October 30, 2022 - 20:23
I want to discuss the moment when Ruben gets kicked out of the home he was living in. I think it represents a core aspect of deafness: deaf culture and community. The community Ruben inhabits is unique; it is full of deaf people who firmly believe that being deaf is not a handicap, those who try to fix their mind and not their ears. When Ruben decides to get the cochlear implant, he has violated the principles of this community, the idea that deafness is not something to be fixed but rather a means for community and connection. The deaf people in the movie experiences life just as vividly as hearing people. This is powerfully shown through the scene where all of the schoolchildren put their hands on the piano to feel the vibrations as it is played. They communicate effectively, they play, they learn, they live. Deafness is a characteristic, not a handicap.