Topic > Deaf Again: Building a World Full of Others

Through Deaf Again, an account of the life of Mark Drolsbaugh, readers are drawn into the world of a deaf individual and the difficulties that come with learning and growing in a world full of very different people. As a hearing person, this book proved to be very enlightening and I found myself more and more drawn into Mark's story with each turn of the page. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay I learned quickly that just because someone has two deaf parents doesn't mean their life will be easier as a deaf child. All families and children face problems, and as a parent, it is difficult to know what the right thing to do is when it comes to your child's health and future. This was very clear from the beginning of the book. Additionally, I learned more about Gallaudet University. While we learned some of the school's history in class, in this book I learned more about what it means to have a deaf-centered university. The book really highlighted the importance of attending college where only ASL is used. It was clear that earning a college education after facing years and years of adversity was a huge success. It is also mentioned in the book that watching older deaf children go to college really inspires younger children to hold their heads high and reach for the stars. Furthermore, by reading this book, I learned what it means to truly feel different at school. While every middle and high school student feels “different” at the time, being a deaf child in a school full of hearing peers is very different from most people's lower education experiences. This book really demonstrated the emotions that come with feeling so different and how important it is to overcome these feelings. This insight that Mark offers readers is a big part of what makes this book great. What really struck me about this book was Mark Drolsbaugh's ability to truly put the reader in his shoes. As a hearing person, I never imagined I could relate to Mark's story so much. A great example of this is in chapter 6, when Mark asks the reader to imagine themselves as a scuba diver. He explains what it would be like to live underwater and then realizes that you fit in better on land. This really resonated with me and not only puts the reader in the author's shoes, but also shows Mark's talent as a writer. I was also very impressed with Mark's discussion of spirituality. In my opinion, it can be very difficult to address one's personal spirituality and questions regarding higher power and religion. This book addresses the topic very honestly. I found these sections very easy to relate to and made the book so much better. On the other hand, I found something a little irritating about this book. Mark had a tendency to blame many problems on his hearing loss. Although I'm sure that most, if not all, of his difficulties were complicated and perhaps made worse by his deafness, he occasionally seemed to use it as a scapegoat. This seemed to be especially true in his early years when he struggled with language and learning. I think the work would be deeper if Mark had examined other aspects of his personality. Also, reading this book about Mark's life really opened my eyes to more about Deaf culture and ASL. First, this book has truly illuminated how ASL is a godsend for those who are deaf. Read about Mark's struggle to read lips and understand what was going on around him.