Sound and Fury

The documentary "Sound and Fury" explores the definition of a disability, in this case deafness, and focuses on how this definition changes depending on the Discourse. At the center of the documentary are two families; and closely follows what they do to provide their children with what they perceive to be the best opportunities. Peter and Nita Artinian are both deaf, and parents to three young deaf children. Peter's brother, Chris, is hearing able and is married to Mari, also hearing able. They are the parents of a two children, one deaf and one hearing able. Mari's parents are both deaf. Each family made very compelling arguments, yet by the end of the documentary my feelings did not change much on the subject.

Peter and Nita entertain the idea of getting their oldest daughter, Heather, a cochlear implant. After gathering information from a variety of sources, they come to the conclusion that they do not want to go forward with the surgery. Peter and Nita think that Heather will no longer be part of the deaf culture if she gets the implant, and are afraid of what that will mean for their family. Peter is especially passionate about this; he does not see being deaf as a disability, but rather something to be celebrated. In his opinion, being deaf does not inhibit a person from becoming successful, nor does it prevent them from living a "normal" life.

Chris and Mari on the other hand believe that a cochlear implant is the best choice for their deaf son, Peter, is the best choice. In their opinion, Peter will not be able to experience all that life has to offer if he cannot hear, and they want to ensure that he receives the same opportunities as people who are able to hear. Mari's parents are very much against this, they feel Peter will not be appreciative of the deaf people in his life but Mari assures them that will not be the case.

It is, in my opinion, best for a deaf child to receive cochlear implant if the opportunity presents itself. I feel that Peter and Nita were selfish in their decision against the implant and their reasoning sits on a quaking foundation. The idea that Heather will lose her place in the deaf culture is ridiculous. Yes, she will be able to hear but her family will still be deaf -- she will therefore always be connected to the deaf community. I admire Chris and Mari's decision to go ahead with the surgery for Peter after the discouraging words they received from their family. I feel that his life will truly be changed for the better.