On Being A Cripple, By Nancy Mairs

On Being A Cripple, By Nancy Mairs
In her essay, "On Being a Cripple", Nancy Mairs, an essayist with multiple sclerosis, writes about
her experiences with her disease. She wants her audience of able–bodied people to stop pitying
towards disabled people and instead show acceptance. Mairs achieves her purpose by presenting
herself as similar and relatable to her able–bodied audience with many anecdotes and a blunt tone.
This discussion of her condition removes the discomfort about disabilities felt by her audience and
allows for them to accept disabled people. While Maris's primary audience is an able–bodied person
who supports disabled people, other readers, like someone with her condition, may be drawn
towards this essay as well. Unlike an able–bodied person, a disabled person ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
She identifies as "a cripple", saying "I choose this word to name me." She states that she recognizes
the uncomfortable feeling it inflicts on all people, proposing that "perhaps I want them to wince."
These statements criticize the stigma around disabilities, and their blunt tone emphasizes the
benefits of a "straightforward and precise" nature to labels. In this passage from paragraphs two to
four, Mairs explains the true meaning of the words (i.e. "disabled", "handicapped", and "differently
abled") abled and disabled people use to identify those with disabilities. She continues to discuss
these terms and includes her blunt opinion – it is typically against the use of these labels for their
lack of "accuracy with which [they] describe [her] condition." This shows the abled audience why
the stigma surrounding disabilities should be removed because they would not understand her
perspective as a disabled person without that explanation. On the other hand, her blunt tone and
language is used to convince disabled readers to agree with her message: "I refuse to pretend that the
only difference between [abled people] and [disabled people] are the various ordinary ones that
distinguish any one person from another." Both of the effects of Mairs's blunt tone work to achieve
her goal of acceptance of disabled people, but they differ in order to be most effective for their
targeted
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

'On Being a Cripple', by Nancy Mairs
"On Being a Cripple", Nancy Mairs In her essay "On Being a Cripple", Nancy Mairs presents her
audience with an honest inside view of her life and perspective as a cripple, a word she openly uses
to define herself. She brings her world to us by discussing a wide variety of things including
language, family, and humor, and how these all relate to her life. Through various stories and
insights, she allows her readers to gain an understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities.
She examines the public's view of the disabled, as well as the views they have of themselves, and
compares them to her own. She makes it clear that she is not to be defined solely by her disability. In
discussing honestly her views, as well as ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
She talks about the progression of MS throughout her life, and gives numerous examples of other
people she knows who are also afflicted, and different ways she reacts to them. She ranges from the
aforementioned two older women to another friend, Michael (243), providing her readers with a
variety of people to identify with. Once she has them seeing themselves in the piece, they are also
able to see themselves in her. By seeing the good and bad aspects of Mairs'

Nancy Mairs Cripple Analysis
Out of seven possibilities, the most common ones are " Handicapped, Disabled, or Cripple." Which
one did Mairs choose? In this passage Nancy Mairs, a dear woman who has multiple sclerosis
openly identifies herself as a " cripple", instead of handicapped or disabled. Mairs presents herself in
a specific way to show why she made that word choice of " cripple" to name herself. Upon doing
that Mairs uses rhetorical features such as tone, word choice, and rhetorical structure to further her
reason. In this passage, Mairs presents herself at the outset having a candid and elegy tone. The first
sentence states: " I am cripple; and that right there without no further details shows the candidness
of this passage. As she brings out that " Cripple

Analysis: Nancy Mairs
Nancy Mairs Essay In the passage Nancy Mairs presents herself in a way which demonstrates that
she has many characteristics of a strong woman. She includes tone and a high quality choice in
words to describe herself and why she used the word "cripple" as a name for herself. Mairs uses a
high quality choice in words throughout the essay to describe her condition and herself as a person.
In the passage she states that people "wince at the word cripple because they can't handle it .She also
states that the other words that people would use to describe her don't correspond to her condition.
In the passage she quotes George Orwell's thesis which states "the slovenliness of our language
makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts." She agrees

Analysis of Disability by Nancy Mairs
University Of Balamand
Faculty of Health Sciences
English Communication Skills (Eng203)
Critical analysis of "Disability" by Nancy Mairs
Priscilla Farah
May 11, 2012 Author of disability Nancy Mairs who's a feminist and a cripple, has accomplished a
lot in writing and teaching. Her remarkable personality shows in many of her essays especially in
Disability which was first published in 1987 in the New York Times. In this essay, Nancy Mairs
shows how disabled people are constantly excluded, especially from the media. By giving out facts
and including her personal experiences, Mairs aims for making some changes regarding the
relationship between the media and people with disabilities. Mairs thesis is shown implicitly in the
first ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Nancy Mairs starts "Disability" with self–revelations which show through her entire essay, like for
instance: "I am a forty–three–year–old woman crippled with multiple sclerosis..."; "take it from
me..."; "I'm the advertisers' dream..." The fact that Nancy Mairs mentions herself a lot makes her
essay lack objectivity. But the reason behind this is that few are the people who can relate to this
topic. So no one really knows what this is about as much as Mairs and all disabled people who form
a minority do. This tells us that the author knows what she's talking about. Since this essay is
addressed to people who don't know much about disability, its purpose is not merely to inform us
about the physical disability itself but also about the psychological effects of the constant isolation
and exclusion of people with disabilities. This makes the essay persuasive rather than argumentative
since the author only mentioned her attitude towards this subject. But what a better way to do it than
having a person with disability talk about his/her personal experiences? Persuading people of Mairs
point of view which is that disabled people should be included in the daily activities couldn't be
done by just stating objective facts. This kind of persuasion needs examples. To prove that disabled
people are unfairly treated, Nancy Mairs gives an example of a crippled women who was stopped
from doing what she wanted to do, though she was still physically able to do

