Disabilities in fantasy lit?

[Chilari]

I think we have season 2 on DVD; I think it came out right before Christmas. I didn't bother with it because at the time the season was still fresh in my mind from seeing it on TV.

But as you say (back on topic) something like not being able to see colours would be dependant on the society. If, like the Greeks, their impression of colours was more tonaly based (they called the sea wine-dark, for example, and the sky was "bronze" - which is more about the tone and quality of light than the colour, of course. Unless someone has been drinking some very strange wine.) then not being able to see colours doesn't present a problem because the language used to describe things isn't about colour but tone. If your society has a very strong sense of colour, with myriad words for different colours and colour being a primary descriptor and discerner of things, then the difficulty in discerning between bright yellow and pale pink because they just look the same shade of grey is going to be quite a setback.

 

[Alva]

Jean Tannen from the book series The Gentleman Bastards has really poor eye sight. In Earthsea both Ged and Therru bear scars on their face. Therru, mistreated and burned when a child, also has trust issues and an injured hand. There are so many other books and stories and characters as well, but can't possibly remember them all.

In my work there are a few blind characters or characters with remarkably poor eyesight. I've always been interested in vision and eyesight, and also read a few biographies concerning on the topic. In my current writing project blindness is nothing unusual as it is concidered to be (troublesome but) relatively common trait among the population. All my blind characters are more independent and headstrong than not, and only three of them have or have had the need for a fulltime servant to prepare their clothes and keep places clean and in order for them.

I also have one dyslexic character who has enormous trouble with writing anything. His guardian is convinced that he has something going on with his unusually high energy levels, as well (in our terms: symptoms of ADHD). Though of course, his guardian is far from authorized clinician. : )

It would certainly be interesting to see a character who is autistic in a fantasy story, but would take a lot of research - and probably personal experience - to get it right.

One of my characters has "symptoms" pointing towards high-functioning autistism. Nonetheless, I wouldn't call him autistic as his family and society around him don't even recognize such a word. As far as the story and his surroundings are concerned he's only a supporting character having some pecualiar likes, traits and tendencies. (But "a very important person" when his parents are given the say.) His other parent also shows some characteristics similar to his child, but in a milder manner. I'm not intending this to be any sort of statement at all. The characters in question simply developed to such a direction.

 

[Mindfire]

Arguably the greatest genius in the world of my WiP is a dyslexic. I'm thinking either he prefers not to keep notes on his discoveries and just memorizes everything, or he might invent his own private alphabet and writing system that makes it easier for him to read. Or maybe both. Also, I thought up this great ending where the day is saved not by my main character, but by my main character's crippled son.

 

[Alva]

Arguably the greatest genius in the world of my WiP is a dyslexic. I'm thinking either he prefers not to keep notes on his discoveries and just memorizes everything, or he might invent his own private alphabet and writing system that makes it easier for him to read. Or maybe both.

Ah. I've been considering notekeeping, too. *nod nod* My character is of scientific type and keeps a lot of diaries of different forms that only he can fully understand and appreciate. But what comes to the assignments his guardian keeps handing over... The guardian in question has pleaded for at least a dictionary in order to be able get any sense to the unreadable scribbles and scrawls and angry graphemes of frustration.

Also, I thought up this great ending where the day is saved not by my main character, but by my main character's crippled son.

: D Would be a bit different from the norm!

 

[Weaver]

As with so many other things, I think that writers need to be careful how they portray disabled characters in their stories. You never know when the person reading your story has the disability you've given your character.

There's a character in a few of my stories who is lame from having his left leg badly injured and never properly healed. Not only does this cause him a lot of difficulty with activities like running or climbing, but it also causes him constant pain. This does not prevent him from being an effective character; he's not a sidekick who sits out when the action starts. I didn't choose to write the character this way because I'm physically disabled - at least I don't think I did - but I've encountered a few readers who have told me that I'm 'doing it wrong' in how I describe the character because he doesn't fit their preferred stereotype for "disabled person."

 

[Reaver]

...but by my main character's crippled son.

Crippled? Are we in the 1970's or something? I know you're talking about a fictional person here, but come on. You're the last person I'd expect this from man.

 

[Mindfire]

Crippled? Are we in the 1970's or something?

What's that supposed to mean?

 

[Anders Ämting]

I think some minor characters in Elantris are supposed to have, like, varying degrees of autism or something.

What's that supposed to mean?

Yeah... If you are crippled then you're, well, crippled. As in: Back when I totally ruined my thumb, I was crippled, because I couldn't use a rather important part of my body.

I don't really see how it's a disparaging word.

 

[J.D. Hallowell]

"Crippled" describes me pretty well. So does "disabled". I am not "differently abled" or "handicapped" or any of those other euphemistic terms that people use to make themselves feel better about the fact that there are some of us who have significant limitations. I don't think "crippled" is an offensive term.

Other crippled people might feel differently.

 

[Aravelle]

Reaver, how is that offensive? I mean, what other term is there?

