Sound and Fury Reflection

People from Deaf world have their own way of communicating in their own language
that differs from hearing cultures. They use sign language to communicate that is different from
English, which I believe is a powerful tool to help bridge the gap between the hearing world and
the deaf world. During the first half of the movie I was convinced it was not for hearing people
since it was all about how deafness affects identity and the views of deaf people. But after
watching the whole film, I can say with sincerity that it was an excellent way of getting hearing
people to see the viewpoint of deaf people about hearing or the ability to hear. But there were
some scenes I couldn’t relate to at all even when I tried my level best to understand the views of
deaf people. However what I actually loved about the movie was its bottom-line that explained to
me what deafness means to deaf people. It is a bond that unites them to others with hearing
disability. Throughout the rest of the movie and in their heated confrontations with the hearing
members of the family, their primary fear of the implant is that it will cause Heather to disengage
from the deaf world and deaf culture thereby alienating them from her life. In other words, their
misgivings are born out of a crisis of identity, a fear for themselves and the social cohesion of
their family, not a fear for their daughter. I don’t believe that being deaf is something to be proud
of any more than being a hearing person is something to be proud of. It is a mere aspect of
human existence that some people are deaf and most people are hearing. In fact, I would argue
that an overwhelming sense of pride is the key ingredient in forming an oppressive and
discriminatory culture in which one sector of society is regarded as being inferior to the rest of
the population on account of some difference. The pride should rest in the struggle and the
culture that emerges from that struggle, not in the actual difference. Fears have been confronted
and dealt with. In the end, the cochlear implant has been a blessing for the cohesion of this
family. It permits understanding and inclusion without sacrificing the deaf culture which was so
important to Nita and Peter from the beginning. Deafness as a handicap is a perception and it
becomes a reality only once that perception is embraced by the dominant culture.  It is a human
construct born out of the fact that most people are not deaf. This film was instructive in the idea
that in order for two cultures to coexist in harmony, both must apply the socio-political
perspective in the process of confronting discrimination and exclusion. I believe that to embrace
the cochlear implant is to embrace the socio-political model of disability.