Nancy Mairs On Being A Cripple Summary
In the essay On Being a Cripple, by Nancy Mairs, she has some control over aspects of her life. In
the essay she writes about how her disease MS has controlled parts of her life, how MS has negative
side effects to her, and how she has control about what she wants to be labeled as. In the beginning
part of essay Mairs writes about that she wants to be labeled as a cripple instead of disabled or
handicapped. This shows that she has some control of her life, by being able to choose what she
wants to be called. "I am a cripple. I choose this word to name me... "cripple" just seems to me a
clean word, straightforward and precises" (Mairs 2). This proves that she choose to be labeled
cripple because it was "straightforward and precise" and when

Multiple Sclerosis By Nancy Mairs
Multiple sclerosis has conquered the lives of many of its victims, one of which includes Nancy
Mairs. However, Mairs writes an essay describing her experience with the disease and how it has
not affected her negatively, as society assumes about the disease's effects. Mairs does not write her
essay to make her audience feel pity for her disease, yet writes to allow people to be more accepting
of the disease and of people that have it. She incorporates the word "cripple" to describe the strength
MS gave her, rather than politically correct or polite words such as "handicapped" or "disabled."
Mairs' rhetorical structure in her essay allow readers to see a courageous and empowered author in
which she has the ability to persevere through experiences ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Throughout her essay, Mairs is consistent with being blunt and sometimes too straightforward in her
word choice that can be affecting readers' emotions. However, this criticism of society's perception
of MS and its effects elevates the audience's perception of how they should see reality. For example,
Mairs appeals to the reader's emotions when she bluntly states "I want them to wince. I want them to
see me as a tough customer," causing readers to feel tension towards what her motives are when
using the word "cripple" to describe herself. The readers know that the word "cripple" is politically
incorrect and is not polite to say to those with complete loss of the use of their limbs. When Mairs
bluntly mentions that she is aware of what the readers feel when she writes her passage, wincing and
uncomfortable, readers start to feel awestruck because of Mairs' straightforward character. Readers
did not expect her to be overly confident and blunt, causing them to identify Mairs as a resilient
patient of MS, and starting to understand that they should not feel hurt about Mairs' diction and
ironic humor towards them. Also, Mairs' specific diction such as "swagger" and the phrase "the great
race of life," appeals to readers' sense of humor due to the metaphorical meanings of her phrases.
Although a cripple cannot move, Mairs' sarcastic terms in which they describe people who have the
ability to

Summary Of On Being A Cripple By Nancy Mair
Often in today's world individuals worry about being politically correct. When being politically
correct one must merely not offend or disadvantage any group in our society. If a person wants to
avoid being called offensive or rude their opinion must never oppose another and always remain
correct in the other's eyes, which is impossible if someone wants to speak their mind or
communicate in today's politics. The point being made is that everyone has their own opinion.
Today I will be discussing two poems, the first is written by Nancy Mairs and the second is by
Elizabeth Stanton. Nancy Mairs wrote "On Being a Cripple" which is a controversial article due to
the reference to the word "cripple". Elizabeth Stanton wrote the second piece called ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
"Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions" was written to address the disadvantages that women
faced in the eighteenth century. In Elizabeth's thesis she says '(to women) demand the equal station
to which they are entitled.' Essentially the entire story goes on to address the things women were
denied like; right to vote, to divorce, and equal representation in government. These with many
other things were brought to

Summary Of On Being A Cripple By Nancy Mairs
Crippled Nancy Mairs, who had multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease, wrote an essay called "On
Being A Cripple." The audiences that she wanted to express to were those that were hurt and needed
to be shown that it does not matter about the outside but matters within. She wanted to show how
she fully accepted the illness that she had. She had to deal with the difficulties that followed the
illness. She showed how grateful she was for her life even though she faced the difficulties she had
to deal with her disease. She wanted to show people, that even though that she was crippled, she still
did the things she had to do. Mairs wanted to express how she felt through her repetition of
"crippled," overemphasis of her thoughts, and her tone of confidence ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Mairs gratitude toward everyone enabled her to achieve the life she wanted by her doing the actions
she wanted to do. Even though she had to live with the disease, she showed how she could push
through it and make the best out of her life. She had educated the society about MS, received the
education she wanted, and tried to stay active and positive in society. Mairs had tried to keep the
relationship with her family during the times of struggle. The gratitude made her feel like she had
achieved what she wanted to do in her life. The MS disease had caused her a lot of physical
problems. She had to walk with a brace and cane, had to use an electric wheelchair, and had spots on
her eyes that made it hard to see. Mairs had stated, "Most twenty–two– and nineteen–year–olds, like
George and me, can vow in clear conscience... to keep one another in sickness and in health so long
as they both shall live." Mairs tried to make a point that even though things are going wrong, and
she was crippled, that they would be able to put each other first as long as they had lived. They
needed to show what it meant for them to be

Nancy Mairs's Passage In The Passage Of Nancy Mair
In the passage, Nancy Mairs presents herself as an empowered, intelligent, and strong cripple. The
first line is "I am a cripple" which is pretty straightforward, and the matter–of–fact tone that it is
stated in stays pretty consistent throughout the entire passage. Mairs upfront attitude from the start
convinces the reader that she is unafraid to identify herself however she wants. Later she states that
she refuses to "pretend that the only differences between you and me are the various ordinary ones
that distinguish any one person from another". She is realistic to a point that she occasionally seems
cynical, but deeper analysis of the text reveals that that is untrue. Throughout the entire passage,
Mairs establishes that she is extremely intelligent. She uses a colorful vocabulary (semantic,
euphemism, calamitous) and complex sentences. Mairs also makes reference to famous authors and
their work. Mairs says "my God is not a
Handicapper General, which alludes to Harrison Bergeron, a short story by Kurt Vonnegut, as well
as a 10th century gospel piece in line 18. She establishes her intelligence in order to prove to the
reader that she is simply crippled and not disabled, which "suggests any incapacity physical or
mental". It is clear that Mairs has no mental incapacity, and she makes this very clear purposefully.
Nancy chooses to use the word crippled because other words aren't as straightforward and precise,
and as a "lover of words" she likes the conciseness of the word

