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A Man Without Words
"At the level of sheer pleasure in reading, A Man without Words is as gripping as a novel, eliciting great sympathy for both protagonist and author. . . . The question that drives it—what is it like to be without language?—should be of interest to any reflective person, and it is one of the great scientific questions of all time."—Steven Pinker, author of The Language Instinct
210 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
December 3, 2011
It was difficult to review this book, because on the one hand, Schaller has done a great thing by publicizing the existence of people who have not had the opportunity to learn any standardized language. I'm sure this book changed the minds of some linguists and ASL interpreters, and the subject of the biography was very lucky to have come across someone with the patience to teach him language. However interesting the subject may have been, on the other hand is Schaller's disgusting exoticization of the man she studied. He is at various points in the narrative described as "Mayan," "Neanderthal," "primitive," "bronzed" (on account of his Mexican heritage), and a host of other words that make him into an object instead of a true person. I was appalled each time I read one of these descriptions, which were not mere accidents of language, as proven by Schaller's assumption that this man knew nothing of the world until meeting her, and that he had been completely ignorant of the way everything worked. This is a preposterous claim that elevates Schaller to the level of savior, while also ignoring that man's accomplishments in communicating with his Deaf neighbors. Schaller knows that he has communicated through gestures with other people in his hometown, and yet she continues to claim that her teachings were his first experience with representational language. It's ridiculous and offensive, and marred what was an incredibly fascinating book.
February 16, 2009
Condescending and ill-informed. I really didn't like this book. The author even states that when this "languageless" man encounters a Deaf person, they exchange more information than she had been able to in weeks with him. Then the end of the book has a description of a group of "languageless" people who apparently are communicating without language! They are all deaf and come from the same country...gosh could it be they have a different signed language or are using a pidgin created from the various homesign systems they have brought together? Obviously, Ildefonso has a homesign system he used with his brother. So she didn't teach him the basic concepts of the world, nor did she teach him the rudiments of language. She introduced him to many things, yes, but she gives herself far too much credit.
July 27, 2011
I was excited to dive into this book given the subject matter and the questions that it raised. It was a good read. I flew through the early pages. But, as I got further into the text and the story and learned more about this man I became somewhat appalled at what I was reading. In fact, I wrote a rather lengthy and opinionated paper on this book arguing that this woman obliterated a profound and unique language that this man had. She painted an entire picture of him from the very beginning as being alone, having no allies, no words, no way to communicate with the rest of the "normal people" in the world. But- to my shock and awe, we learn that he had an entire community of similarly challenged peers. They communicated with one another. Sure it was not what we expect a "true language" to be... but it was a language for those people and once she "helped him" develop "proper language" he was then unable to really communicate with them and they were no longer a part of the same world. I was horrified and incredibly sad for the loss of those people.
By the end I had wished that she had not broken down his barriers and instead had found this group of people to study... to interact with... to see how language can develop in the face of such adversity. THAT would have been a much more fulfilling story for me to read.
By the end I had wished that she had not broken down his barriers and instead had found this group of people to study... to interact with... to see how language can develop in the face of such adversity. THAT would have been a much more fulfilling story for me to read.
April 2, 2015
In Susan Schaller's, A Man Without Words, the author provides a narrative description of her semester as an interpreter in a community college classroom of adult learners. Having no clear job description, no syllabus or order, and a teacher who is overwhelmed with demands from students who need social workers as much as education, the author proceeds to spend the entire semester reaching out to a single student who is undemanding and clearly observant.
