FREE ESSAY ON A SILENT CHILDHOOD

A SILENT CHILDHOOD

 A Silent Childhood
Childhood is such a precious, yet trenchant part of life. We all have memories of our
days as children along with stories of lessons learned. Childhood is reflected by most as
being a time of bliss and enlightenment. As I recall my childhood an avalanche of mixed
feelings suffocates me. Would I be able to interpret these feelings if I had not learned
language? More importantly, is it possible to teach language after the critical period
has been extinguished? This is the prominent question that arose in my mind as I read A
Silent Childhood. The researchers' goal was to establish if Genie was capable of language
after eleven years of isolation. Also, how much of language, if any is innate, and how
much is learned?
Genie? First of all, that name bothers me. Why in the world would someone name the child
Genie? Granted, it was during the seventies when these events occurred, however, that is
the best name they could conjure up? Webster's dictionary defines a genie as a
supernatural spirit that often takes human form. Were the researchers inferring that they
did not view this poor child as human? Why not name her something ladylike and promising
like Hope or Heaven. With a child like Genie who was deprived of any sort of nurturing
and positive reinforcement, I would think the name would be the first place to start in
reconciling the child with a positive outlook upon herself and the world. A name like
Genie gives me the impression that it is going to take magic to repair all the damage
that has been done. The article later stated that Genie liked when she was described as
pretty. Wouldn't it have been great if her name made her feel pretty? Since a name is
something one hears hundreds time a day, the repetition of a beautiful name would
redirect the negative thoughts that were pounded in her head for so many years.
Speaking of years, Genie was thirteen when her mother stumbled into the social welfare
office. Scientists don't agree how language is acquired, but they do agree that the first
years of life a critical for language. Some scientists even believe that language is
almost impossible to learn after the age of seven, six years before Genie was brought in
for help. Behaviorists like B.F. Skinner believed language is learned through imitation,
association of sights and sounds of words, and reinforcement. Genie was not exposed to
any of this. Linguist Noam Chomsky believes that when a child is given the adequate
nurture, language just happens to the child. Genie was not given the adequate nurture
either. Because of this and the terrible condition she was in, I would have taken care of
her emotional and physical needs first. Putting her in the hospital was the right idea,
but that particular hospital was not the best place. Even though the hospital was well
known, it was perhaps too well known. There was a tremendous amount of commotion and this
is exactly what Genie didn't need. I would have put her hospital that was smaller and
less well known. The fact that competition for access to Genie was fierce by the
researchers was something that should not have taken place. It appeared that many people
were more concerned with their personal gains rather that the well being of the child.
Anyone concerned about Genie's well being would have tired to get her out the hospital as
soon as possible into a stable family. Visits from her mother was a great idea, but Irene
was incapable of taking care of a child with so many needs; even after Irene's therapy
(which did not accomplish that much). I would have let Genie stay in the hospital only
long enough to find her a nurturing, stable home. She didn't need to get attached to a
place where she would leave in a short while. She did get attached to the cooks and the
handy man at the Rehabilitation Center. Being moved from Jean Butler's, back to the
Rehabilitation center, to the Ringler's, to her mother's, and to foster homes was
detrimental to any progress that was made. I would have let her stay with Jean Butler. 
Genie had gone from being 'the most promising case study of the twentieth century' to
being, in Rigler's words, 'perhaps one of the most tested children in history.' I realize
that the studies were beneficial to both Genie and the human race, but I strongly believe
the testing was excessive. Even though the tests were like a game and even though Genie
preferred adults to children, she should have been able to have some sort of a normal
childhood. I think too much studying was done and not enough caring was done. Genie
needed more one-on-one time. She needed stability and the reassurances that she could act
out and express herself. She only expressed herself to someone when she was used to him
or her. She also stopped her constipation when she was used to staying somewhere. Because
her environment was not threatening, she didn't have to feel like she needed to control
something (her bowels and her expression).
I would have placed her with a family that agreed to adopt her for life (preferably Jean
Butler). She would have had a home health aid to make sure she continued to be healthy
and maybe do some physical therapy to ease her development. I would have let Susan
Curtiss observe and visit maybe three to four hours a day and any other research would
have to be limited to just two days a week for two to three hours. Visits from her mother
are very important so she could visit her mother whenever time permitted. I think putting
her in school was also a great idea. I would have placed her in school as soon as
possible. It's hard to say if Genie would have been able to live independently, but that
would have been my goal.
It is truly a shame that there was competition to study Genie, but when she was living
with her mother, and she needed help hardly anyone could be found. It is also unfair that
out of all the money that went to study her, almost none of it went to the benefit her or
her mother. Why is Genie now living in a home for adults who are retarded when she is not
retarded? Did everyone just give up on her?
I have neither given or received nor have I tolerated the use of unauthorized aid.