What Is Nancy Mairs Cripple
Cripple Nancy Mairs, a woman with multiple sclerosis wrote Cripple to express the feelings she has
towards people labeling her, and how she can only be the one to label herself as a "cripple". In the
passage, she claims that even though she ––or anyone–– is crippled, they are still the same person.
Nancy Mairs presents herself as a brave woman by expressing the confidence she has in herself,
having a direct frank tone, and going through every obstacle in her path. The confidence she has
conveys that as long as she's content and happy, other's opinions do not matter. Creating this brave
face to achieve one's happiness without looking back. She states that, "'Cripple' seems to me a clean
word, straightforward and precise... I like the accuracy ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
She started off as introducing herself, "I am a cripple. I choose this word to name me." The certainty
she has about herself is reflected by the diction of using first–person. She is also very
straightforward, "I am a cripple." she starts her paragraph with this to show off her acceptance for
the condition she is in. Some cripples may lose confidence because of her situation, but for her, she
is not afraid of who she is. "[She denies] that [she had] lost anything in the course of this calamitous
disease," She has her intelligence, sanity, and her overall self. In other words, she didn't lose
anything valuable, only the ability to use her legs. There is no reason to be ashamed of who she is,
because she has so much to offer than just the use of legs. Towards the end she states, "I refuse to
pretend that the only differences between you and me are the various ordinary ones that distinguish
any one person from another." She explains to the readers that physical differences do not matter
and that it should not define who they are. There is more to them than just physical appearance. She
is certain that the only difference between people should be their personality. She comes off as a
great role model to be brave of who you are, no matter what your physical appearance may

Rhetorical Analysis Of Nancy Mairs Cripple
When the tough gets going, the going gets tough. This quote describes Nancy Mairs and her
strength. Mairs has been through trials and tribulations which has shaped the way she perceives
herself and why she describes herself as a "cripple." This essay will be explaining her reasonings for
calling herself a "cripple", using rhetorical features she uses in her essay. Mairs uses ethopoeia to
explain her reasoning for calling herself a cripple. She lets the readers know that she is a cripple
because of her multiple sclerosis. "Disabled" by contrast, suggested any incapacity, physical or
mental. And I certainly don't like "handicapped," which implies that I have deliberately been put at a
disadvantage, by whom I can't imagine ." Mairs is honest about

The Life of A Disabled Human How would people act or feel if their body is slowly weakening?
Nancy Mairs, The author in the story "On Being A Cripple" shows that being a cripple does not
make you different than anyone else. She also shows the reader that discriminating yourself will not
just make it worse but it will be a disaster. To her she is a normal person but to others they see a
"disabled" or "handicapped".By using her experience on being a cripple, Mairs effectively draws the
audience into her argument and shows them the good and the bad side of her condition. She uses
many strategies that will make it easy for the readers to understand her essay. Mairs uses vivid
descriptions, experience and her emotion to describe her life as ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Mairs uses her emotion to show that having MS is not a good feeling, it makes her weak and
sometimes leads her to wanting to suicide. She does not like having MS, it is something that she did
not expect to have but it just came out of blue and has made her life miserable. She also feels even
worse when her mom was the one kind of discriminating her. Her mom said, " we all have to make
allowances for you, of course, because of the way you are". At first Mairs did not know what her
mom was trying to say, but after a couple years pass she realized that her mom said that because the
family only care for themselves and does not want to spend money on her since she is "crippled".
That is something really mean to say, especially to your family. Right after Mairs found out that she
has MS, she was thinking of suicide but there were opportunities in life that has changed her mind.
She has became strong, she trusted herself and she trusted everyone around her. She has became the
most amazing "cripple"

Use Of Language And Communication Usage
Language has affected us throughout decades by progressing and setting limits on the words used
and the way people speak. It has allowed people to express themselves through not only actions, but
with words. Also, as people grow and develop they learn new concepts referring to language and
communication usage. For example, they learn ways to write more sophisticated, the effect of
words, and the purpose of language. When understanding a new concept on language or
communication usage important considerations need to be made the modern English student.
Connotation of words is an important consideration because of the feeling the word may create and
the idea of verbal taboo. When people use words such as "crippled" or "queer" a feeling of
uneasiness or shock arose because those those words aren't socially acceptable to describe people in
those situations. This is because the words are generally perceived as rude or disrespectful. Instead,
people use words like disabled or part of the LGBT community because they are neutral and aren't
disrespectful. For example, in the article On Being a Cripple Nancy Mairs says, "People crippled or
not wince at the word 'cripple' as they do not at 'handicapped' or 'disabled' I want them to see me as
a tough customer... 'Disabled' by contrast, suggests and incapacity, physical or mental... I would
never refer to another person as a cripple" (Mairs 233). When people use the world cripple they
"wince" because of the negative connotation the word

On Being A Cripple By Nancy Mair
In the two essays, " On Being A Cripple" by Nancy Mair and " On Dumpster Diving" by Lars
Eighner they both share their experiences and their thoughts about the life they have. " Dumpster
Diving" by Lars Eighner was about a guy who described his experience as a scavenger, the way he
benefits from dumpster diving. Eighner describes the ways of identifying between good & rotten
food. On the other hand " On Being A Cripple" Nancy Mairs her life struggle with multiple sclerosis
(MS). She begins by talking about her life and why she refers to herself as "crippled." Pretty much
both characters undergo obstacles in their lives but they find a positive attitude and are confident
day through day, It may be that they weren't expecting this drastic change but they make the most
out of it. Furthermore the characters feel content with what they have achieved even though one is
crippled & the other one does dumpster diving for a living, ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Lars Eighner changed in seconds to begin searching in dumpsters to survive. For example in the
essay Lars says " dumpster diving is outdoor work, often surprisingly pleasant" (pg 243) meaning
that even though it's not the most comfortable thing to do he finds joy and is happy doing it .
Another example set in the essay was " I am very pleased when I can turn up exactly the thing I
most wanted to find"(pg 243) keep diving & looking something valuable so he take or sometimes
some left over food so he could feed himself. But overall

