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Deaf Again By Mark Drolsbaugh Essay

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In the novel “Deaf Again” by Mark Drolsbaugh, the reader is taken on a journey through the life of the author himself, from birth all the way to present day. Drolsbaugh, a once hearing child but now Deaf adult, takes readers through the struggles and situations he faced as a child born into the Deaf culture, yet still forced to try and suppress his deafness when his ability to hear started to decline. The author shares his experiences of becoming “deaf again”, and how he had to learn for himself what being Deaf really meant in regards to not just in his own life but the people in it. Drolsbaugh’s novel explores many of the issues and debates surrounding Deaf culture, while still giving his personal views and understandings on what it really means to be Deaf. Drolsbaugh writes about many topics relating to Deaf culture, and is able to relate many of his experiences to current problems the Deaf community faces today. A major subject the author raises is the relationships between deaf children and their families, especially deaf children and their hearing families. The author himself was born into the Deaf culture because of his two Deaf parents. However, due to doctor recommendations, pressure from extended family, and many other reasons, Drolsbaugh was told to not sign at all, and underwent multiple surgeries, tests, training, and therapy sessions to try and learn how to speak and improve his hearing, none of which worked. The author also majorly focuses of education for

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