 

[Weaver]

"Crippled" describes me pretty well. So does "disabled". I am not "differently abled" or "handicapped" or any of those other euphemistic terms that people use to make themselves feel better about the fact that there are some of us who have significant limitations. I don't think "crippled" is an offensive term.

Other crippled people might feel differently.

Y'know, I was just thinking about this yesterday. I strongly dislike the term "differently abled," too.

I have a chronic pain condition that is, at this very moment, making life difficult for me. My hands ache, my legs have informed me that I'd better not plan on doing much walking around today, and generally I feel like that invisible gnome with the rock hammer has been using said rock hammer on my joints - luckily for me, just the flat end this time instead of the pointy end. There are days when I cannot walk without the use of a cane; the problem has been that bad since I was in my late 20s, although I've had it all my life. And on top of that, the same neurological problem that causes the pain also messes with my ability to see, because my eyes don't focus properly sometimes. I can see the tiny image of the statue of Lincoln on the back of a US penny, and I can see 6 of the Pleiades (the most that are visible to anyone with the unaided eye) in a clear winter night sky, but I cannot see well enough to drive a car.

I have mixed feelings about the term "crippled," but it all depends on context. I've been called a "useless cripple" (or even "retarded cripple") far too often by people who seem to think that walking with a limp is indication of mental deficiency. Clearly, this is intended as an insult. On the other hand, I'm not offended if someone merely describes me as "crippled," provided all they mean is that I've got some physical limitations.

I'm not "differently abled." That term implies that I got something in trade for what I lost, and that isn't true.

 

[J.D. Hallowell]

I have mixed feelings about the term "crippled," but it all depends on context. I've been called a "useless cripple" (or even "retarded cripple") far too often by people who seem to think that walking with a limp is indication of mental deficiency. Clearly, this is intended as an insult. On the other hand, I'm not offended if someone merely describes me as "crippled," provided all they mean is that I've got some physical limitations.

Exactly. People can use nearly any characteristic as an insult if they are determined. The sneering comment "What else would you expect from a ____________?" can be completed with anything from "liberal arts major" or "engineer" to "Christian", "atheist", "cripple", "Gator fan", or "person who drives a Buick."

I'm not "differently abled." That term implies that I got something in trade for what I lost, and that isn't true.

This is my beef with the word "handicapped", as well. In original meaning, a handicap is a scoring burden placed on especially skillful players so that weaker players aren't completely outclassed. It equalizes opportunity. The person with the handicap has advantages that other players don't, so they incur an artificial penalty to make the game fair. To use the term "handicapped" to refer to people with significant impairments implies that they somehow have other nebulous advantages that cancel out the effects of the impairment, so that everyone is on a level playing field. It minimizes and dismisses the very real obstacles that people with disabilities face every day.

 

[Mindfire]

"Crippled" describes me pretty well. So does "disabled". I am not "differently abled" or "handicapped" or any of those other euphemistic terms that people use to make themselves feel better about the fact that there are some of us who have significant limitations. I don't think "crippled" is an offensive term.

Other crippled people might feel differently.

"Differently abled" sounds really condescending to me. It just feels like you're downplaying or marginalizing the significance of the disability. To give a more extreme example, it feels like saying "Get out of that hospital bed! You don't have terminal cancer! You're just "differently healthed!"

 

[Shockley]

I was thinking about this, and I realized one of my favorite fantasy bad guys is disabled.

Limper.

 

[Ireth]

A classic example of a literary character with a disability is Shere Khan in The Jungle Book -- the wolves mention that he was born with a lame paw, from which he gained the nickname Lungri, the Lame One.

 

[Mindfire]

A classic example of a literary character with a disability is Shere Khan in The Jungle Book -- the wolves mention that he was born with a lame paw, from which he gained the nickname Lungri, the Lame One.

They must have left that bit out of the movies.

 

[Ireth]

They must have left that bit out of the movies.

They did. Along with Kaa being a friend/mentor to Mowgli, teaching him some of the animal languages and helping save him from the monkeys. I haven't read TJB in a while, but I'm sure there are many other things Disney left out.

 

[Mindfire]

They did. Along with Kaa being a friend/mentor to Mowgli, teaching him some of the animal languages and helping save him from the monkeys. I haven't read TJB in a while, but I'm sure there are many other things Disney left out.

You mean Kaa WASN'T evil? Dangit Disney! I love you, but you can't even get FAKE history right!

 

[Ireth]

You mean Kaa WASN'T evil? Dangit Disney! I love you, but you can't even get FAKE history right!

Sad but true. And every adaptation I've ever seen mispronounces Mowgli's name -- the first syllable rhymes with "now", not "no". I only found that out recently, but it's bothered me ever since. Like the way animated adaptations of LOTR mangled the elvish language. >_<

 

[Mindfire]

Sad but true. And every adaptation I've ever seen mispronounces Mowgli's name -- the first syllable rhymes with "now", not "no". I only found that out recently, but it's bothered me ever since. Like the way animated adaptations of LOTR mangled the elvish language. >_<

Hmmm... call me a philistine, but I kinda think the wrong pronunciation sounds better.