The, Artificial Intelligence Pioneer, By Edward Hoagland
A question that is asked by nearly all of us: what accumulates the human species. By my definition,
a human is a mortal mammal that has the ability to think, feel, and react, as they desire; furthermore,
nearly all feel the urge of acceptance and compassion. "Marvin Minsky, artificial intelligence
pioneer: We do something other species can't: We remember. We have cultures, ways of transmitting
information" (Wired.com). Specifically, Minsky is indicating that being a human means we can
transmit information, for example, expressing our emotions. We each react to our heartache and our
bliss in different fashions. Moreover, we all have unique qualities that separate one another. A
couple stories from The Writer 's Presence, clearly ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Hoagland 's story, vastly connects to me due to growing up with a speech impediment. Kids in my
class mocked me; this made me insecure, and I had a difficult time communicating with others.
Even though my speech therapist at school helped me improve, I still slip up occasionally. These
restrictions have cause sounding and spelling out my words to be tough, even to this today.
Furthermore, people still pester me when I mess up and become nervous, talk to brisk, or read;
similar to Hoagland, I have learned to manage it. When people tease me, I laugh with them and
proceed forward. Another example from The Writer 's Presence is a story written by Nancy Mairs,
who has contributed poetry, short stories, articles, and essays to numerous journals. She wrote an
essay called On Being a Cripple, which described her experience of coping with her disabilities: a
weak left leg, little usage of her left hand, a decreasing ability to her right side, and a blurred spot in
her right eye. She explains that she is blessed that God picked her, knowing she was a strong woman
that could handle it. "If a cure were found, would I take it? In a minute. In my brand of theology,
God doesn 't give bonus points for a limp. I 'd take a cure; I just don 't need one. A friend who also
has MS startled me once by asking, 'Do you ever say to yourself, 'Why me Lord? ' 'No Michael, I
don 't, ' I told him, 'because whenever I try, the only response I can think of is 'Why Not? ' ' If I
could

Summary Of Being A Crippled By Nancy Mairs
In the short passage "Being a Crippled," Nancy Mairs presents herself as a"crippled." she explains
the positives and negatives about being crippled through the use of diction, tone and irony. Mairs is
a courageous woman. With that said is because, she starts the passage with the use of irony. She was
thinking about writing as essay on being crippled. At that time she wasn't crippled. Its ironic how
she was thinking about being crippled then after that thought she became crippled. Mairs continues
on with irony, as she states "As a cripple, I swagger." The irony highlights the pride she finds in a
label that others may find as offensive, but she finds truthful and right. Meanwhile, along with the
use of irony, Mairs also

Why I Am An AIDS Victim
The term that was the most difficult to change is " I am an AIDS victim. This term is the most
shocking to me because this syndrome is a chronic potentially life threatening; I might feel week,
and close to death. Other terms that are very rude and disrespectful to me are: " I am retarded, I am
dummy, I am imbecile." These phrases spread hurt, are offensive and derogatory. I do believe that
all people have the right and deserve to be treated respectfully. The term that was easier to change
was " I am autistic." This phrase was the easiest to change because I have an autistic child, and he is
the best thing that has happened to my life; he is so intelligent, sweet, and happy. Other term that
was easy to change was " I am crazy." This is another

The visual/ spatial Intelligence has made me better understand the essay from Nancy Mairs On
Being a Cripple has made me better visual the struggles Nancy is going through on being a cripple.
She mentions that she had multiple sclerosis which degrades the central nervous system. She
mentions she has struggles getting out of bed "each night I'd get into bed wondering whether I'd get
out again the next morning"(Mairs 236). This also ties into the body/kinesthetic Intelligence since it
relates to physically moving our bodies. This intelligence has also helped me understand Mair's
essay since we use the restroom, carry items, and get into and out of bed each day. I can relate my
life to her daily routine although she has a harder time accomplishing ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
In Learning to Read when Malcolm X read his books from the Norfolk Prison Colony school, not
only did he learn how to read since he was reading off a dictionary, he also knew what the words
meant since he was reading a dictionary. Furthermore him copying the dictionary word for word
also taught himself the ability to write in a straight line (Malcolm 241). With his newfound
knowledge he also discovered new words "but I'd written words that I never knew were in the
world" (241). Malcolm also learned events from history, people, and places. Therefore with all this
practice it also helped him "It went a lot faster after so much practice helped me to pick up my
handwriting speed"(242). Malcolm also learned about black history and people from that era before
they came to the U.S.for example "Carter G. Woodson's Negro History opened my eyes about black
empires before the black slave was brought to the United States, and the early Negro struggles for

Nancy Mairs Disability Analysis
If you saw a person in the mall in a wheelchair, would you judge them? Or would you look at them
like they are a normal human–being? People who have a disability whether they are physically
disabled, mentally disabled, or learning disabled, are still themselves. Nancy Mairs was forty–three
year old woman with multiple sclerosis. She wrote an essay, "Disability", that explained her views
of her physical disability. When I see a person with a disability, either physically or mentally, I end
up taking a second look. The first idea that pops in my head is what is wrong with the person. I
know it sounds very rude of me, but it is an instinct. Modern day society has shaped us to be weird
around others who have disabilities. It saddens me to see people in the world judge those who are
disabled, however I tend to do the same thing at times. When I was in third grade, my grades began
to drop for no reason. My parents had thought that I just needed to get my eyes checked out. I later
found out I have Dyslexia and ADHD. I went to a private elementary school where everyone got
straight A's. I was the complete opposite; I got ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
I remember my mom waking me up early and telling me to get dressed quickly. I had no clue where
we were going. My mom kept repeating that we were to go on a road trip. She still wouldn't tell me
where. We got off the highway and the first thing I noticed was that my phone didn't have any
service. There was one road that we took for a good thirty minutes, then my mom stopped the car. I
read the sign that said "Eagle Hill School". I was very confused. We went on a tour of the campus
and I still didn't understand why we were there. All at once, it clicked in my head; I was going to
attend here in September. At first, I was upset that my parents would make me go to school just for
the learning disabilities that I have. I had the idea that people would make fun of me back at home
for going to a disabilities

