Paws and Prose: Disability in Literature — A Case Study

This isn’t a book review as such. In truth, it’s an essay I wrote for coursework. On the other hand, there are aspects of it that read like a book review. So I have decided to post it here as part of Berg’s Book Club with some edits. The essay focuses on the representation of disability in literature, and whether the author has a responsibility when portraying disability.

This essay talks about the writer’s responsibility when they portray disabled characters. I have previously reviewed all the books mentioned in this post. They are Good Kings Bad Kings by Susan Nussbaum; Amy and Matthew by Cammie McGovern; and Katy by Jaqueline Wilson.

This essay is long, but bare with me, it will be worth it. Trust me.

Trigger Warning: Rape and Abuse in Good Kings Bad Kings

What is Writer’s Responsibility?

We have always told stories. Whether that is through the paintings we drew on caves; oral tales and poems from times in war; or through the pieces of paper bound together in what we call a “book”.

Many writers say we have looked at and created stories or pieces of art to make sense of the world. We attempt to solve the universal issues faced every day.

How society treats and views a group or community can be affected by fiction. That is, according to writer, Patricia A Dunn (2015. Disabling Characters: Representations of Disability in Young Adult Literature, p. 1). We are more likely to see disability as an undesirable aspect of life when disabled characters are portrayed negatively. The same for the disabled character as villain or victim.

Victorian England, along with previous eras, constructed an undesirable image of the disabled. Books were used as a way to mould children. A way to create perfect and moral citizens (Dunn. P., (2015). Disabling Characters: Representations of Disability in Young Adult Literature, p. 6).

Subsequently, the protagonists usually faced two significant endings. Either the disabled character is cured as a reward for their improved behaviour, or they die. Writer, Lois Keith argues [authors] resolve the problem of their character’s inability to walk: Cure or Death (2001. Take Up Thy Bed and Walk (or How To Be a Good Girl). p. 5.)

So does the author have a responsibility to the reader… to make sure a community isn’t affected?

The 21st Century and Disability in Literature

The last decade has seen a rise in high-quality YA novels centring on disability (Dunn, 2015. Disabling Characters: Representations of Disability in Young Adult Literature. p. 4).

This post will look at three books which I have reviewed previously but are contemprory teen and young adult novels. The books all feature disabled protagonists. They are:

• Katy by Jacqueline Wilson,
• Good Kings, Bad Kings by Susan Nussbaum,
• and Amy and Matthew by Cammie McGovern,

When exploring these books, we can examine how the authors have responded to the responsibility of the writer. Particularly their role in portraying disability.

This also includes whether they have managed to represent the community in a realistic way. It also examines whether they have fallen on the common stereotypes discussed in Nussbaum’s article. Some of these stereotypes include:

• Disabled as victims
• cure,
• death,
• abuse,
• rape.

Katy by Jaqueline Wilson

Katy is based on What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge.  As a result, we need to be aware of Coolidge’s book to understand Wilson’s agenda. Which is to illustrate her disapproval of the message Coolidge gives children. Both the stereotypical roles of women and the unrealistic message about disability.

What Katy Did

The titular character in What Katy Did is portrayed as a boisterous and disobedient child. She is also the oldest of six children, and careless. Katy uses the family swing after her Aunt Izzie forbids it. She falls off the swing and this results in Katy having a disabling injury; bed-ridden and trapped in her room. Until her good behaviour and religious beliefs enables her to walk again.

The story aims to model girls into well-behaved citizens. Therefore, the book has a moralistic bias similar to some books having a political bias.

However, it is important to remember that Katy and What Katy Did were written in different eras. There is almost 150 years between them. Thus, what Coolidge’s society deemed socially acceptable is no longer the case today. Stephen Pinker, cognitive psychologist, noted that “people modify their language every generation, the extent of these changes is slight” (1994. The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language. p. 246).

Wilson challenges old, irrelevant values

Although Jaqueline Wilson loved What Katy Did as a child, she now finds the novel disturbing and concerning (Griffiths, 2015). Wilson challenges the unrealistic message of children’s problems solved through good deeds. She believes this gives the wrong message about disability.

[What Katy Did is] dishonest for children in wheelchairs, who probably know … if they have a spinal injury, they are unlikely to walk again.

(Griffiths, 2015)

Wilson decided to rewrite Katy’s tale. The plot is the same but with key differences; the protagonist’s step-mother, Izzie does not forbid Katy from using the outdoor swing. Instead, Izzie punishes Katy’s naughty behaviour with discipline, not with a tragedy. The incident she has because of the swing could have happened whether she was naughty or not.

