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Introduction to "Planet of Silence"
I feel the need to have an introduction to this story. I have written it to my understanding of the hearing impaired culture. I do have family members with hearing impairments, but this does not give me all knowledge of the hearing impaired. Even so, some explanation of why I have written parts the way have maybe helpful in understanding parts of this story.
This story may, at times, seem it is going back and forth in a strange way. I'm trying to convey two different worlds here. A world of sound (the senior staff) and a world of silence (Mriana's deafness in this story.) Not an easy task.
I never realized just how hard it is to convey what a person with a hearing loss hears or rather does not hear until now. As I have said, I have family members who have varying degrees of hearing loss, but one really never realize the difficulties of such a state, until you try and put it in words. So bare with me if there are moments of confussion, a state that the hard of hearing indure almost every day, but difficult to convey if you have never been in such a state or have it as severe as my character.
I can sign a lot of these words I have my character sign, but it would take a while to discribe each and every sign and it would also take from the story line. :( Hopefully, you can use your imagination. Terp is what some deaf people use, at least in my area, for interpreter.
One explanation for those who do not know a thing about ASL. ASL (American Sign Language) the subject or the word that is the main focus is signed first, then the discriptive word and other words that need to be understood to communicate. (i.e. "You how?" Meaning how are you?) Pigeon sign is similar in some respects. Except one who doesn't sign regularly could get away with "How you?", but "You how?" is still preferable. In ASL it is "Name what?" Pigeon it could be signed, "What your name?" The being verb is not necessary and therefore left out. S.E.E. is Signed Exact English and is usually used in public schools to try and help deaf children learn English. Studies recently have found, this does not always work. There is still argument about this even so. Anyway, for this story's sake, Federation Sign Language is similar to ASL and Pigeon is just as I have said above. Don't worry, I won't do this every where in the story. :) Just in places, where it can still make sense to everyone.
For those who don't know what a Cochlear Implant is, it is a mechanical devise that some how stimulates the nerves that are still working in the cochlea. A surgeon drills through the skull near the ear and places a wire through the cochlea to the brain. When the patient heals, they add a device on the outside of their skull that picks up sounds and sends it to the wiring that goes through the cochlea, which stimulates the working nerves. Then the sounds go to the brain and produces sounds. It works well with patients that don't have severe nerve damage in the cochlea. The only prob with the implant is, if the patient does not like it and wants it removed, it damages what is left of the nerves in the cochlea that do work. There is much controversy about this procedure in and out of the deaf community.
I think I have covered all the cultural stuff I have borrowed for this story. Except for the first page of this story, there will be no background sounds. Sorry if you enjoy a little background music with your reading, but the reason is to tie in with the story. Enjoy.
Continue to Chapters One and Two
Vist the National Association of the Deaf (Should open new window.)