Analysis of Disability by Nancy Mairs
University Of Balamand Faculty of Health Sciences English Communication Skills (Eng203)
Critical analysis of "Disability" by Nancy Mairs Priscilla Farah May 11, 2012 Author of disability
Nancy Mairs who's a feminist and a cripple, has accomplished a lot in writing and teaching. Her
remarkable personality shows in many of her essays especially in Disability which was first
published in 1987 in the New York Times. In this essay, Nancy Mairs shows how disabled people
are constantly excluded, especially from the media. By giving out facts and including her personal
experiences, Mairs aims for making some changes regarding the relationship between the media and
people with disabilities. Mairs thesis is shown implicitly in the first and last ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
As for the audience, this essay is addressed to all people who read the New York Times, while it
should have been addressed specifically to advertisers so they can make a change regarding the
inclusion of disabled people. Nancy Mairs in her "disability" has done a good job in delivering her
message. I believe she managed to persuade the audience that there is no reason to exclude disabled
people from the media. Her information was clear and made sense, her examples were enough to
support her thesis and her tone added a certain flavor to her essay. "Disability" can actually make
certain changes if it is addressed to its right audience and I certainly recommend it to my friends and
anyone who might be interested in this

A Rhetorical Analysis Of Nancy Mairs 'Cripple'
In the passage Nancy Mairs uses and explains different words to clarify to the reader about why she
prefers to be called "cripple" instead of any other words. Mairs defines the different words that have
been used on her and explains how they are different and do not relate to her at all. She also explains
how a name can make a situation seem less important or less of what the problem really is. In lines
8–9 she explains on how people show more discomfort and discontent to the word "cripple" more
than other words such as "handicapped" or "disabled". Mairs starts to discuss about how she might
like the feeling people get when they hear the word "cripple". She states in lines 10–12 that "I want
them to see me as a tough customer, one to whom

Crippled by Nancy Mairs Essays
Nancy Mairs – Crippled and Strong
Throughout this passage Nancy Mairs uses the word cripple to describe who she is and the beliefs of
her condition. She does this by describing her condition in a few different ways; the opinion of
others and the opinion of herself. As anyone should she decides what her title as a person should be
and she doesn't listen or care for anyone's opinion outside of her own. Her tone is very
straightforward throughout the passage. Mairs describes her condition and how it relates to the
actions and response of other people in any situation. Mairs uses the term cripple loosely making
sure it is not offensive to anyone. By starting her passage with, "I am a cripple," Mairs doesn't hide
anything. She ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
As a cripple Mairs is extremely proud to be who she is. She goes on to say, "I like the accuracy with
which it describes my condition." She explains whit this that she is comfortable a certain way
knowing that any other word or any other title to describe who she is would not suit her. In the last
paragraph of the passage, Mairs begins to justify her opinion and reasoning for wanting to titled as a
cripple. "Whatever you call me, I remain a cripple," she states very blunt and bold revealing once
again how she wants to be viewed by the world. She later uses the term, "differently abled" which in
her opinion is verbal garbage. Mairs calls it verbal garbage as a way to vent her feelings towards the
topic in general. She feels that differently abled is something that limits any abilities that she may
have. Nancy Mairs shows the world just how powerful the English language is in this passage. She
strongly shows that yes, she may have lost full use of her limits but she refuses to pretend that the
only difference between her and anyone else are the carious ordinary qualities that distinguish any
person from another. She clearly gets her point across to the audience by letting them feel where she
is coming from. Her decision to be called cripple was her decision not chosen or influenced by
anyone else. The strong, blunt, start to this passage that said, "I am a cripple," ended in the same
straightforward sense. She states that,

Waist High in the Wordl by Nancy Mairs
Literary works have become one of the most preferred ways for people to express themselves and
voice their concerns and opinions on societal issues. Through such pieces of work, authors are able
to educate and critique the society at large, often forcing people to reconsider their views on certain
matters. This has an overall effect of pushing them to reconsider the effect of their actions and errors
as regards the issues in question. For others, writing about real life situations is most effective in
communicating with their readers. Victims of racial discrimination may opt to put their ordeals
down in black and white, mush the same way those who find themselves at the receiving end of
sexual harassment may choose to write about their experiences. Arguably, the effect achieved is
greater, in opposition to that of works of fiction. Even where a book is fictitious, more insight and
connection to real life is achieved if the story is built around real life events and situations. Nancy
Mairs does excellent in expressing herself through her spiritual autobiography; Waist–High in the
World. Growing up with multiple sclerosis for close to twenty years by the time she wrote the book,
Nancy looks at the world the same way a child learning to walk does. She has enough reasons to
believe she is uniquely privileged as a person with a disability. In as much as she misses activities
like hiking, dancing and cycling, she thinks she is safer being unable to carry them out. This is in

Summary Of Nancy Mairs On Being A Cripple
Juney Ngan When undermined by an incurable disease, it's difficult to think positively. Especially
with multiple sclerosis, where life adjustments – including changes to communication, daily
routines, even basic bodily functions – are necessary, it's likely to approach situations hopelessly.
However, essayist Nancy Mairs provides her own detailed anecdote on accepting these lifelong
impairments. In her essay, "On Being a Cripple," Mairs develops her attitude toward her condition
through multiple accounts of asyndetons, figurative language, and her personal experience. Through
her careful use of asyndetons, Mairs makes it evident that multiple sclerosis has taken a lot away
from her. Detailing her life before her diagnosis, Nancy Mairs lists ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
She recalls the beginning stages of the condition, when she "started to trip and drop things" (p2). It
was new to her, considering that tripping and dropping things isn't exactly normal on a regular basis.
Doing so didn't necessarily make it easier to continue all her everyday activities, either. Rather than
resting herself, Mairs mentions how she spends "a lot of time in extremis and, impatient with
limitation, I tend to ignore my fatigue until my body breaks down in some way and forces rest" (p5).
She lists what she is forced to endure everyday, aware that the common man doesn't have to put up
with what she suffers. Despite the burden the disease has placed on her, Mairs still considers herself
"lucky so far. My world has, of necessity, been circumscribed by my losses, but the terrain left me
has been ample enough for me to continue many of the activities that absorb me" (p4). She suggests
that things are still looking up for her; instead of dwelling on what she isn't able to do anymore,
Mairs demonstrates that she still looks forward to other specialties. Recognizing that it's a lifelong
strain, she shows persistence and willingness to adjust her lifestyle as the disease

