by, she comes to terms with the inevitability of her existence and reacts in the end, “I’m glad of what I have. It has opened and enriched my life enormously.” In the beginning of the story, Mairs has negative attitude, the inherent grudge is evident in her expressions, but gradually she accepts MS and proves that body is subordinate to the power of the mind. Her tone is not one of complaint, but frustration of the reality that she will not be able to recoup her original health. Her message through the essay is not to gain sympathy, but to show to her audience, how to fight the battle and challenge the inevitability. The wise saying goes, ‘A winner never quits; a quitter never wins.’Ask Mairs the truth ingrained in this statement. The story indicates how Mairs passes through the attitudinal changes, and faces the threat of MS hovering over her boldly. She is honest about her feelings and shares the information related to her problems at times in a satirical tone. She has come to terms with the reality of the suffering of the body. That she cannot function without the assistance of the people around her is the reality which she accepts. She thanks her destiny for being married before MS seized her and her husband and children take care of her. But sometime defeatist attitude engulfs her thought processes and the reality of her life frightens her. She writes, there "always is the terror that people are kind to me only because I'm a cripple.” Is there a solution for such a piquant situation? One can only hope that the love of her family members is genuine. Her stand on the crippled body and the societal reactions What people see is her body first; her mind comes into the picture later. Physical disability prevents her from doing body-related exercises. The present generation is fascinated about materialistic values and gives lots of importance to physical fitness. She realizes with sorrow that she will never be able to do something tangible in this area. She passes a judgment about the medical fraternity that takes care of her treatment and writes, "I may be frustrated, maddened, depressed by the incurability of my disease, but I am not diminished by it, and they are.” Her comments about her condition are full of satire and irony. She does not spare the society and also herself as for satirical comments. She fervently pleads with the society that she has an independent personality of her own and requests them to view her, keeping the disease aspect aside. She explains how the structure of her weak, deformed body frame has nothing to do with her steely mind and her tough resolutions in life. But Mairs must be thinking about the state of her body always, in her vacant and pensive moods. When she sees her reflection in the mirror while walking, she is disappointed and experiences a sense of shock of the “abnormal” gait. Her intellectual faculties come to her rescue, provide her the courage, and she will not allow the discouraging thoughts to overpower her and concludes, “the self-loathing I feel is neither physically nor intellectually substantial. What I hate is not me but a disease." She explains the gravity of her disease and her predicament on this count, “One may also lose one’s sense of humor. That’s the easiest to lose and the hardest to survive without.” The message is clear. Humor is a powerful asset that rejuvenates an individual. Conclusion This story by Mairs is one of her important contribution to the cause of feminist movement. A woman with MS has to confront social issues like sex, parenthood, medical treatment, and the day to day care needed by her. Living with such a serious disability is the ongoing challenge. To live with chronic illness, one has to devise one’s own time-table and define the duties to be done with self-help and those functions for which external help is needed. What worries her most is, whether she will lose her sense of humor, her greatest asset. Mairs thinks of her overall plus points not the liabilities, in her efforts to fight her disadvantageous position and live life to the extent possible notwithstanding the limitations imposed due to physical deformity. The beauty of her personality and her message through the story is that she is not willing to blame anyone for her plight and braces up to her plight with forbearance and fortitude. Throughout the story Mairs connects to her audience well. Works Cited mairs.pdf 2012-02-29 19:42 (44.4 Kb) (Article furnished by the customer) Read More