In this Book
- Silent Life and Silent Language: The Inner Life of a Mute in an Institution for the Deaf
- Book
- 2018
- Published by: Gallaudet University Press
- Series: Gallaudet Classics in Deaf Studies Series
summary
Silent Life and Silent Language presents a fictionalized account of life at a Midwestern residential school for deaf students in the years following the Civil War. Based on the experiences of the author, who became deaf at the age of nine and entered a residential school when she was twelve, this historical work is remarkable and rare because it focuses on signing deaf women’s lives. One of only a few accounts written by deaf women in the 19th century, Silent Life and Silent Language gives a detailed description of daily life and learning at the Indiana Asylum for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb.
Kate M. Farlow wrote this book with the goal of giving hearing parents hope that their deaf children would be able to lead happy and productive lives. She sought to raise awareness of the benefits of deaf schools and was an early advocate for the use of American Sign Language and of bilingual education. The Christian influence on the school and on the author is strongly present in her writing and reflects an important component of deaf education at the time. Descriptions of specific signs, games, ASL story nights, and other aspects of the signing community during the 1870s will be of interest to modern students and researchers in linguistics, deaf education, Deaf studies, and Deaf history. Farlow’s work reveals a sophisticated, early understanding of the importance of access to language, education, and community for deaf individuals.
Kate M. Farlow wrote this book with the goal of giving hearing parents hope that their deaf children would be able to lead happy and productive lives. She sought to raise awareness of the benefits of deaf schools and was an early advocate for the use of American Sign Language and of bilingual education. The Christian influence on the school and on the author is strongly present in her writing and reflects an important component of deaf education at the time. Descriptions of specific signs, games, ASL story nights, and other aspects of the signing community during the 1870s will be of interest to modern students and researchers in linguistics, deaf education, Deaf studies, and Deaf history. Farlow’s work reveals a sophisticated, early understanding of the importance of access to language, education, and community for deaf individuals.
Table of Contents
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- Author’s Preface
- pp. ix-x
- Introduction
- pp. xi-xviii
- 4. The Commencement of School Duties
- pp. 13-20
- 5. Learning New Lessons
- pp. 21-25
- 6. Thanksgiving Day
- pp. 26-27
- 7. Promoted
- pp. 28-30
- 8. Christmas at the Institution
- pp. 31-36
- 11. Easter Sunday
- pp. 49-50
- 12. The Annual Examination
- pp. 51-54
- 13. Going Home to Spend Vacation
- pp. 55-59
- 14. School Duties Resumed
- pp. 60-62
- 15. Dozing, and Other Incidents
- pp. 63-66
- 16. Some Unexpected Events
- pp. 67-72
- 17. A Picnic, and How It Ended
- pp. 73-76
- 18. Closing Exercises of the Term
- pp. 77-83
- 19. The Opening of Another Term
- pp. 84-88
- 20. The Magic-Lantern Entertainment
- pp. 89-90
- 21. Friendships
- pp. 91-95
- 22. The Ending of Another Year
- pp. 96-97
- 23. Public Exhibitions
- pp. 98-100
- 24. Spiritual Interests
- pp. 101-103
- 25. Some Birthday Customs
- pp. 104-108
- 26. The Sad End of Two Runaways
- pp. 109-110
- 27. Some Happenings
- pp. 111-115
- 29. Some Little Incidents
- pp. 121-123
- 30. A Description of the New Building
- pp. 124-126
- 31. Persons and Organizations
- pp. 127-131
- 32. Uncounted Blessings
- pp. 132-136
- 33. Pleasures, Tribulations, and Triumphs
- pp. 137-141
- 34. Winning a Prize
- pp. 142-145
- 35. In the Academic Class
- pp. 146-149
- 36. A Pleasant Surprise
- pp. 150-154
- 37. A Departure—Compositions
- pp. 155-159
- 38. Scenes—Gloomy and Gay
- pp. 160-165
- 39. Events of the Passing Time
- pp. 166-169
- 40. Harsh Treatment, and Its Results
- pp. 170-173
- 41. Another Term
- pp. 174-178
- 42. Conclusion
- pp. 179-184
Additional Information
ISBN
9781944838300
Related ISBN(s)
9781944838294
MARC Record
OCLC
1035390212
Pages
202
Launched on MUSE
2018-06-13
Language
English
Open Access
No