The Handicapped by Randolph Bourne

Visual Source: University of Lethbridge
"I hate the words 'handicapped' and 'disabled'. They imply that you are less than whole." 
-Aimee Mullins

The psychological and emotional struggle of someone who is handicapped is often a topic that is ignored or immediately judged. This essay talks a lot about isolation and how much harder the world is when someone must live with a disability. The author, Randolph Bourne, talks about his personal struggles because he was born with a facial deformity and understands what it feels like to sit "a foot lower than the normal" (Bourne 58). While Bourne was writing this, living with any kind of disability was far more difficult than modern day. There was a lot of discrimination and any person who appeared abnormal was thought to be disgusting. Bourne faced a lot of obstacles in his life; however, a lot of them were not directly from his facial deformity. Many of these issues were because of how people treated him because he appeared different.

This essay is geared toward people who think that those who are handicapped are different and are not fit for the world that they live in. The main reason Bourne wrote this essay was to create a difference in the world. He felt like he was being punished for being different, and he did not want others like him to feel the same way. This essay brings a lot of insight to the reader and explores the mind of someone who is handicapped which helps get the point across.

An important aspect of this essay is Bourne's diction. The entire essay is in a formal and rather complex tone that sets the mood early on. If this essay was in a casual tone, Bourne's purpose would not have been achieved. This topic is a very serious issue and unfortunately, a very real issue. The reader must take everything that Bourne says seriously because if they don't, the main point of the essay is lost. He achieved his purpose because he educated those who have not experienced the feeling of being handicapped, and he has changed minds way beyond what he may of thought possible.