Models/anecdote/ source material:
- Carolyn Robertson’s article on her daughter
- passages from Curious Incident of the Dog; p. 133 (mother’s account)
- Stories from Two of Us : Connor and Tim and Judy Sharp
- Stella Young: comedian with a disability
Task 1:
Write an analysis of how individuals deal with difference. How do their “differences” set them apart? How do they cope with them?
What are the positives? What are the negatives?
How do these differences influence their behaviour. How do others react?
Task 2:
- Write a character study of a child with a disability, such as Aspergers.
- Write about A time you went shopping with this child/brother/sister. How did they act/react and how did you and the other people respond?
- Explore your mixed emotions and reactions; explore opposites.. . (embarrassed and ashamed, but also sad and disappointed, angry and shocked… ) . Angry that mum took her shopping but I know that we tried to treat Ella as normally as possible; I was angry that we couldn’t just buy the whole shop for Ella because she just did not understand.
PLAN OF STORY
Imagine that your sister/brother has a (slight) disability. It may be a lisp; a mental problem like Aspergers etc. Recount a time that you go shopping with Ella. Ella has one of her very unpredictable and terrible tantrums over something that is rather small.
- 1 paragraph about the incidence: Start off in the middle of the tantrum; the shopping incident
- 1 Paragraph also about some backstory about Ella and her beautiful appearance but her terrible temper. (show a distinction)
- 1 paragraph about emotional response: Explore your mixed emotions and reactions; explore opposites.. . (embarrassed and ashamed, but also sad and disappointed, angry and shocked… ) . Angry that mum took her shopping but I know that we tried to treat Ella as normally as possible; I was angry that we couldn’t just buy the whole shop for Ella because she just did not understand. But rather than helping my mother, I just turned the other way, as if I didn’t belong; as if I didn’t want to be part of this whole charade. I wasn’t angry so much at Ella, but at the fact that my mother just could not deal with her; and at the fact that her whole being was always preoccupied with her.
New words to learn so far:
- Chagrin – a feeling of vexation or disappointment/ humiliation. ; to vex by disappointment
- To vex: to annoy, make angry; irritate; provoke ; torment ; plague or worry
- In retrospect: a survey of past time
- Tangible / palpable – capable of being touched; real not imaginary
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