Transcript for Sound & Fury Chapter 6

(background music)

(interpreted): MOM, YOU KNOW WE'RE GOING FORWARD WITH THE IMPLANT.

NEXT WEEK, PETER'S GOING TO THE AUDIOLOGIST FOR TESTS

AND THEN HE'LL DEFINITELY GET THE COCHLEAR IMPLANT IN JANUARY.

(interpreted): A FRIEND OF MINE ASKED ME WHY HE'S GETTING IT.

I TOLD HIM YOU WANTED IT, AND THEY WERE VERY SURPRISED.

HE FEELS SORRY FOR HIM.

WHAT CAN I DO?

YOU MEAN, YOU'RE EMBARRASSED

ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE WILL SAY ABOUT IT?

I'M EMBARRASSED BECAUSE YOU'RE MAKING HIM HEARING

SO HE'LL SPEAK WELL.

MY FAMILY IS ALL HEARING, AND HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO'S DEAF.

HIS AUNTS AND UNCLES ARE ALL DEAF.

HE HAS A BIG DEAF FAMILY.

IT DOESN'T MATTER.

IT DOES MATTER.

I WANT HIM TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY

TO BE ANYTHING HE WANTS TO BE.

OH... YOU'RE SUCH A LOUSY DAUGHTER.

MOM SAYS I'M A LOUSY DAUGHTER.

SHE JUST SAID THAT.

(interpreted): OH, NO, NO, STOP THAT.

SHE SAID I'M A LOUSY DAUGHTER

BECAUSE I WANT TO IMPLANT MY SON.

HOW DO YOU FEEL?

HOW DO I FEEL?

YES, DAD, HOW DO YOU FEEL?

DO YOU THINK I'M A LOUSY DAUGHTER?

NO, NO, NO.

Marianne: WHO'S LOUSY?

MARI, MY DAUGHTER.

MY DEAF FRIENDS WONDER

WHO EVEN INTERPRETS FOR DEAF PEOPLE

WOULDN'T LOVE HER OWN CHILD EVEN IF HE'S BORN DEAF.

A MOTHER SHOULD LOVE HER CHILD THE WAY HE IS.

Marianne (speaking): DEAF PEOPLE THINK

THAT THE HEARING PEOPLE

ARE TRYING TO MAKE THEM HEARING.

NOT TRUE.

I DON'T MEAN TO INSULT YOU

BUT PEOPLE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT THE WORLD IS CHANGING.

IT'S NOT TO HURT DEAF PEOPLE, IT'S TO HELP THEM.

I KNOW IT'S HARD FOR DEAF PEOPLE TO ACCEPT THIS

BECAUSE IT'S LIKE THE FLOOR HAS BEEN PULLED OUT

FROM UNDERNEATH A DEAF PERSON.

I UNDERSTAND THAT.

BUT YOU STILL CAN'T STOP THE FUTURE;

YOU CAN'T STOP PROGRESS FROM HAPPENING.

(all talking at once)

Many people: LIKE FRANKENSTEIN... MONSTERS...

(interpreted): TODAY WHEN PARENTS FIND OUT THEIR CHILD IS DEAF

THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THE CHILD

AND THEY JUST FORCE AN IMPLANT ON THEM.

(interpreted): THESE PARENTS ARE SELFISH.

Man (interpreted): MY OPINION IS

IF YOU'RE BORN DEAF, THAT'S IT.

(interpreted): YOU'RE RIGHT-- I AGREE WITH YOU.

Mari (interpreted): NOW YOU'RE ALL GOING TO COME AFTER ME.

WE HAVE DECIDED TO GIVE OUR SON, PETER, A COCHLEAR IMPLANT.

(gasping, groaning)

I WANT TO GIVE MY SON

OPPORTUNITIES TO LIVE IN BOTH WORLDS.

(interpreted): YOU FEEL THAT DEAF PEOPLE ARE INFERIOR

SO YOU WANT TO IMPLANT YOUR CHILD

IN THE HOPE THAT HE WILL HAVE A CHANCE IN THE FUTURE.

IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE THINKING?

(interpreted): IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE THINK DEAF PEOPLE ARE LIMITED.

IT'S BECAUSE THE WORLD'S VIEW OF DEAF PEOPLE

MAKES THINGS MORE DIFFICULT FOR THEM.

WELL, LOOK AT ME-- I WORK FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES.

I'VE BEEN A SUPERVISOR OF 25 HEARING PEOPLE

FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, AND I AM DEAF.

(interpreted): I'M A FOREMAN AT MY JOB

AND I CONTROL THE WHOLE SHOP.

MY BOSS CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT ME.

AND I'M STONE DEAF.

(interpreted): A CHILD IS NOT A GUINEA PIG.

I THINK THAT THE PARENT WHO FORCES

AN IMPLANT ON HIS CHILD

IS NOT CONSIDERING THAT CHILD'S FEELINGS.

THE BODY BELONGS TO THE CHILD.

WHEN HE GROWS UP, HIS PARENTS CAN ASK HIM THEN

IF HE WANTS AN IMPLANT.

BUT THIS IS BEST AGE FOR HIM TO GET AN IMPLANT

SO HE'LL HAVE THE BEST OPPORTUNITY

TO LEARN SPEECH AND LANGUAGE.

IF WE WAIT UNTIL HE'S 15, IT'LL BE TOO LATE.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT TAKING HIS DEAFNESS AWAY.

HE'LL KNOW HE'S DEAF.

I'LL TEACH HIM HIS DEAF CULTURE.

DO WE THINK THE IMPLANT CAN KILL DEAF CULTURE, YES OR NO?

Others: YES. YES. OF COURSE.

YES, YES, YES.

ONCE SOMEONE IS IMPLANTED

HE WILL MIGRATE TO THE HEARING WORLD

AND WON'T BOTHER WITH THE DEAF WORLD.

WE CAN'T DETERMINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED

IF THE TECHNOLOGY WAS AVAILABLE A LONG TIME AGO.

WHO KNOWS?

MAYBE WE WOULD ALL HAVE IMPLANTS TODAY.

WHO KNOWS?

PRETTY SOON, WE WILL LOOK LIKE ROBOTS.

NOT ALL DEAF PEOPLE CAN DEVELOP GOOD SPEECH

AND SOUND LIKE HEARING PEOPLE, MAYBE JUST 20%

SO DEAF CULTURE WILL PERSIST FOR MANY, MANY MORE YEARS.

DEAF CULTURE IS WONDERFUL.

(all cheer)

Mari: I THINK AT TIMES THEY'RE RIGHT, THAT I AM BETRAYING ALL I KNOW.

I STILL AM TORN BECAUSE HERE I...

I TOOK IT AS A SIGN FROM THIS WOMAN

"LOOK THIS CHILD IS JUST LIKE ME"

"YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG.

HE'S PART OF OUR WORLD-- LEAVE HIM ALONE."

AND THAT KILLS ME, THAT KILLS ME.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WANT THE BEST FOR MY CHILD

AND I WANT TO GIVE HIM THE BEST OPPORTUNITY I CAN.

AND THE ONLY WAY I KNOW HOW IS THAT THERE'S THIS TECHNOLOGY NOW

THAT WILL ENABLE HIM

TO BECOME MORE FUNCTIONAL IN THE HEARING WORLD.