In class, we have been talking a lot about the types of disabilities. A conversation has begun about what is considered a disability and the different definitions and models of disability. I have learned about certain illness/disorders that are considered by many to be a disability or disabling that I have never thought of in this context, such as addiction and/or drug abuse, age, etc. Another interesting topic of discussion is invisible disabilities. An invisible disability is a disability which is not immediately apparent to the outside world, and an example of this is mental illness.
In Joy Harjo’s The Woman Hanging from the Thirteenth Floor Window, the woman being described is not described as having a physical disability. This character is described as having a mind which differs from what society has deemed the normal way of functioning. She “hears voices… [which] come to her in the night when the lights have gone dim” (Harjo). These voices are implied to be auditory hallucinations, but she also hears the voices of the people outside her window. These auditory hallucinations can be caused by any number of things, but in addition to these hallucinations, the woman also seems to be suffering from depression.
The woman in the window seems to be in a similar situation as some characters from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Mrs. DuBose, along with some physical disability which causes her to have a mobility impairment, suffers from morphine addiction. Mr. Raymond also seems to have an addiction to alcohol (though we learn later that this is all an act to excuse his behavior). As discussed in our class, addiction is often considered a disability due to the individual having no control over their addiction and the disabling side effects.
In both of these works, an individual is described as having a disability which is not physical, but mental. It is interesting to look at the ways the characters are described. The general tone of the descriptions is different in each work. In Harper Lee’s novel, the characters who are suffering with their mental health issues are not very good characters. Mrs. DuBose is a mean old woman who throws around insults and is just generally crotchety, and Mr. Raymond, while not actually a drunk, still is representative of the connection between alcohol/drug addiction and ‘bad’ behavior. The representation is all around negative.
In Harjo’s piece about the woman hanging from the window, the tone is definitely a little bit depressing, but overall is not being judgmental and negative. There is a sense of hope at the end, where Harjo writes “as she falls from the 13th floor window on the east side of Chicago, or as she climbs back up to claim herself again” (Harjo). The woman is not with certainty doomed to fall to the ground. She is not set to meet the same fate as Mrs. Dubose, who would inevitably die regardless of whether or not she kicked her addiction, or as Mr. Raymond would spend the rest of his life pretending to be an alcoholic and acting the part. This woman was a daughter, a mother, a wife, and many other things other than just someone suffering. I think an even closer look at these characters would be a good idea.
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