And don’t think you’re going swimming this afternoon. You can stay at home in disgrace by yourself.

(Katy, Wilson, 2015, p. 209).

These key differences allow Wilson to develop Katy into a believable character. Therefore, Katy’s arc is not learning to be the perfect housewife. It is to accept herself and the importance of her life:

I was Katy Carr. My life wasn’t over. A new life was just beginning.

 (Katy. Wilson, 2015, p. 470).

Katy Grieves her Old Life

After the disabling injury, Katy doesn’t try and search for a cure. She’s aware she will not be able to walk again. So finding god, or looking after her siblings won’t help her. She tries to get on with it. Yet, frustrated, lonely and angry, Katy struggles to accept herself.

Could it possibly be because I’m stuck here in a wheelchair being nannied by my stupid stepmother and my whole bloody life is ruined?’. 

Katy, Wilson, 2015, p. 327

Katy is not sure who to blame. Or if there is anyone to blame and so she takes her anger out on her step-mother and siblings. She is also afraid to go to mainstream school and feels her life is over. I think it is this that makes her believable. She knows what she had before, realises it has gone. Perhaps before she didn’t realise what she had, now she does. She grieves for it.

I think this is believable. Katy had gone through a life-changing event. She knew what it was like before. She’d be angry about the things she can no longer do. Jealous. Upset

Contrast between Congenital and Acquired Disability

Both versions of the story feature a character called Helen as a mentor for Katy. Coolridge’s Helen tells Katy to be the best person she can be. Basically, to become a saint. Helen, in Coolridge’s version, is referred to as a saint because of her good nature.

Wilson’s Helen was born disabled and her disability has progressively got worse over the years. But she accepts who she is. She does not see herself as a saint. She also advices Katy and comforts her.

…big difference between those… who’ve been disabled ever since they can remember and people… who have become disabled overnight. You’re thinking right now of all the things you can’t do… start thinking of things you can do.

Katy, Wilson, 2015, p. 346.

This quote right here, it hits a point that you are aware of as a disabled individual. People born disabled see disability differently to someone who acquired a disabled. Wilson presents a contrast between two sides of the disabled community. Those that acquired a disability through injury or poor health and those born disabled. Favourite quote in the whole book!

I think it’s understandable that Katy and Helen will have different views on disability. Helen has been disabled for longer than Katy. She also knows no difference. Katy does have something to compare it to. It also makes sense that Helen would guide her. I also prefer how Wilson did this through emotional support over spiritual. The idea that Katy could be cured if she was a good little girl doesn’t sit well with me.

Disabled characters have universal issues too!

Wilson also shows disabled characters have universal and personal problems and emotions. It links to Faulkner’s belief about a writer’s responsibility. That is, to write about personal and universal experiences that readers can relate to (Faulkner, 1966, p. 287). This may influence people’s views on disability, depicting the people as individuals, imitating life:

…you can still be a cool person… wear interesting clothes and have lots of friends. But I also wanted to be truthful: some people make horrible comments… patronise and treat you differently.

Griffiths, 2015.

By showing that Katy has the same emotions as others, Wilson is showing the person behind the disability. And I think that’s fantastic.

Responsible Research

Wilson tells The Times that she collaborated with disabled actress, Nicola Miles-Wildin as part of her research and Miles-Wildin has provided Wilson with an insight into disability. Judging by the range of emotions experienced by Katy, i.e.: frustration, anger, love, and more, this clearly helped Wilson to portray a unique character outside of disability.

In the end, Katy has made friends, danced with her crush, and joined a basketball team. This shows readers that Katy’s disability is not going to stop her from achieving anything. This also illustrates a difference in how contemporary literature and classic literature view of the disabled character. In classic literature, disabled characters must be cured or they must die by the end. The Secret Garden, Heidi and other classical stories show this over and over again. But contemporary literature can be different. Wilson states:

I’d had no idea that people with all kinds of disabilities could achieve so much. 

(Wilson, 2015, p. 470)

Brief Conclusion

Wilson felt that she had a personal responsibility to tell a children’s story where a disabled character learns to accept herself. While the story does touch-upon Katy’s disability, the main focus is the protagonist experiencing universal concepts of love, anger, grief and hope. This fits in with Faulkner’s belief that a good story would touch upon emotions that everyone experiences. (Faulkner, 1966, p. 287).