Throughout her tale, which is fraught with questionable ethics, obvious personal problems, and fairly large lapses of professionalism, she characterizes this student as “languageless�. She bases this notion on the concept that the student can not write in English, speaks no oral language, and does not know either of the standard sign languages that she does. He does attempt to communicate with her, using pantomimes and gestures. Over the course of the book, she comes to learn these, but never acknowledges that he has taught her his language. Indeed, a colleague, the teacher, the student's brother, and a whole host of friends can communicate with the student. Yet, Schaller seems to feel, like Horatio to Hamlet, “These are but wild and whirling words.�
Schaller's idea that her students, and other born-deaf, late-onset learners of sign language are a secret, hidden population of “languageless� adults comes across as poppycock. She clearly has no idea how inherently narrow-minded her view of the world must be to think what she does. Her own language is so limited that her concepts are made small. She exemplifies that which she tries to cure. The problem is not an unseen endemic of “languageless� adults. It is the existence of people who are so cognitively blind that they cannot see or hear a language when it is present. To them, we must say, “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.�
Throughout her tale, which is fraught with questionable ethics, obvious personal problems, and fairly large lapses of professionalism, she characterizes this student as “languageless�. She bases this notion on the concept that the student can not write in English, speaks no oral language, and does not know either of the standard sign languages that she does. He does attempt to communicate with her, using pantomimes and gestures. Over the course of the book, she comes to learn these, but never acknowledges that he has taught her his language. Indeed, a colleague, the teacher, the student's brother, and a whole host of friends can communicate with the student. Yet, Schaller seems to feel, like Horatio to Hamlet, “These are but wild and whirling words.�
Schaller's idea that her students, and other born-deaf, late-onset learners of sign language are a secret, hidden population of “languageless� adults comes across as poppycock. She clearly has no idea how inherently narrow-minded her view of the world must be to think what she does. Her own language is so limited that her concepts are made small. She exemplifies that which she tries to cure. The problem is not an unseen endemic of “languageless� adults. It is the existence of people who are so cognitively blind that they cannot see or hear a language when it is present. To them, we must say, “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.�
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. However, she had a type of vocabulary that was very biased and insensitive. I wished she didn't view herself as some God or heavenly sent angel that turned Ildefonso "ignorance" into something that allowed him to embrace humanity and socialization. I believe she gives herself too much credit and little to the real main character.
Although, I admire her for her patience and continuance to research "language-less" members of society.
Although, I admire her for her patience and continuance to research "language-less" members of society.
October 11, 2012
It could have been paced better. She spent an awful lot of time repeating herself and musing on the same concepts over and over again. We didn't actually get to see much of the protagonist because she spent so much time theorizing. Very interesting read, though.
December 17, 2012
WHAT I LIKED:
The concept behind the story is fascinating. The author finds a 27-year-old man who hadn't ever learned a formal language. She discussed how she taught him language and the moment Ildefonso put everything together.
I had never considered that a child who was born deaf may never learn language unless there are community resources available to teach a sign language. (There is more than one sign language, btw. ASL is just one kind.) If a child is born deaf to hearing parents who don't know any sign language, how does that child acquire language without the intervention of an outsider.
And I'm not talking about first learning to read and write in English for a child who is born deaf in an English-speaking country. Hearing children have acquired age-appropriate listening and speaking fluency before attempting to learn how to read and write.
You can hear more at:
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
She finds him again years and is amazed at his ability in ASL. She asserts that this "languageless" adult learned a language starting at 27, so we should get rid of the idea that you can't learn language after a certain age. Well, I'm curious what a trained linguistics researcher focusing on ASL would find regarding Ildefonso's language proficiency. Was it indistinguishable from a native-speaker of ASL? Her perception of his language ability may not be accurate.
The writing got a bit repetitive, especially in the first half. She also kept claiming that he was intelligent. Maybe he was, I don't know. But what evidence did she have that he was intelligent (whatever she defined that as)? I'd imagine it's difficult to determine intelligence without some form of language to communicate ideas.
FURTHER COMMENTS:
I encourage people to read more about the critical period hypothesis. The claim that you can't learn language past puberty is an exaggeration, but there are elements that are unlikely to become native-like. Phonology is an example. It doesn't mean that this is universal, because I'm sure you'll find exceptions, but this is a generality.
The concept behind the story is fascinating. The author finds a 27-year-old man who hadn't ever learned a formal language. She discussed how she taught him language and the moment Ildefonso put everything together.
I had never considered that a child who was born deaf may never learn language unless there are community resources available to teach a sign language. (There is more than one sign language, btw. ASL is just one kind.) If a child is born deaf to hearing parents who don't know any sign language, how does that child acquire language without the intervention of an outsider.
