University Of Balamand
Faculty of Health Sciences
English Communication Skills (Eng203)

Critical analysis of “Disability” by Nancy Mairs
Priscilla Farah

May 11, 2012 Author of disability Nancy Mairs who’s a feminist and a cripple, has accomplished a lot in writing and teaching. Her remarkable personality shows in many of her essays especially in Disability which was first published in 1987 in the New York Times. In this essay, Nancy Mairs shows how disabled people are constantly excluded, especially from the media. By giving out facts and including her personal experiences, Mairs aims for making some changes regarding the relationship between the media and people with disabilities. Mairs thesis is shown implicitly in the first and last …show more content…

Nancy Mairs is well known for her style in writing. She uses irony to show that the reason why media always excludes disabled people is ridiculous: “if you saw me pouring out puppy biscuits, would you think these kibbles were only for the puppies of the cripples. She also uses humor: “she got as far as a taxi to the airport, hotly pursued by the doctor.” Intensity is also shown when she says: “advertisers who determine… deny the existence of me and my kind absolutely”. This intensity is nothing but the result of a strong anger caused by the mistreatment of disabled people. This style gives the essay a kind of vivacity, sparkle and even strength. It shows that Mairs is not afraid of making fun of the advertisers. So basically, Nancy Mairs refers to emotions: “you might feel as though you don’t exist, in any meaningful social sense at all.” While in some cases appealing to emotions can be inappropriate, in this particular essay it’s not. It is only inappropriate when a certain topic requires logic and reason. Actually getting people to accept disability and people carrying it requires neither logic nor reason. They’re just human beings who deserve to be treated like anyone else. This essay lacks some evidence though: “I once asked a local advertiser…”; “one of those medical dramas” which makes these two stories less credible and leaves us wondering whether