Essay Example on Loss for Words

Introduction

The book “A Loss for Words” by Walker (1987) explains the experiences faced by deaf people as they carry out their daily activities. The book is an autobiography of the author, as the author explains her ordeals of being born and living with her deaf parents. Lou Ann based her book on modern society and focuses on expressing to the people how deaf people survive, their challenges, and how children born to deaf parents survive and help their parents. The story explained in the book connects to various life experiences of different people in contemporary society. One is that Lou Ann grew up early and supported her parents in a manner that made her feel unsupported. The story also teaches about epiphany, where most individuals develop when in their twenties when they understand what they are made out of and what they lack in life. The book has taught me that American Sign Language (ASL) is not a language because individuals cannot learn the language by watching sitcoms or online teaching. It is deeply rooted in its culture. The deaf community should overcome different barriers in the past, and still today, its members are struggling with adversity, which has significantly impacted the culture and traditions of the deaf community.

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Challenges

The book has taught me that children of deaf parents have to grow up and experience events and things that take away their rights as kids. For example, Lou Ann had to act like a grown-up, interacting and communicating with older people on behalf of her parents. This makes children face a lot of challenges, which are usually resurfaced when the kids are in their twenties. During her childhood, Lou Ann had adult conversations and was dealing with mature feelings such as bigotry and prejudice, which could significantly affect her psychological and emotional wellbeing. This usually makes children born by deaf parents to become resentful towards their parents. Although it seems to be difficult, Lou Ann focused on what she desired for her life as she went off to school.

When a person resents someone, the person focuses on finding ways of separating himself/herself from them because the individual feels they cannot do anything to change their situation. For example, Lou Ann decided to go to school because she felt there was little opportunity for her parents to provide the feeling of security she had offered to them for all the years. Lou faced a challenge when she later realized that she was speaking words, thoughts, and ideas of other people in her whole life. This made her go to Harvard school as she believed school work could help her to shine in life. This indicates that although children develop love towards their parents despite their health conditions, children face challenges living and caring for their deaf parents.

Deaf parents usually depend on their hearing children for help. For example, in the book, Lou Ann played the role of her parents and started helping them in the world at a young age. Like Lou Ann, most of these children are raised around deaf people, and they learn their culture, mainly the American Sign Language (ASL). This makes the children become bilingual at a young and help in interpreting for their parents. The children usually understand and realize their parents need help for them to understand the outside world. Children usually help their deaf parents on how to read and write, and when communicating with other people as they interpret sign language for them. For example, Lou Ann helped her father read and revise her parents’ writing at eight years. Although most parents excel in the school of deaf people, they did not have writing and reading skills; hence the parents have to depend on their children to overcome reading and writing challenges.

Parents’ Communication

Traditionally ASL was taught to the deaf people only and was rarely taught to parents and family members of the deaf person. This forced children born to deaf parents to spend their childhood being unable to communicate with their parents. Most children did not know sign language, and it was challenging to help their parents read and write and also interpret their parents’ communication with other people. Most deaf parents grew in an environment where they were not supported and helped, and this made them experience frustration for not communicating with their children (Singleton & Tittle, 2000). today, the world has become friendlier to the deaf community, and people are drastically adopting deaf culture. This is because races, cultures, and religions accept each other, and people are willing to help one another. However, as depicted in the book, ASL still experiences isolation in the community. For example, Lou Ann was criticized for helping her parents interact and communicate with other people. This is because many people in society are yet to learn the ASL language and find it difficult to communicate with the deaf.

People usually feel satisfied to observe the various life phases which shape the individual during their development. When teenagers reach their twenties, they start feeling they were not enough and helpful in their lives and focus on ensuring the future is as desired. This is depicted by Lou Ann, who decided to go to school as she thought it is the place she could fulfill her dreams. This indicates that children, when they attain their teenage life, they use their attainments as a way of identifying themselves, making the youths in their twenties rush through life aiming at collecting titles, material possessions, and individuals to identify themselves in the society (Singleton & Tittle, 2000). during this age, most youths undergo tough life experiences like heartbreaks, making them desire to self-reflection and become honest to themselves about the individuals they have become and bad behaviors they are developing from their inside emotions. For example, Lou Ann experienced heartbreak in her twenties when she was interpreting for a mental patient. The heartbreak she experienced brewed for many years, and later Lou Ann opened up and exposed her emotions and pain. Youths need to understand they are responsible for their lives, healing, and happiness.

Conclusion

Living and helping deaf parents is challenging, mainly to children who are forced to play parents' roles without getting parental support. The book “A loss for Words” depicts the challenges experienced by children with Loss parents as Lou Ann seems to be so engrossed with her parents to help them read, write, and interpret their communication. Although Lou Ann’s parents learned the ASL language, they did not possess reading and writing skills; hence, they faced societal challenges. Although Lou Ann was committed to helping her parents and did not see them be a burden, she later realizes she is losing her future desires and considers enrolling in Harvard school. This indicates that living and supporting deaf parents is challenging and significantly affects children's development psychologically, emotionally, and mentally.

References

Singleton, J. L., & Tittle, M. D. (2000). Deaf parents and their hearing children. Journal of Deaf studies and Deaf education, 5(3), 221-236.

Walker, L. A. (1987). A loss for words.