A Man Without Words
A Man Without Words by Susan Schaller, published by Univ of California Press in August 2012, is a profound exploration of communication and understanding. This second edition, featuring new material, spans 218 pages and delves into the life of Ildefonso, a Mexican Indian who lived in isolation due to his deafness and lack of language education. Schaller recounts her experience as a graduate student tasked with interpreting for him, highlighting the challenges and breakthroughs in teaching him the concept of language.
Readers will find a detailed account of the journey to bridge the gap between Ildefonso’s silent world and the realm of words. The narrative emphasizes themes related to communication, disability, and the human experience, showcasing the intricacies of sign language and the emotional landscape of learning. This edition not only enhances the original story but also provides additional insights into the social and cultural implications of language acquisition for individuals with disabilities.
Official synopsis Publisher
For more than a quarter of a century, Ildefonso, a Mexican Indian, lived in total isolation, set apart from the rest of the world. He wasn’t a political prisoner or a social recluse, he was simply born deaf and had never been taught even the most basic language. Susan Schaller, then a twenty-four-year-old graduate student, encountered him in a class for the deaf where she had been sent as an interpreter and where he sat isolated, since he knew no sign language. She found him obviously intelligent and sharply observant but unable to communicate, and she felt compelled to bring him to a comprehension of words. The book vividly conveys the challenge, the frustrations, and the exhilaration of opening the mind of a congenitally deaf person to the concept of language. This second edition includes a new chapter and afterword.
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