Katy ventures on emotional journeys. She also has the same experiences and emotions as anybody else. This also links to author, George Orwell’s view of a writer’s responsibility to influence political change (Orwell, 2004, p. 5). Just as Aristotle believed, Katy’s character shows her to have the same flaws and assets as any able-bodied characters, imitating life—a feature many books with disabled protagonists miss (Aristotle, 2016, p. 31).

Good Kings, Bad Kings by Susan Nussbaum

You may remember me writing a review of this book recently.

Disabled author, Susan Nussbaum wrote Good Kings, Bad Kings. The novel follows the point of view of seven protagonists. Four characters are disabled while three characters are able-bodied. Set in a specialist residential institution for the disabled, the story follows the traumatic events in the home.

Nussbaum wrote an article for Huffington Post, considering the portrayal and characterisation of disabled characters. She states that she avoids books that contain stereotyped disabled characters. This includes the characters being either a: “Victim, Villain, Inspiration, Monster” (Nussbaum, 2013). Yet, because of her political agenda against specialist institutions, this is exactly what her book becomes.

Tragedy and Stereotypes

Tragedy is everywhere in disabled literature; seen in works such as: as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, A Christmas Carol, and Flowers For Algernon. However, Good Kings, Bad Kings has an unnecessary amount of tragedy. Each reinforces one stereotype often seen in Disabled Literature and films.

…popular culture of disability are conveyed by… heartbreak, misfortune, or tragedy… when stories… depict them in plots that have little or nothing to do with their disability, reviewers often remark upon the brave or noble protagonists.

Markotić, 2016, p.3

The residential home abuses many of the characters. This includes Pierre, Chloe, and Cheri. This is the case, even though they are not one of the narrators. However, Mia, Teddy’s Fiancée, is the most victimised protagonist of the story. Visually and physically impaired, Mia does not receive the support and equipment she needs. A member of staff sexually assaults and rapes her several times. And she develops STIs as a result. It is the only reason that others discovered the rape.

Some books shy away from these scenes and imply them. Nussbaum shows it.

The rape scene does not add to the plot of the story. It is a narrative prosthetic. Used solely for illustration purposes of the neglect in the specialist residential home rather than the plot. Nothing really comes from it. By using rape, Nussbaum has applied the stereotypes that she criticises in disabled fiction.

Blind characters… are generally portrayed by attractive female actors who are victimized by predatory men. 

Nussbaum, 2013.

Pierre is physically assaulted by one particular member of staff. After, he is sent to a children’s hospital. To add to this, Cheri is sent to a mental hospital as punishment. Other characters also fit the victimised stereotype profile that Nussbaum claims to dislike.

Chekhov’s Gun

There is a theory that if a gun is shown in a film, it needs to be used by the end. This is Chekhov’s Gun. Charles Barnes had a similar theory about disability. A disabled character will either have to be “killed or cured”. In Victorian Literature, death would show moral failing while cure would show moral improvement. This is not the case for 21st century literature.

Teddy is the only protagonist in the story who tries to control his own life. But an absentminded and careless employee of the residential home leaves him unattended with a faulty water-pipe.

She turns on the water and runs out. First thing I notice is the water is hot… the water is real hot… I yell out for Beverly…I see my skin on my hip and my leg getting all red…It feels like there’s fire coming outta the shower top.

Nussbaum, 2014, pp. 241-242

Teddy’s death is not needed. He and his girlfriend, Mia, were probably the only characters I got attached to. I’m not apposed to death in books. Ned Stark was a character I like, he died. But it meant something. This felt like a death for the sake of it.

What’s the plot?

Before this, the plot was not clear. The first three-quarters of the book focuses on the abuse of the institution. Abuse told through each of the seven protagonists’ perspective. And yes, I a sure it’s three quarters of the book. I kept looking at the percentage of the Kindle app because I wanted the story to be over.

Teddy’s death was an accident, although caused by a careless carer (Nussbaum, 2014). It was not maliciously done by the carer like the rape, or Pierre’s attack and yet this is what sets the initial protagonist on her quest.

This death or cure will often seem to “redeem” the protagonist—the death will be sacrificial, or the cure will be credited to the hero (Barnes, 1992, p. 72).

Teddy’s death was sacrificial. Teddy had plans to leave the home, marry Mia and live independently. So, he was the only protagonist who had something to lose. Therefore, it could only have been Teddy’s death that directed the climax. A climax lead by a protagonist that spoke to him only to lecture him about blaming Mia for her rape.

