Christy’s Disapproval of Disability Stereotypes

Christy’s Disapproval of Disability Stereotypes

Contemporary literature has been criticized for encouraging stereotypes, especially regarding people with disabilities. The portrayal of such characters as thematic tools has become cliché as they are made to act the role of helpless and needy people at the mercy of their colleagues. However, the movie My Left Foot neglects such characterization by presenting Christy Brown as a realistic protagonist who happens to experience various challenges due to his Cerebral Palsy condition. The actor manages to overcome most of the obstacles emanating from his disability to develop into a celebrated artist in society. Nevertheless, several instances of bias and stigmatization exist as expected in the 1940s era. The film My Left Foot offers a holistic perspective of the life of Christy Brown, demonstrating his abilities as a human being, despite his condition the underlying social humiliation.

Christy’s Disapproval of Disability Stereotypes

Christy Brown’s defiance of typical disability typecasts is the most notable aspect of the movie My Left Foot. The opening scenes of the movie provide a significant icebreaker into the personality of the artist, who, unlike many characters living with a disability, does not adopt a meek and humble approach. Christy roughly asks for a lighter from the hired nurse to have a cigarette, which is uncharacteristic for this particular group. Additionally, he is sipping whiskey from his jacket’s inner pocket, despite being in an official event to receive an award. Ordinarily, people with disabilities are usually portrayed as modest individuals who must be respectful to their caregivers, a trait that is acquired through years of dependency. In this case, Christy acts as any other member of society, employing derogative language while addressing the person hired to assist him. Such behavior contradicts the conventional beliefs and labels about the character of people with disabilities.

Outstandingly, Christy does not assume a lesser position in his significant family. Commendably, he does not rely on his kin to make decisions for him but instead voices out emerging concerns. For instance, Christy actively engages his father in confrontations about the family, openly representing his sisters in such arguments. Such a perspective, again, challenges the stereotypes associated with disability. Individuals living with various incapacities are usually portrayed as unspoken characters who follow the instructions of their “normal” colleagues.

The Discrimination of Christy

Despite the presentation of Christy as a champion against disability stereotypes, the character experiences some cases of discrimination in his childhood. Primarily, his father distinguishes him from the other children during playtime. Such an approach is motivated by the assumption that “Christy does not know what is happening.” Such as case epitomizes the concept of discrimination since it emanates from the family unit, the basic support system for individuals living with incapacities (Grossman & Magaña, 2016). Additionally, Christy is unfairly segregated by the school system and is left at home when his siblings attend their studies. Stakeholders perceive children with disabilities as unfit for the education structure and an unwarranted source of competition for “normal” learners. Such degenerating thinking is discriminative, noting the achievements of Christy under the tutorage of his mother.

Environmental Design Challenges

Notable design failures are evident in the My Left Foot regarding the character of Christy. Primarily, the street football game where Christy scores a goal appears to be an overrepresentation of the actor, regardless of his exceptional skills. Such a setting shows Christy playing against fully mobile boys and his participation in the sport is quite overrated. The set could be improved by emphasizing his passion for soccer by making him an obsessive spectator.

The communal setting of 1940’s Dublin, where men met in local pubs, is not appropriate for Christy’s role. The actor has, since his birth, endured indifference from the father and unconditional love from the mother. In this regard, taking after his father’s drinking habits does not fit the environmental context of a home with contrasting perspectives on the “disabled” Christy. Such a mishap can be rectified by depicting Christy as a God-fearing young man, noting the dominance of the church in the era as well as the dominant influence of his mother.

Moreover, the bar fighting scene, where Christy contests for the honor of his father, is unexpected. While the actor is represented as an arrogant and unconventional individual, given his condition, Christy endures a problematic relationship with his father. Therefore, the director of the film can retain the heroic aspect of Christy by portraying his dissatisfaction with the sentiments of local men without necessarily engaging in a physical confrontation.

Christy confronts his father, Paddy Brown, for insulting his pregnant sister. The design of this environment is inconsistent with the previous scenes that display a different perspective. Christy’s siblings have never been steadfast in protecting him from the wrath of their parents. For instance, they hide an adult magazine in Christy’s boxcar, an act that gets him in trouble with their mother. Hence, displaying Christy as the protector of the other children is overstretched. In this case, Christy could have been given a supportive role to the distraught sister, owing to his experiences with a demeaning father.

Christy’s Biggest Problem

            While Christy encounters numerous challenges in the movie My Left Foot, the most notable obstacle is overcoming speechlessness. The actor’s left foot enables him to participate in some activities, including art. Likewise, the presence of a supportive family helped Christy with mobility by pulling him in his boxcar. However, interacting with other people was profoundly challenged by his lack of speech before undergoing rehabilitative therapy. Verbal expression is a significant aspect of human interactions and this is the main challenge in Christy’s life (Wagner, Kopp, & Malisz, 2014). The problem can be blamed for his segregation in society and subsequent effects on his personality.

The movie My Left Foot provides a complete perspective of Christy Brown, touching on his abilities and challenges due to a Cerebral Palsy condition. Markedly, Christy endures discrimination from his father and society at large. However, the actor evolves into an accomplished artist by learning to utilize his left foot as well as conquering his most significant obstacle of speech.

References

Grossman, B. R., & Magaña, S. (2016). Introduction to the special issue: Family support of persons with disabilities across the life course. Journal of Family Social Work, 19(4), 237–251. doi: 10.1080/10522158.2016.1234272

Sheridan, J. (Director). (1989). My left foot [Film].  Ferndale Films.

Wagner, P., Kopp, S., & Malisz, Z. (2014). Gesture and speech in interaction: An overview. Speech Communication, 52, 187. doi: 10.1016/j.specom.2013.09.008