Disabled Literature—Disabled Individuals in American Literature: Reflecting Culture(s)
Main Article Content
Keywords
literature, superstition, evil, stereotypes, disabled, culture
Abstract
In American literature, disabled characters are often portrayed as “that other” and used to generate fear, pathos, and hatred. This affects how variously-abled individuals are perceived and accepted by society. While writers are being more inclusive and broadening their inventory of characters, many characters are simply a negative plot tool.
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Miles Beauchamp, Assistant Professor, Communications, Marshall Goldsmith School of Management and Shirley Hufstedler School of Education, Alliant International University
Miles Beauchamp, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Communications in the Marshall Goldsmith School of Management and Shirley Hufstedler School of Education at Alliant International University. He is also Associate Editor and columnist at the Asian Journal and past Chair for the Commission on Disabilities, El Cajon, California, USA.
Wendy V. Chung, Program Coordinator, Communication Program, Marshall Goldsmith School of Management, Alliant International University
Wendy V. Chung, Ph.D., is the Program Coordinator for the Communication Program in the Marshall Goldsmith School of Management at Alliant International University. Her publications, including her text on Ethnicity and Organizational Diversity, focus on the impact of diversity on organizational culture and climate. Her interest in issues of disability evolves from her research interest in the issues of cultural diversity and communication.
Alijandra Mogilner, President, Faucon International
Alijandra Mogilner, President of Faucon International, holds a Ph.D. in anthropology and is the author of Children's Writers' Word Book (Writer's Digest Books) and specialized texts for English as a second language. She has worked with English development programs in Canada, China, and several countries in Africa.