Disability is a topic viewed differently by each set of eyes. To truly understand a disability, one must
live through it or frequently view the lives of another, struggling with an infirmity. Living with a
disability may be hard, but it does not mean it is not worth living. Nancy Mairs, author of the essay
"On Being a Cripple," has written about her views and experiences, explaining to the public the
truth behind being a "cripple," and proving that disease does not control you. Explained in the paper,
able–bodied people make assumptions to how low quality life must be, living with a disease and that
these individuals are constantly unhappy however, Mair's proves just the opposite.
Nancy Mairs uses expressive imagery to describe the challenges faced with being "crippled". Mairs
uses "crippled" because it is "a clean ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
She believes that the "ideal" woman is a great wife and mother, can cook, clean and still has time to
exercise while she maintains her beautiful appearance, is young, and is not crippled. As she
compares the lives, she views many flaws with hers. Due to MS, her body image has changed which
drives her at times to hate herself. While glancing in a mirror she is repulsed by her "abnormal" gait.
However, as she has aged, she regrets thinking about how her appearance is not ideal and came to a
conclusion that "the self–loathing I feel is neither physically nor intellectually substantial. What I
hate is not me but a disease." Her ability accept her life as a "cripple" and comprehend the effects of
her disability proves she has the strength to control her disease, not let it define her.
Mairs also quickly acknowledges the idea of an "ideal" cripple. She believes that "cripples must bear
their lot meekly and cheerfully." Now, she has vowed to herself that that if she was going to be
crippled, she was going to face it head on and be the perfect

Analysis Of The Essay 'Disability' By Nancy Mairs
In the essay "Disability," the author Nancy Mairs argues that the media portrays disabled people in
an unjust manner. Mairs supports her claim by first appealing to the reader's emotions, second by
proving her credibility as a disabled person, and lastly by appealing to the reader's sense of logic.
Mair's purpose is to prove that disabled people are just as normal as anyone else in order to persuade
advertisers to represent the disabled on television, newspapers, commercials, advertisements, etc.
Based on Mair's informal tone and diction, she is writing for the common, intellectual audience who
has the ability to make a difference in changing the views of the media and non–disabled people
towards the disabled.
Nancy Mairs introduces her essay ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
By cataloging "normal" things she does on an everyday basis, she relates to her audience by stating,
"I menstruate, so I have to buy tampons. I worry about smoker's breath, so I buy mouthwash. I
smear my wrinkling skin with lotions. I put bleach in the washer so my family's undies won't be
dingy. I drive a car, talk on the telephone, get runs in my pantyhose, eat pizza..." Mairs wants the
reader to understand she has a disability, but she is still able to live a life that is parallel to the people
without her debility. In a similar way, Mairs uses repetition to emphasize the shift is about herself
and that her credibility is strong. Her persuasive tone stands out within this paragraph, as well, due
to her wanting the reader to distinguish how she can relate to them as she deals with everyday life,
considering her audience is not disabled. She demonstrates her persuasive tone by asserting, "Take it
from me, physical disability looms pretty large in one's life. But it doesn't devour one wholly. I'm
not, for instance, Ms. MS, a walking, talking embodiment of a chronic incurable degenerative
disease." Along with her catalog, Mairs uses empirical knowledge, within the paragraph and quote,
to explain her first–hand account of being normal whilst being

Examples Of Nancy Mairs Cripple
In this passage, Nancy Mairs presents herself as being "cripple." She gave herself that name many
years ago without any motive to do so. Nancy Mairs wants people to see herself as a fate or god.
Mairs uses medium simple sentences, tone, and diction to present why she calls herself "cripple"
instead of "disabled" or "handicap." Nancy Mairs elaborates on herself at the start of this passage by
stating "I am a cripple." This starts the structure of her simple sentences, which has readers
understanding where she comes from. Nancy Mairs tone is positive for her to be crippled. As a
"cripple" Mairs wants people to see her "as a tough customer," hence the fact people "wince" when
"cripple" is mentioned. Although, Nancy Mairs is proud to call herself

The writer of "On Being a Cripple" by Nancy Mairs, describes her life as difficult, but not entirely
worth the cure. The writer struggles with multiple sclerosis, a chronic degenerative disease of the
central nervous system, in which had weakened the left side of her body into wearing a cane. She
experiences society pressures, false interactions, and many hard situations of having a body that
hardly works. However, she carefully names herself as a "cripple", and remains proud with being
just that. The author never had any control over receiving this disease, however she had enough
control in order to keep living with it. Living with a disease that paralyzes the body, leaves people
with a choice of whether or not to keep living with the pain, ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
She had no choice and say, in whether or not she would like to receive MS, at age twenty–eight. It
could have been pure genetics, or she was one of the "chosen" ones, out of the seven billion people
in the world to have it. Whichever the human believes is purely what the human mind will continue
to believe in. However, it is fact that she did not control her body towards this disease because just a
sadist would desire a chronic illness, and she is nothing around that area. But, with some control she
could have just ended her life. She had a choice when she said that, "Knowing that they day might
come when I'd be physically incapable of killing myself, I thought perhaps I ought to do so right
away, while I still had the strength" (9). But, she kept living instead. She knew that she would, "lead,
on the whole, an ordinary life, probably rather like the one I would have led had I not had MS" (3).
She had a choice, she chose not to do it, which indicates that she has some control over her life.
Later in the text she indicates that she has made a provision for "the future Nancy" (9), "future"
being the key word. The "future" Nancy suggest that she has a future

