Movie Reflection Paper

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ASL and Deaf culture

In America, almost 200 years of Deaf life have been explored in ‘Through Deaf Eyes.’ the American history experiences have been presented by the film from the deaf citizens’ perspective. I believe that this movie was a very eye opening movie for me and it assisted me in seeing more of the way life was like for deaf individual at that time. A number of things I noticed in the movie and was not aware that the deaf individuals experience those things, for example, the segregation, the classes for enforced speech, and the protest that resulted in making the Gallaudet university’s first deaf president.

The movie was full of information, and I believe that it is my pleasure to distinguish more regarding the deaf people’s history along with the events experienced by them. The fact that the classes for speech were mandatory at one point for every deaf student was one major thing that surprised me. I comprehend that individuals who came in this world hearing only to later turn out to be deaf have more edge for the reason that a number of individuals were capable of experiencing some speech form; the entirely deaf individuals had nothing, and they are being forced for forgoing sign language for learning English must have been distress. Though the technology utilized for helping deaf individuals in learning the way for speaking advanced, it didn’t change the point that either they are not willing to learn, or simply that they could not pick up how the schools expect them to (Baynton, Gannon, & Bergey, 2007).

One more surprising thing was the discrimination within the community of deaf people. It is understood that there was segregation at the time; nonetheless one can never actually thought regarding the way it would have impacted the deaf society until this movie has shown me. Both Whites and Blacks had their individual language of signs. The black students kept feeling disaffected when both White and Black races were integrated. It is for the reason of the dissimilarities in the middle of their languages of signs (Baynton, Gannon, & Bergey, 2007).

The final surprising thing for me was the weeklong protest that resulted in making the Gallaudet University’s first deaf president. The support received by this movement from around the nation was surprising for me. Also, it was astonishing that the school’s board was inflexible regarding their original decision and kept on to pushing the students for accepting the hearing President until she resigned. For deaf individuals, this type of thing was never considered possible for the reason that they generally are considered as inferior because of their incapability for speaking and hearing; though, it has been proved by them that they can certainly struggle for what they have faith in. On the whole, the movie was very interesting and surprising for me.

I was very fascinated by seeing the way the dissimilar culture of deaf people was from a culture of individuals who can listen, but there is not really dissimilarity from what was shown in the movie. Deaf individuals have found their individual manners for enjoying the things that are enjoyed by the individuals who can listen. The deaf individuals produced their particular art and theater that is exceptional in the world where all other people can listen. Even, they have their individual universities with the intention that higher education could be pursued by them similar to the individuals who can listen. Deaf individuals do not allow their absence of listening to stop them from anything, and I greatly admire this thing. I am obliged to have been capable of view this movie. Otherwise, I would not be able to learn all of this.

References

Baynton, D. C., Gannon, J. R., & Bergey, J. L. (2007). Through deaf eyes: A photographic history of an American community (p. 41). Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.