Portrayal of Handicapped Characters in Contemporary American Fiction

Abstract

The study attempts to identify people with handicaps and show how they are portrayed in contemporary fiction. Identification of such individuals is crucial to seeing how they are dealt with, what kind of characters they are, and other issues relating to the ‘realism’ of their portrayal. The study is expected to show how handicaps have been evaluated and treated in modern times, since they were not always recognized as being a legitimate part of the society, especially where mental issues are concerned. Chapter One introduces the issue of handicapped characters and how they have been underestimated for many years. It presents this study as an attempt to identify people with handicaps and how they are portrayed in contemporary fiction. Chapter Two discusses some related literature reviews on the handicapped characters in literature particularly in fiction. Some of these reviews are very much relevant to the topic of this study, while others might not be specifically related to the topic. That is because of the scarcity of the material written on this particular topic. To have better insight into the topic of this research, the literature review is expanded to include reviews about children's literature and works that were written in earlier periods. Chapter Three presents four novels: Sanjo (1979) by W. Mayerson, A Walk to Remember (1999) by N. Sparks, Forrest Gump (2002) by W. Groom, and Like Normal People (2001) by K. Bender. In reading these novels it is shown that mental retardation or impairment is a more complex and challenging problem compared to other types of handicaps. These novels portray characters with different mental handicaps. In this chapter it is attempted to present each novel thoroughly. Chapter Four presents three different novels: A Maiden's Grave (2001) by J. Deaver, Fear Nothing (1998) by D. Koontz, and Blind Justice (1995) by B. Alexander. These novels portray characters in various physical handicaps. They are a representation of the suffering of physically handicapped characters and sometimes humiliation by their societies. These novels show some weak handicapped characters, as well as characters which are outstanding despite their handicap. These novels portray the determination of a large number of handicapped people to challenge their situations and overcome their point of weakness. Chapter Five gives a summary of the whole research. It provides recommendations for future research. This chapter ends with the conclusions that have been drawn by the researcher.