What Is Nancy Mairs Cripple
In the excerpt "Disable (1992)", Nancy Mairs claims that she prefers to be described as a "cripple"
as opposed to the more accepted terms "disabled or handicapped." Mairs states, "I am a cripple. I
choose this word to name me. I choose from among several possibilities, the most common of which
are 'handicapped' and 'disabled'." In order to allow the audience to understand her viewpoint, Mairs
utilizes repetition by consistently using the term "cripple", denotation using the words
"handicapped" and "disabled," and has a blunt tone. Maris is targeting the everyday American,
whether the individual contains a disability or not.
Throughout the excerpt, Mairs emphasizes that "cripple" is the most appropriate and honest term to
use, and continuously utilizes the term. For example, from lines 1 through 20, "cripple" is used in
four instances to support her point of view. In Line 1, Mairs ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
As Mairs describes in the excerpt, "I would never refer to another person as a cripple. It is the word
I use to name only myself." In Maris opinion, society cannot even begin to accept people who have
physical or even mental disorders; she states, "society is no readier to accept crippledness than to
accept death, war, sweat, or wrinkles." Furthermore, Mairs explains why she prefers the term
"cripple" stating that, "...to be fair to myself, a certain amount of honesty underlies my choice.
"Cripple" seems to me a clean word, straightforward and precise. It has an honorable history, having
made its first appearance in the Lindisfarne Gospel in the tenth century. As a lover of words, I like
the accuracy with which it describes my condition: I have lost the full use of my limbs. "Disabled,"
by contrast, suggests any incapacity, physical or mental. And I certainly don't like "handicapped,"
which implies that I have deliberately been put at a

Analysis Of Cripple By Nancy Mairs
To be or not to be? In the passage written by Nancy Mairs, she presents herself as a crippled woman
and nothing else; in other words, she embraces the term. Her tone, word choice, and rhetorical
structure all suggest this. Why is Mairs okay with such a word? Mairs's tone in the essay conveys
her acceptance of the word "cripple" being used to describe her. By stating "Whatever you call me, I
remain crippled," and "I like the accuracy with which ["cripple"] describes my condition," she
presents herself as straightforward and sincere. Mairs is being honest as to what she feels in regards
to the word "cripple." Mairs's word choice is also to be taken into consideration. She described other
words used in place of "crippled" as "euphemisms" and

Examples Of Cripple By Nancy Mairs
Nancy Mairs, author of this passage, who has multiple sclerosis talks about herself and her decisions
on why she calls herself a "cripple." While she does this, she also criticizes words like
"handicapped" and "disabled." She tells a small story and her views on certain things while also
explaining the reasoning behind calling herself a "cripple." Mairs conveys why she is a cripple in
her mind through her tone, word choice, and passage structure. Mairs your in this passage is calm at
first but as she gets more into a sensitive topic, for her, she begins to be much more upset. She does
not "care what you call [Her] as long as it isn't 'differently abled." She does not ;like to be called this
because she believes this can be applied to everyone

Nancy Mairs Summary
While reading this story, we get to see what it is like to live with MS or Multiple Sclerosis. Nancy
Mairs in a way shows the negative effects of her condition which others do not always experiences.
Yet, she always follows up a paragraph about the negatives with the positives. You see that while
she has issues with being a cripple and this disease slowly taking over, she is still loving her life to
the fullest. She talks about this quote from George Orwell that says "the slovenliness of our
language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts." she uses this quote to elaborate on why
she does not use certain terms and why she chose the term cripple. She believes that everyone has
the right to choose who they want to be. Which is difficult

On Being A Cripple By Nancy Mair
On the event that I might be invited to give a TEDtalk I would choose to address the importance of
using honest and genuine language. I believe that the connotations and origins behind individual
words, regardless of the language hold an underestimated amount of weight. The truly fascinating
element of language is the evolution of specific words and their meanings over time. From the
nascent beginnings of a phrase and it's first appearance throughout history it will inevitably undergo
a remarkable transformation due to the emotional attachment and baggage that it will accumulate
over the years. Words are like people, only with a much larger life span, therefor gaining a much
more comprehensive collection of injuries and experiences. In Nancy Mair's essay "On Being a
Cripple" the true progression of the significance attached to word is highlighted and explored. The
particular expression in question is, in fact, the word "cripple" and how the years have taken a
modest and accurate depicter human circumstance and transformed it onto a slur or despotic
utterance. In its first appearance "cripple" was merely used to describe a handicap; noble in a sense
without the negative connotations adjoined to it ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The good may become the bad and words, like people, are modestly the victims of circumstance. It
may seem useless to track, study, and observe the origins of language and the buildings blocks that
comprise each phrase, but in studying dialect or linguistics we can trace and assign the historical
path or human nature. Language, in some form or another has been with the human race from the
beginning of time. The ways in which civilizations have communicated can be reflected and
understood through words, as if they were taking photographs of the things they witnessed the
whole time. Language as whole is like an immortal being, omnipresent throughout all human

I Am A Cripple By Nancy Mairs
I AM a Cripple When my older sister, Molly, was ten years old, she was a temporary cripple. Molly
went through a pretty big surgery that would stop her from tripping over her pigeon toed legs. While
living a couple months in her wheelchair, an uncle of ours came to visit. His warm welcome to my
sister was pushing her into a corner, locking her wheelchair, and calling her a windowlicker.
Thankfully, my sister has tough skin. She took what others would find scarring, all as a joke. It is
hard not to be reminded of the unexpected response my sister gave while reading the essay "I AM a
Cripple" by Nancy Mairs. Within this essay, the author describes her life as a cripple suffering with
MS. While sharing her thoughts and emotions (gerund) from ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Mairs usage of the Handicapper General allusion ties to another allusion she uses to express more of
her feelings of being a cripple. The narrator uses Tiny Tim from the story A Christmas Carol by
Charles Dickens to portray her emotions about being a cripple when others' thoughts and opinions
are involved. She knows that she is a cripple and others think less of her abilities, but this takes a toll
on her as sometimes she ends up "feeling like Tiny Tim, peering over the edge of the table at the
Christmas goose, waving my crutch, piping down God's blessing on us all" (Mairs). Tiny Tim is a
character in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, who is disabled. Even though he is a cripple, he
is still always happy and positive about life. The narrator uses him to achieve an obvious visual
image of her emotion of frustration . Mairs usage of Tiny Tim as an allusion connects directly to the
next allusion she uses to emphasize her feelings. Her emotions occasionally get taken over by anger
and frustration and she admits "sometimes I don't want to play Tiny Tim. I'd rather be a Caliban, a
scurvy monster" (Mairs). Caliban, a misshapen, nasty monster (App), hates people and life in
general. In addition, to turn his life around he lives on an island by himself. Caliban connects to the
narrator as they both make decisions to think