Yet, the climax could have been enacted after the characters had learned what happened to Mia or Pierre. Both of these events would have been a good cause for protest. Naussbaum, who insists she is fighting stereotypes, chose death.

Political Agenda

Nussbaum clearly had a political agenda when writing this book, illustrating her disapproval of nursing homes and institutions. As a political statement against specialist nursing homes, this book states its message and meets its agenda. Nevertheless, her approach has failed to tell an engaging and emotional story. Especially from the point of view of a protagonist with a disability or represent them as having universal problems. As such, she reinforces the stereotypes she set out to challenge.

Post-structuralist theory recognizes that a text cannot help but reinforce or challenge existing assumptions in society (Barnes, 1992, p. 8).

By having so many narratives Nussbaum struggles to construct believable and unique characters within the book. Nussbaum could have made the same political statement with an equivalent impact but told the story solely through Joanne, the only disabled employee or Joanne and another disabled character to show parallels and conflict.

Aristotle believes having the right balance is important, tragedy is the magnitude of a serious event (Aristotle, 2016, p. 9). By illustrating many tragic events in a short book, Nussbaum loses the effect and lessens the magnitude of the events.

Brief Conclusion

As the only disabled writer out of the three books being explored, readers could be expected to feel that they could trust Nussbaum’s view. That includes her representation and characterisation of disability due to her experience in the community. Therefore, Nussbaum writing a book full of stereotypes could do more harm for the disabled community than good and she must be held responsible for the consequences of this. Perhaps more so than those writing outside the disabled community.

Amy and Matthew by Cammie McGovern

Amy and Matthew is told from the two eponymous characters’ perspectives. Like Me Before You and Behind Closed Doors, Cammie McGovern’s novel, Amy and Matthew falls under the Disabled-Romance genre. That is, romance with a disabled protagonist. According to Kirstin Ramsdell, romance makes the reader care about the characters by appealing directly to the reader’s feelings and emotions (Ramsdell, 2012, p. 23). But this is not all the genre offers. It often includes a strong sense of female empowerment, explores important life changes and discusses social issues:

…linked to this moral advocacy aspect is the fact that romances also deal with important life changes and social issues, both inevitable and unexpected (Ramsdell, 2012, p. 23)

Amy and Matthew is a story, not of acceptance, but of teenage love, friendship and pregnancy. The characters have started experiencing sexual feelings and thoughts. But both characters have different opinions and actions based on these sexual desires. Matthew’s OCD prevents him from expressing or acting on them while Amy wants to have the experience of sexual intercourse. This is for two reasons: for the experience and knowledge, and to make Matthew jealous:

 I ASKED HIM TO DO IT… BUT IT WASN’T THAT GREAT. IN FACT, IT WAS HORRIBLE… I KNOW IT WOULDN’T BE THAT WAY WITH YOU (McGovern, 2014, pp. 206-207).

Universal issues

By including universal and social issues, i.e. love, sex and relationships, McGovern draws upon the readers’ own beliefs, experiences and desires about these concepts. Schopenhauer marks these desires as “The Will-to-Life”.  The Will-to-Life makes all love affairs “worthy of the profound seriousness with which everyone pursues it”. As a result, it creates a point of reference that the readers can comprehend. This is the same when featuring disabled character. They must…

also grapple with decisions about what non-disabled readers will understand (Dunn, 2015, p. 7).

McGovern makes sure the characters are relatable through their desires and issues while subtly reminding the readers that the protagonists are disabled. he depicted this through the characters’ speech, thoughts and actions. Matthew’s thoughts centre on checking faucets. Amy’s speech, however, is capitalised to remind the reader that she needs to use a computer to talk.

‘I CAN TALK. I USE THIS. IT TAKES A LITTLE TIME.’ She was tired of people walking away too quickly (McGovern, 2014, p. 250).

The characters just happen to be disabled…

While the story is not about disability, the characters’ disabilities are part of their holistic whole. Their speech, thoughts and actions are affected by their disability. McGovern uses this knowledge and Aristotle’s theory to subtly show the characters’ disabilities throughout the story:

…a person of a given character should speak or act in a given way, by the rule either of necessity or of probability; just as this event should follow that by necessary or probable sequence (Aristotle, 2016, p. 20).

