Disability in Film and Literature

Literary and filmic depictions of the disabled reinforce an ＂ableist＂ ideology that classifies bodies as normal or abnormal--positive or negative. Disabled characters are often represented as aberrant or evil and are isolated or incarcerated. This book examines language in film, fiction and other media that perpetuates the representation of the disabled as abnormal or problematic. The author looks at depictions of disability--both disparaging and amusing--and discusses disability theory as a framework for reconsidering ＂normal＂ and ＂abnormal＂ bodies.

Nicole Markotic teaches Creative Writing, Children’s Literature, and Disability Studies at the University of Windsor (Ontario). She has worked as a freelance editor, was poetry editor for Red Deer Press for six years, edits the chapbook series Wrinkle Press, and is currently on the NeWest editorial board.