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It was so interesting to see such a comprehensive geneaology of what Davis calls the "hegemony of normalcy" (49). A parallel idea that Davis mentions in the article is that of the perfectable body; he describes the effort inspired by those involved with eugenics to attempt to "control the reproductive rights of the deaf..." (32) as a means of trying to eliminate that trait in later generations. This idea of a perfectable body has seemed to resurface time and time again in different ways. We see it now on the covers of different tabloid-y magazines or something like Men's Health (I work in the bookstore at HC so when I restock the magazines I always notice how repetitive the magazines tend to be): ways to build muscle or lose weight or any number of things. So there's this idea of a "normal" body that isn't just normal. It's unhealthy. To make it even more complicated, the "normal" body is different by gender, race, class, etc., so the means and lengths that people seek out to achieve the "normal" body vary incredibly. Even then, it is assumed that these bodies are "normal" in terms of their ability: they can see, walk easily, hear, don't have any trouble reading, can stand or sit up straight, etc. As I've been reading Mairs, I have seen how I take for granted some days that I can walk easily, etc.  Mairs is particularly striking though in her essays because of the sense of independence she conveys no matter how limited her physical mobility may be at any given moment in her narrative. She refuses to concede her agency, and this comes through in surprising and thought provoking ways. In "Taking Care," she describes how she thinks twice after she showers herself, dresses herself, and feeds herself after her sister and her husband have a miscommunication. She holds herself accountable for being responsible for her physical safety (not being too ambitious), for find ways to care for others (letting her husband go on a trip and accepting help from her mother), using her experience to encourage and help others, and using her writing as a way of "taking care."

Basically, these readings gave me a lot to think about, and a new way to think about the world around me.