The characters disabilities do not exempt them from the consequences of their actions, much like real life. After having consensual sex with Sanjay, Amy becomes pregnant, risks her friendship with Matthew, and jeopardises her university education. Amy chose to have sex, not forced into it. Subsequently, her pregnancy is a consequence and not because she is a victim or disabled. It is a consequence of a one-night stand with a classmate.

…character must be true to life: for this is a distinct thing from goodness and propriety, as here described. 

(Aristotle, 2016, p.19).

McGovern does not dwell on the fact that Amy—who can barely walk—is a disabled, pregnant young adult. Amy is determined that she alone is going to make this decision. When Amy sees the nurse about her pregnancy, the nurse does not try to talk Amy into an abortion. But listens to what she wants.  This constructs normality around the protagonist being both pregnant and disabled. And it may encourage the reader to view disability as normal:

Amy got the reassuring sense that she’d seen a lot worse than a disabled girl who’d accidentally got herself pregnant. (McGovern, 2014, p. 250)

Reversal as part of character arc

Amy’s independent decision to give birth to the baby is a reversal in the story. A reversal is defined by Aristotle as “change by which the action veers round to its opposite” (Aristotle, 2016, p. 15). At the start of the narrative, Amy’s mother, Nicole, makes all of the decisions in Amy’s life without consolidating her.

Nicole takes an academic approach to Amy’s disability and uses this to make decisions for Amy. Thus, Amy’s life has been reduced to a collection of data. Data collected by her mother in an attempt to see how well Amy has adapted to the world.

Nicole loved goals. She loved evidence-supported theories and data-driven techniques. Say the word goal, Amy knew, and her mother would be looking to check it off (McGovern, 2014, p. 26).

Amy’s pregnancy lets Amy break away from her mother’s hold and make her own way in the world. She drops out of university and seeks solace from friends, asking them to keep her pregnancy secret from her mother:

Having this baby was the first truly independent decision Amy had ever made (McGovern, 2014, p. 274).

However, Amy develops pre-eclampsia, a rare, life-threatening condition in pregnancy. This is used to move the story forward. It increases the reader’s fear for Amy’s life. Aristotle indicates that fear and pity is best produced when events come as a surprise to the audience. The is also heightened further when the desired fear or pity follows a cause and effect pattern (2018, p. 25).

Clarity about causes of pre-eclampsia

A female reader with the Cerebral Palsy, like Amy, may worry that this puts them more at risk of developing pre-eclampsia. Anticipating a disabled reader’s worry of pre-eclampsia, McGovern makes it clear that the illness is not a result of Amy’s disability but a coincidental result of her pregnancy:

Sue listened as he described Amy’s condition and the pre-eclampsia that was unrelated to her CP. 

(McGovern, 2014, p. 271).

As well as a reversal of situation, McGovern also has Amy recognise her own mistakes and follies. Amy then attempts to set them right by her actions at the dénouement of the novel, apologising to Matthew through a play she wrote for class (McGovern, 2014):

Recognition… is a change from ignorance to knowledge, producing love or hate between the persons destined… for good or bad fortune. The best form of recognition is coincident with a Reversal of the Situation.

(Aristotle, 2016, p. 15)

Conclusion

Through her portrayal of characters in her novel, McGovern seems to be a responsible writer. She has taken care to depict believable disabled characters in her novel. Her portrayal of the eponymous characters were accurate; the characters are portrayed as rounded and necessary to the plot. And McGovern didn’t dwell too much on their disabilities.

Similarly, Wilson’s research into disability helped her to create an equally developed character; both writers illustrate that life with a disability can be just as fulfilling as life without. Both authors’ work can be analysed under the ideologies of Faulkner, Aristotle, Orwell and Schopenhauer. All of whom believed art had something human towards it, like grief or imitation of life. The reader can imagine characters living relatable lives. They are characters who also just happen to be disabled.

In contrast, Nussbaum’s use of stereotypes and a lack of a narrative to challenge them is irresponsible. She portrays disabled individuals as helpless victims. Her political agenda to illustrate specialist nursing homes as bad and abusive affected her ability to tell an engaging story. Furthermore, her illustration of disabled characters could have consequences that could harm the community she was trying to represent. Hightened even more so due to her own disability.

Thanks for Reading

Phew!!! Thank you for reading all of that and I hope you enjoyed it. Don’t forget to follow on Facebook, in email or on Twitter.

Join me Saturday when I post something relating to disability. In the meantime, feel free to glance at my bibliography.