Deaf Like Me

“Horror-stricken. Louise turned abruptly into the nearest store until the children and their mother had passed. Fighting back the tears, she walked back to the car and drove home. For several weeks the sight of that little girl haunted her thoughts.”

Even before Lynn is born, Tom and Louise are both so obsessed with the idea of having a “normal” child that even the sight of a child with hearing aids disturbs Louise. Although she knows nothing about the child’s life, she makes an assumption based on her ableist prejudices.

“DEAF! The word hit me with unexpected force, as if someone had hurled an iron bar through a plate-glass window, shattering the protective screen of explanations I had erected for Lynn’s perplexing lack of response to sound.”

The idea of deafness shatters Tom’s preconceived ideas about who Lynn is and what her life will be like. The word “deaf” is not merely a description to Tom; it is an act of violence that disrupts his hope of a “normal” family.

“I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. Just because Lynn doesn’t act exactly as Bruce did, we can’t jump to conclusions all the time. Kids are all different.”

Tom and Louise try to calm their worries about Lynn by explaining away the signs of her deafness. This is partly driven by fear, as well as their Obsession with “Normal.” They put off confronting reality because they know that it would drastically change their lives to admit that Lynn is deaf.