Rhetorical Analysis of “On Being a Cripple” by Mairs

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion
Work Cited

Introduction

Lame, disabled, and differently-abled are terms that have been used by society to describe conditions that restrict a person’s physical capabilities for a very long time. People who receive such titles include Nancy Mairs, a writer with multiple sclerosis, who explains in her essay On Being a Cripple why she chose the word “cripple” to describe herself above other viable descriptors. In the article, Nancy portrays herself as a powerful, capable, and clever handicap. The reader can see that Mairs is not hesitant to identify herself as she wants because of her straightforward demeanor from the beginning of the book. Later on, she says that she will not “pretend that the only differences between you and me are the various ordinary ones that distinguish any one person from another” (37). Nancy Mairs educates people about living as a cripple and the hardships of persons with disabilities by using amusing language and an upbeat tone. She does this to highlight how challenging having a disability is and how it varies from a person without a disability.

Discussion

The other adjectives that are frequently used to describe people like her tend to conceal meaning by euphemizing or otherwise downplaying the effects that her disease has on her life, which is why Mairs chooses to use the word “cripple.” She treads as if her condition is not to be reduced to non-existence; rather, it is to show others her genuine reality, one that is startling and should not be sugar-coated as “differently-abled.” She desires to be heard and understood rather than ignored. To achieve her goal of encouraging the audience to perceive “cripples” as simply what they are, as people who have lost a capability that most possesses, Mairs creates ethos via restriction and experience and employs systematic logos in the essay. She claims that certain realities do not respect the laws of language and object to the term “handicapped” because she does not want others to believe that she has “deliberately been put at a disadvantage” (37). She may thus be considered disabled or handicapped by society, but in actuality, she does not fit any of those descriptions.

Mairs delineates her areas of expertise throughout the essay and indicates that she has the required background in the topic at hand to develop ethos. She first asserts that she is the only one speaking. I would never refer to another person as a cripple, she states after the article. It is the name I give to myself. By telling the audience this, she makes it clear that her article is meant to express her view of herself, which she is free to have. One is free to treat oneself in whatever they see fit, and an opinion should only be questioned if it affects other people. By stating that her expertise is limited and that she is just speaking for herself, she increases the likelihood that the reader will find her article believable and actionable. Since Mairs has MS and has firsthand knowledge of the lives of persons who may be considered “crippled,” she further establishes that she is equipped to speak about her preferences and experiences using the word “cripple.” She states in her article, “I am a cripple… All of my limbs are no longer fully functional” (37). The reader would be less likely to agree with the author’s opinions on the subject if the essay had been written by someone who had never experienced a debilitating condition. By exposing her identity in the essay, she successfully establishes her ethos, which improves the audience’s understanding of her objective.

After establishing her ethos, Mairs uses logos to strengthen the essay’s rhetorical appeal by evaluating each of the several terms used to characterize her condition. For instance, she uses the word “cripple” instead of the word “disabled” since it seems to be a more tidy, direct, and accurate phrase. In contrast, the term “disabled” denotes any disability, whether mental or physical. In this description, Mairs rationally explains why she favors the word “cripple” above alternative options. She considers the word’s usefulness, how well it captures how she feels, and whether it gives her confidence. She rejects other words and phrases because they deviate too far from the meaning she had in mind when she chose to use them; logically, they should not be used as descriptive terms.

In a similar vein, ‘differently-abled suggests that MS has not taken anything away from her when it has. Since Mairs discusses each word logically and methodically, objectively stating its purpose and the effects it has on her, she illustrates how other, conventionally more appealing words obscure meaning, and the more someone tries to minimize her disability, the less accurate their description becomes. According to her interpretation of each word or phrase, the only way to properly see or hear her is to recognize her for who she is. In essence, she exposes the meaninglessness of the phrases, which is more unsettling, and convinces the reader of the validity of her goal through her logical examinations.

With her openness regarding her ties with her family, Mairs has a remarkable ability to evoke emotion in this essay. She talks about how wonderful it is that her family still regularly treats her and how much she loves them. She admits that a little part of her still wonders whether her family likes her, but she does not ignore these nagging questions and portrays herself in a very vulnerable manner. Because doubt is a very human feeling, the reader is drawn into the story and develops a close bond with Mairs as a result of her openness.

Conclusion

Using ethos to establish her authority to talk on the subject, Mairs begs the audience to recognize that ‘cripples’ should not have their limitations perceived as having less influence. Additionally, she utilizes logos to persuade the audience that harsher labels may be more accurate because the less offensive the term, the less it characterizes her. Finally, she builds on the pathos element with her audience by being open about her family ties, which lends her authority on the subject of MS. Mairs shows people how to address impairments simply for what they are, even though doing so could be uncomfortable. Mairs shows herself as a self-assured individual who is prepared to accept the harsh implications of language and who is not scared to face the harsh realities of her existence. To establish her trustworthiness early on in the paragraph, she establishes a variety of things, including her brilliance, and uses colorful language and complicated phrases to show this.

Work Cited

Mairs, Nancy. “On Being a Cripple”. The Social Medicine Reader, Volume II, Third Edition: Differences and Inequalities, Volume 2. Eds by Jonathan Oberlander, Mara Buchbinder, Larry R. Churchill, Sue E. Estroff, Nancy M. P. King, Barry F. Saunders, Ronald P. Strauss and Rebecca L. Walker, New York, USA: Duke University Press, 2019, pp. 37-47.

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Rhetorical Analysis of “On Being a Cripple” by Mairs

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