I Am A Cripple Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

“I am a cripple.” A straightforward statement precisely describing her condition, no more no less. Her frank attitude towards her condition throughout the passage strengthens her writing and defines her character. Mairs uses the word cripple to define herself accurately as one with a defective limb who can face adversity and the truth fearlessly through showing that she is strong, intelligent, and confident by using complex diction, syntax, and irony.

To start off, the diction present throughout the essay is somewhat harsh as the words “cripple”, “wince”, “tough”, and “garbage” have negative connotations. These words give this essay a powerful tone and drive the point through. She knows what she is and no other word than cripple can define her. She says labeling her as “differently-abled” is “pure verbal garbage”. This shows how fed up she is with people making light of her situation. She could have more softly disagreed with it as she did with the words handicapped and disabled but she strongly feels the word “differently-abled” widens the gap between word and reality. Differently abled is much too positive and hopeful, while she can do a lot of things, it is still harder for her to accomplish it. While cripple has a negative connotation, to her it is a simple truth and is rather empowering. The word cripple does not deviate in any way like the words disabled or handicapped do. The word “disabled” means “physical or mental incapacity” and “handicapped implies that I[she] have deliberately been put at a disadvantage”. Maires disagrees with both of these statements; she is neither mentally incapable as she is articulate in her writing nor believes god would purposely want trouble for her. These words also seem to evoke pity because they make it seem crippled people can not do everything a person with an able body can and she does not want pity for her condition. Through her diction, she is able to convey her feelings towards the alternative words of cripple and to show she is strong enough to face the truth without deluding herself into thinking she is incapable of achieving something.

Using well-thought-out diction she constructs impactful syntax to support her purpose. “I refuse to participate in the degeneration of the language to the extent that I deny that I have lost anything in the course of this calamitous disease; I refuse to pretend that the only differences between you and me are the various ordinary ones that distinguish any person from another.”  The parallel structure of these sentences is done by putting  “I” before “subscribe”, “refuse”, and “deny”; she is emphasizing the points following it. She is emphasizing the foolishness of sugar coating a problem; this disease has caused problems for her and calling her "differently abled" is taking away the hardships she faced and making it sound more positive than it is; she also is aware there is a major difference between herself and ordinary people with all their limbs, by calling her differently able they are putting her at the same level as everyone else and saying she has faced no more hardships than others which she strongly disagrees with. She wants to prove that while she is capable of doing anything able-bodied people can, it is harder for her to accomplish it. She wants to show the truth to everyone and not underplay it or over-exaggerate it.

Adding on to the purpose, irony impacts the tone of the passage which helps characterize her as intelligent and confident. She writes “I want them to see me as a tough customer, one to whom the fates/gods/viruses have not been kind, but who can face the brutal truth of her existence squarely. As a cripple, I swagger.” This section especially proves her to be strong and resilient. She is not allowing the word cripple to deter her ambition but she proudly claims it. She states “As a cripple, I swagger” which is ironic because to “swagger” one has to walk confidently but she can not walk. She used the word swagger to show that while she can not walk with confidence, she can still talk and write with confidence and show her strength through that. She also states “fates/gods/viruses have not been kind” to her but she still will face the truth and difficulties head-on. By choosing the word cripple to define her condition she is facing the truth. She is not sugar-coating her condition and trying to get pity. By claiming the word cripple she develops her character as strong and capable by not backing down from challenges it presents. She is strong to not let society decide what suits her condition best but herself, which shows her resilience and intelligence. 

The confidence she showed in the previous paragraphs does waver towards the end of the passage. She says “  I don’t care what you call me… I have long since grown accustomed to them; and if they are vague, at least they hint at the truth... I would never refer to another person as a cripple. It is the word I use to name only myself.” Her main point throughout the passage is why the word cripple empowers her, but at the end of the passage, she almost sounds defeated or tired of being called anything other than cripple. She also accepts the fact not everyone who is crippled likes being called a cripple and no matter what, it is still a word that holds back certain people. Though these ideas do contradict her previous claims, in a way it shows her strength. Living in a society where people try to make light of a situation that is a struggle for others, people do not understand the pain they go through. She still accepts this society; she still tries to change it but she changes herself even though it is uncomfortable. She is strong enough to get out of her comfort zone because society is not ready to accept who she is.

Using multiple different rhetorical techniques Mayers successfully conveys her purpose. Through diction, she emphasizes why cripple is the word that properly defines her, this characterizes her as fearless because she bravely faces the truth. She uses syntax and irony to show though she may be a cripple she is confident and can face adversity. Using well-developed diction, syntax, and irony Mairs characterize herself as strong, intelligent, and capable while making it clear that while she is a cripple it does not hold her back in any way.