Rlc - Literary Analysis of Nonfiction

Literary Analysis of Nonfiction

The identity of a person is not the diagnosis that society defines them with. It is their very soul that continues to shine despite their label. I chose a story from NYTimes.com by Susan Senator, entitled Opening the Door. This story portrays the relationship between a grandfather and his autistic grandson from the mother's point of view. I believe that Ms. Senator wrote this story to describe some of the lessons learned from her father in accepting and embracing the reality of her life.

In Ms. Senator's story, she described her experiences coupled with a mix of feelings. She expressed being "stunned by the simplicity of her father's response to the news of her son's autism", she felt like an "overwrought, incompetent parent" and at other times "like a worshipful daughter". Ms. Senator's final attitude was a positive one, to find the silver lining in her particular situation, learn and grow from it, and, let that be a positive impact on her family's life. Ms. Senator can be described as a mother of an autistic child, daughter of a very accepting father, a tad skeptical of progress or change where her son is concerned, and most importantly, she is hopeful of the future for her family and her son. (Senator, 2011, p. 1-3)

Quotations that reflect my findings (Senator, 2011, p.1-3):

Lessons learned from her father:

"Well, he's still our Nat"

"his reaction was maddeningly the same: basically, that Nat was just great, and what was I complaining about?"

"Why can't Dad's gauzy veil of denial actually be the truth? Who's to say it isn't?"

Mix of feelings:

"stunned by the simplicity of that response"

"overwrought, incompetent parent, and yet at other times, like a worshipful daughter"

"I loved the idea, though when I saw it, I grew skeptical"

"Why can't Dad's gauzy veil of denial actually be the truth? Who's to say it isn't?"

Who is Ms. Senator:

"When I first told my father about my oldest son Nat's autism"

"Wasn't it a little too much hope packed into such a small space?"

"The door was opened. It was shut again, sure, but the bottom line is: a door has opened".