"Sound & Fury" Movie Response

There are many things going on “Sound and Fury” simultaneously, but the main issue at hand is deaf children and the effects a cochlear implant would have on them and their future. Would the implant set them back with psychological issues and confusion on their identity or would the implantation open up a plethora of doors that could be considered a huge blessing to their future? This is an extremely controversial issue for both sides of the family, but each side deals with it in very different ways depending on the state of the family (hearing or deaf). For example, Heather's family is all deaf. Her parents were born deaf and so was she. When she was born deaf, her parents were quite happy that she too could be just like them. There would be no speaking barrier and she could fully indulge herself in the deaf community like they all did. On the opposite side of the fence is Peter and his family. He is a twin brother was born hearing, but he however was born deaf. Both of his parents are hearing and for this reason, his parents feel the barrier should be eliminated and he should reap the benefits and opportunities of being able to hear.

It’s obvious how this can be considered a very controversial issue for some, but in my perspective I feel that Peter’s parents, Chris and Mari did the right thing by deciding that their child should receive the surgery. Throughout the movie there were many discussions and arguments that occurred and this couple, as well as the grandmother, brought up a lot of points that I completely agree with and feel is much better for the disabled child in the long-run.

I agree that being able to hear is a huge advantage. It allows communication between the majority of the population and not being isolated in the minority. Most Americans don’t know sign language and would be far too lazy to learn. Being able to talk with the majority will open a lot of doors and won’t limit them in the working community. Deaf people will rely on interpreters and writing to relay information back and forth, which is excess work a lot of people in the work force aren’t willing to put up with. It’s sad, but nowadays I feel that we’re all about how much we can get done in as little time necessary as possible. This counteracts that attitude and is a large reason why I believe the implant to allow a better road for someone.

Another reason I feel the cochlear implant to be important would be for educational purposes. The movie it talked about how most deaf people could read at the 4^th grade level in high school. This is an astonishing statistic that would make me turn the opposite direction of remaining deaf for life. I wouldn’t find it fair if I was born deaf and other people my same age could do something better or had an advantage based on the sole reason that they could hear and I couldn’t. Also, it might prevent my child from going far in school, which is the opposite of what society is now requiring if one wants a high-quality career.

                If I gave birth to a child who was deaf I would feel as if I put it at a very unfair disadvantage and would feel super guilty. I know how great it is to hear the pouring rain late at night, how much of my day is consumed by music, how often I spend time talking to people, and how it is to hear big, booming thunder during those wild summer storms. These are all things that make up my life and I would feel quite inhuman without. How could I ever put my child through that? How could I make them understand that they did nothing wrong, they just were put at a disadvantage at birth without any say in the matter and that’s that?

                By providing my child the gift of a having a cochlear implant, I know I would be giving them the best opportunity for success and happiness. The world is cruel and people are often less accepting then one would think. For my child to struggle more than necessary would be quite like the movie said ‘abusive’ of me, and for that matter I would one hundred percent and without a doubt give my child the implant. Hearing is a gift and it’s a great one at that. It’s needed for so many things and being without it would be a very tough way to go through life.