Nancy Mairs Disability Essay
Disability is a definition of a physical or mental condition which impacts on a person's movements,
activities and senses. People with disabilities were informed of bias and disadvantages compared to
an ordinary person. There are many biases and prejudices contributed to the discrimination of
individuals with a disability. Partly because of social connotations the disabled people are useless,
cannot work. In fact, these extraordinary people always bring and do incredible things. They not
only overcome their grim fate, but also bring good things to life, especially those who are perfectly
considering better than an ordinary person, they are not aware of the capacity of individuals
disabilities with them characteristics such as loyalty, dedication, and hard work. Nancy Mair was a
self–claimed "radical feminist cripple," who has accomplishments in writing and degrees. Her
remarkable personality "Disability" that was published by the New York Times in 1987. Throughout
the story "Disability," Nany Mair show us a view of her daily life as a disabled person and how the
sociality perceives on disabilities. She was a forty–three years old woman, and she spends most of
her time in a wheelchair, this is the reason that makes her stand out in the crowd. Her purpose is to
show that everyone with disabilities is just like everybody else and they should be welcomed and
accepted in daily life, she points out disability can change a person life, but it never kills. In page

Disability By Nancy Mairs
To Live Disabled In Nancy Mairs' article for The New York Times, "Disability", published in 1987,
she expresses her distaste with the media's representation of handicapped people. Mairs, who
struggled with multiple sclerosis herself, clearly and sharply conveys this disgust by stating, "I'm
not, for instance, Ms. MS, a walking, talking embodiment of a chronic incurable degenerative
disease." (Mairs 13), and that she is actually, "the advertisers' dream: Ms. Great American
Consumer. And yet the advertisers, who determine nowadays who will get represented publicly and
who will not, deny the existence of me and my kind absolutely"(Mairs 14). Mairs is greatly upset
that disabled people are defined by their disabilities and, therefore, are underrepresented in public
media. This might lead to one asking themselves, but why are they? And the answer, according to
Mairs, is quite simple, "To depict disabled people in the ordinary activities of daily life is to admit
that there is something ordinary about disability itself, that it may enter anybody's life"(Mairs 14).
Mairs concludes by pointing out how this effacement could have dangerous consequences for both
disabled people and, as she called everyone else, TAPs (Temporarily Abled Persons) alike. Treating
disabilities as an abnormal characteristic (as opposed to viewing them "as a normal characteristic,
one that complicates but does not ruin human existence" (Mairs 15)) can cause one of these
repercussions, as it makes the

On Being A Crippled, By Nancy Mairs
Identity is what makes a person unique. It is the soul and the essence of a human being. People are
not born with a fixed identity. Identity is inherently dynamic; it changes and evolves over time. A
person's identity is ultimately shaped by their decisions. My identity is different from those who
surround me. I create my own identity. The building blocks of personal identities begin at birth.
Parents and teachers are a major influence on one's identity. They teach the individual the basic
morals, knowing right from wrong. However, some individuals do not have the benefit of parental
or teacher's guidance, and this results in a stunted personality, which negatively affects these
individuals' sense of identity. In some circumstances, these ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Abrupt changes often happen when the individual experiences a traumatic event. In her essay
"Graduation", Maya Angelou describes an abrupt shift in identity that she experienced in childhood.
During her 8th grade commencement ceremony, she became painfully aware of the prejudice and
stereotypes that haunt her ethnicity. She also realized the history of this behavior and the obstacles
that she would face in life when she heard the words to the Negro National Anthem "for the first
time" (Angelou 15). Angelou's rude awakening with racism is sadly a common experience for many
people of color in America, myself included. People respond differently when faced with racism.
Some fully embrace their heritage and cultivate that part of their identity as a point of pride. Some
develop internalized racism, and go through life hating themselves, thus developing a negative
identity. Others may feel completely disconnected; they feel like they do not belong anywhere at all
and have no

Eulogy : My Best Friend
Four years ago, I ambled over to our shared table after the seventh grade health teacher
dispassionately declared our names and gestured towards the third table in the center row of his
classroom. Neither of us could have imagined that action would excite a companionship defining
what I consider to be the most transformative era of my life, and a time which likely holds a similar
potency for you. I did not know you, but I knew of you and had spent the semester admiring your
sweaters adorned with witty phrases and images from afar, and I know you would say the same
about my colorful mismatched socks. We were both rather shy, but you kept pushing for a bond
despite my taciturn demeanor and asocial tendencies– for that I am eternally grateful.
Four years, especially in adolescence, is significant, and in the time we spent together, although the
colloquial phrase is rather arbitrary, I have come to define you as my best friend. Of course,
accompanying this title is your continual and practiced presence through many of the greatest
triumphs and troublesome obstacles I faced in my life, and reciprocally, I in your life. This year,
consequently, our newfound distance has moved me immensely, and even though I can no longer be
there for you through your experiences, which I know are especially metamorphic as of late, I hope
that wisdom I will share from some essays I found particularly poignant may help you navigate
these circumstances.
Although fundamentally different in nature, both of the women who composed the aforementioned
essays– Nancy Mairs and Judith Ortiz Cofer– relay anecdotes pertaining to their experiences with
obstacles. Mairs discusses society, dependence, and independence in her memoir of her experience
with Multiple Sclerosis, On Being a Cripple. She writes about claiming the word "cripple" for
herself, noting, "Some realities do not obey the dictates of language" (260). Through this, she
denounces the term "disabled" by explicating upon her numerous abilities and completely full and
adequate experience of life, alluding many times to her need to actually accommodate those around
her in their discomfort towards her condition. Similarly, Cofer addresses the common stereotypes
applied to

On Being A Cripple, By Nancy Mairs

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from Kimberly Jones

More from Kimberly Jones (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

On Being A Cripple, By Nancy Mairs