The Deaf Mute Howls (Gallaudet Classics in Deaf Studies Series, Vol. 1) (Volume 1)

Interesting perspective on deafness! I really enjoyed this book. You have to keep the time period in mind. No one says Deaf-Mute anymore.

In this book, Ballin offers his suggestion for a utopian society where the Deaf and hearing communities both thrive, where every individual is fluent in sign language. Ballin wrote from the perspective of what he considers to be the typical deaf experience, including fictional stories that were not his true life experience, but what he felt were common experiences of deaf children.My biggest issue with this book is that Ballin constantly contradicts himself. He says one thing, then turns around and provides arguments against it.On one hand, he is supporting and fighting for sign language to be accepted for the deaf community. He provides hypothetical situations where a person could better communicate through sign language than spoken language. Ballin wrote this book with the idea to showcase the value of sign language and ways to elevate the status of deaf individuals in society. However...He uses common "oralist tactics", supports mainstreaming, devalues sign language and the deaf community all together. He refers to the deaf community as being unnatural, helpless, stubborn, vicious by nature, useless, etc. He describes the hearing community as being more fortunate, having ordinary intelligence, having an infinite number of subjects to discuss. He presents these ideas so much that I'd say this book, in the end, is pro-oralism.Because the inherent discrimination in society, it would be incredibly hard for anyone to be truly and completely bias-free. Ballin's book provides examples of how the Deaf were socialized to view the deaf experience and to automatically, and subconsciously, dehumanize themselves.I'm glad that Gallaudet decided to publish this book and it provides an interesting perspective of the Deaf experience in which to consider and study.

Interesting even for a textbook. Very well written and even though it was written in the 1920's.

My son enjoyed this book.

Awesome book.

A read this book as a free read book for a Sign Language class. It was hard to get threw. A few meaty bits in the middle but, you might as well be reading from a text book about the deaf in the early 1900's.