The Autobiography Look Me The Eye By John Elder Robison

“When I am in a new place and there are lots of people there it is even harder because people are not like cows and flowers and grass and they can talk to you and do things that you don’t expect, so you have to notice everything that is in the place, and also you have to notice things that might happen as well.” Those are the words of Christopher, from Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, explaining himself to why he acts and does not act a certain way. But with just that one quote, Christopher reveals his key abilities and disabilities, both physical and mental, of a detective. But even while having these disabilities, because of his Asperger’s syndrome, that may or may not hold him back as a detective, one

In "What Meets the Eye," by Daniel Akst, the author argues that looks in fact do matter, and he evaluates the fact that we all know that looks matter, even more than we think. He mentions that we try to deny that looks do not matter, but on the inside, we do know that looks matter and according to him, looks are very important.

Imagine what it would be like to live with a disease in which there’s no diagnosis and nobody can even allude to a possible conclusion? John Elder wrote Look Me In The Eye to tell the reader stories of his life, whether it be family struggles or hardships he felt on his own. Through writing, he had hoped to give a reader insight to his life; he wanted to give all people and people with Asperger’s information on a topic to see what it’s like. Elder uses pathos, ethos and logos, along with the use of detail and diction to tie his rhetorical strategies together and to create a story which a reader will remember and learn something valuable from.

In the movie, Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks plays an intellectually handicapped man named Forrest Gump from Greenbow, Alabama. The majority of the movie took place through his recounting of his memories from early childhood all the way up to his current age. This paper looks at Forrest’s ability to communicate, his diligence in a relationship, ability to cope, and his self-perception.

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.

In “Ways of Seeing”, John Berger, an English art critic, argues that images are important for the present-day by saying, “No other kind of relic or text from the past can offer such direct testimony about the world which surrounded other people at other times. In this respect images are more precise and richer literature” (10). John Berger allowed others to see the true meaning behind certain art pieces in “Ways of Seeing”. Images and art show what people experienced in the past allowing others to see for themselves rather than be told how an event occurred. There are two images that represent the above claim, Arnold Eagle and David Robbins’ photo of a little boy in New York City, and Dorothea Lange’s image of a migratory family from Texas; both were taken during the Great Depression.

“When you have the kind of disability that Aston has, there’s only one way to handle it.” In the beginning of the short story, “Way Too Cool,” by Brenda Woods, the main character Aston James is portrayed as a short-sighted, single-minded, and image-conscious asthmatic teen. Aston experiences two changes throughout this short story. The first change comes when he realizes there is more to life than being cool. But he immediately returns to his original state of mind of “being cool is everything,” when the second change occurs. At first I thought that he had changed for good and he would remake himself and his life. After the second change occurred, I realized that social stature and being cool meant way more to him then his health or anything else. His changes left me to think about the effects of negative peer pressure and acceptance.

The societal expectations for beauty are an ingrained concept amongst the minds of almost every individual, who in turn project these standards on each other and their own children. Throughout her adolescence, Walker seeks for validation of her beauty through others. “When I rise to give my speech I do so on a great wave of love and pride and expectation.” (Walker 2). Walker was seeking a reaction from her audience as she read her Easter speech to her church; a reaction of approval and admiration, which then confirmed her “cuteness”. The emotional toil brought upon by the accident caused Walker to go into a dark place of unacceptance of herself. She did poorly in school, was bullied in school, and kept her head down for several years of her life because of the shame she felt from the appearance of her eye. “I tell it I hate and despise it. I do not pray for sight. I pray for beauty.” (Walker 5). At twelve years-old, Walker talks about the eye that has gone blind and development of her self-unacceptance can be seen here. The lack of concern she had about the function of her eye, but rather the aesthetics, shows how dependent Walker was on in achieving societal standards.

In chapter 8 Looking Out Looking in by Ronald. B. Adler it talks about why we form relationships , well most people desire relationships. Appearance is especially important in relationships whether it is in person or social media. Appearance is also the most important feature people look for, skills and intelligence are secondary. Being in a relationship causes partners to create positive illusions. In relationships we also look for similarity we like people who are similar to us. Similarity is more important to relational happiness than communication ability. Similarity also helps us overcome trivial differences. Complementarily differences are the differences a relationship has between each other. Complementarily differences strengthen relationships

Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God recounts the life and loves of a bi-racial woman in the racially charged South during the 1900s. After the death of her third husband, Janie returns to Eatonville amid judgment and gossip, prompting her to share her life’s lessons with dear friend Phoeby. As Hurston’s protagonist relives her turbulent loves, she embarks of a journey of self-discovery, her voice transforming from suppressed to empowered over the course of her marriages.

herself. Janie, all her life, had been pushed around and told what to do and how to live her life. She searched and searched high and low to find a peace that makes her whole and makes her feel like a complete person. To make her feel like she is in fact an individual and that she’s not like everyone else around her. During the time of ‘Their Eyes’, the correct way to treat women was to show them who was in charge and who was inferior. Men were looked to as the superior being, the one who women were supposed to look up to and serve. Especially in the fact that Janie was an African American women during these oppressed

The book, Mean Little deaf Queer, a memoir, by Terry Galloway, is a powerful autobiography that gives insights about her life. Not only has she coped with a disability, but she also had to deal with being queer and overcoming the many obstacles of accepting this reality. Terry Galloway, grew up viewing herself as an outsider because of the responses she received from other individuals as her body transformed. She proclaimed herself as a child freak from the moment her body began to change, and when her hearing was diminishing and her hallucinations became a frequent occurrence, she would address her fury and discontent with her hearing aids and thick round glasses. Nevertheless, the moment she feigned her own drowning at a summer camp for crippled children, she knew she had discovered a new passion. Her hardships were overlooked and renovated into a love for theater and speech that would not only defy her reality, but that would surpass her expectations.

The author does an excellent job writing about disabilities, getting bullied for being different, and most importantly, overcoming the bullying. The main character Auggie knew that giving up home schooling and starting 5th grade would mean getting stared at and teased for his severe facial deformity. The kids pointed, laughed, looked away, teased, but eventually, they began to see Auggie as a boy with a great sense of humor who was smart and not so different from many of them.

Cantigny Park is an eye opening experience that provides visual aids which give a better understanding of WWI and its significance to Robert R. McCormick. The McCormick family altered the grounds of their home to become a public park to show the legacy that the McCormick family left behind. Robert R. McCormick served in WWI, which had a great impact on his life that is shown through the grounds of Cantigny Park. He served as the editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune for forty-four years, at which he made it a media giant by adding it to television stations and putting it on the radio. The mansion that the McCormick family occupied is a museum itself on the grounds, with its extravagance and countless artifacts. While the actual museum on the grounds takes the public back to the war, where it gives a better understanding of what the war was really like. The trip itself was very well put together, but could have had some improvements to make the learning experience even better. The Cantigny Park grounds is a memorable trip due to the better understanding one can have of WWI and the personal touches added by Robert R. McCormick himself.

The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison, depicts characters desperately seeking to attain love through a predetermined standard of beauty established and substantiated by society. Morrison intertwines the histories of several characters portraying the delusions of the ‘perfect’ family and what motivates their quest for love and beauty. Ultimately, this pursuit for love and beauty has overwhelming effects on their relationships and their identity.