Ambivalent Attitudes Towards Disability: A Study Of R. J. Palacio’s Wonder

Abstract

Disability studies aims at figuring out the experiences of disabled people in society. They undergo several consequences for being different, such as otherness, social limitation, and inequality. R. J. Palacio's Wonder details the life of a 10-year-old boy named August Pullman, whose face is disfigured due to a genetic disorder called Treacher Collins syndrome. Auggie hesitates to step into the world of gaze. The perception of disability is essential to exile in life for disabled people. The attitudes towards PWDs differ according to people, which can be defined by the concept of three spheres of influence. How family, friends, doctors, teachers, and others from society view the disabled community with ambivalent studies and negative attitudes. Despite August's oddity, the author tries to portray him as a normal boy with the help of family. , friends, teachers, and attributes. The article furthermore echoes society’s ambivalent attitudes and negative attitudes towards impaired people..