November 13, 2023 - 18:12
I liked how deafness portrayed as only one factor in Ruben's life; while he was learning to cope with his Deafness, he also had to deal with financial, career, and relationship concerns; similarly, the portrayal of Ruben's journey being of accepting deafness as opposed to undoing it. I feel as though many movies and other works that have a theme of disability are often one-dimensional, and sometimes focus on "fixing" the disability as opposed to accepting it. I also found it interesting that, after seeming to find his place and find happiness in the Deaf community, Ruben continued to be so passionate about receiving the implant and returning to his career as a musician; returning to "normal." I also found it interesting that Joe felt so strongly about not supporting CIs that he refused Ruben a place in his home when he had nowhere else to go, as he believed that CIs were a reflection of viewing deafness as a disability and a hindrance. I would like to discuss whether or not it is possible to support the use of CIs (or even using one yourself) while still fully being a member of the Deaf community and not viewing deafness as a disability.