A Biopolitical Deconstructive Reading of the Sheltered Workshops with Reference to David Freeman's Play Creeps
Journal Title: International Journal of English and Literature (IJEL) - Year 2019, Vol 9, Issue 2
Abstract
The paper attempts to study the effectiveness of sheltered workshops in the light of the experiences of people with disabilities. While the concept of sheltered workshop aims at transforming the 'zoe' of the disabled person, the purpose is not fully met. The dichotomy between what the sheltered workshops intended to do and what they turned out to be is very striking. Instead of elevating the people with disabilities to a state of 'bios', the sheltered workshops resulted in the creation of a group of 'homosacers' who were forced to sacrifice their passions for a monotonous work. The play Creeps by David Freeman belongs to the subgenre Disability Theatre. The play is set in a sheltered workshop for victims of cerebral palsy, where they are expected to contribute to the economy of the country through their labour at their own pace. Even though from the point of view of the able-bodied-society, it is a privilege to the disabled; from the point of view of the disabled, it is only an exercise of power on them. Some of them want to be artists, but they are considered unworthy of any other art other than packing and folding boxes. The dichotomy between what the Cerebral Palsy victims want to do and what they are doing now creates their sense of an ‘unworthy self’. The paper focuses on the able/disable power relations in the context of sheltered workshops and how they continue to socially disable these physically impaired people. It also looks at how these Cerebral Palsy victims take revenge on the able-bodied supervisors by using abusive language.
Authors and Affiliations
Betty Elsa Jacob, Helen Unius Backiavathy
Keywords
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- EP ID EP578730
- DOI 10.24247/ijelapr20195
- Views 110
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