And I'm not talking about first learning to read and write in English for a child who is born deaf in an English-speaking country. Hearing children have acquired age-appropriate listening and speaking fluency before attempting to learn how to read and write.
You can hear more at:
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
She finds him again years and is amazed at his ability in ASL. She asserts that this "languageless" adult learned a language starting at 27, so we should get rid of the idea that you can't learn language after a certain age. Well, I'm curious what a trained linguistics researcher focusing on ASL would find regarding Ildefonso's language proficiency. Was it indistinguishable from a native-speaker of ASL? Her perception of his language ability may not be accurate.
The writing got a bit repetitive, especially in the first half. She also kept claiming that he was intelligent. Maybe he was, I don't know. But what evidence did she have that he was intelligent (whatever she defined that as)? I'd imagine it's difficult to determine intelligence without some form of language to communicate ideas.
FURTHER COMMENTS:
I encourage people to read more about the critical period hypothesis. The claim that you can't learn language past puberty is an exaggeration, but there are elements that are unlikely to become native-like. Phonology is an example. It doesn't mean that this is universal, because I'm sure you'll find exceptions, but this is a generality.
December 17, 2020
What is language? How does it influence those who speak it? Can one measure it's nuances and depth?
What is man apart from language? A Man Without Words explores these questions and more as Susan Schaller eloquently and beautifully advocates for educating deaf individuals in signed language. She challenges the conventional method of delaying language instruction. She saw the results first hand during her fascinating and frustrating work with the deaf man Ildefonso, a 27-year-old languageless adult. Neither spell check nor most people immediately grasp the meaning of languagelessness. But Schaller saw first hand the sad state of a man who faced being without language and who did not know that the things in life had names. He did not know how to convey ideas and thoughts to other humans. This should not be. The number of deaf children and adults who grow up with little or no knowledge of signed language should move the reader's heart with grief. How much the world has been deprived of because these people have been deprived of a means of communicating their ideas and beliefs. I hope and pray that the status quo may change. And the number of deaf children in hearing homes may learn language as infants and be equipped to develop as their hearing companions have.
What is man apart from language? A Man Without Words explores these questions and more as Susan Schaller eloquently and beautifully advocates for educating deaf individuals in signed language. She challenges the conventional method of delaying language instruction. She saw the results first hand during her fascinating and frustrating work with the deaf man Ildefonso, a 27-year-old languageless adult. Neither spell check nor most people immediately grasp the meaning of languagelessness. But Schaller saw first hand the sad state of a man who faced being without language and who did not know that the things in life had names. He did not know how to convey ideas and thoughts to other humans. This should not be. The number of deaf children and adults who grow up with little or no knowledge of signed language should move the reader's heart with grief. How much the world has been deprived of because these people have been deprived of a means of communicating their ideas and beliefs. I hope and pray that the status quo may change. And the number of deaf children in hearing homes may learn language as infants and be equipped to develop as their hearing companions have.
July 3, 2017
Very interesting book about a language-less deaf man and the young woman who patiently introduces him to the fact that everything has a name. The author has a passion for American Sign Language (ASL) and was neither a teacher nor linguist. You learn about his experiences--how he came to be 27 years old without language--as well as what she uncovers when she researches language acquisition in adulthood realizing how little has been published about it.
March 6, 2025
I loved this book! Incredibly insightful and a beautiful story.
September 30, 2014
A certain episode of Radiolab featured this story as a way of considering the power and necessity of language for human flourishing. (You can listen at ). Schaller tells the story of a young man she meets almost by accident at a class for deaf students at a university in California in the 1970s. After interacting with him briefly, she discovers that his inability to communicate is not ignorance about the particular signs of American Sign Language, but is actually a consequence of the fact that he was never taught any language at all. Her attempts to sign and communicate are simply mimed back to her by this obviously intelligent but clearly bewildered 27 year old, who observed everything around him intently but could make no connection between what was being done by others and their intention to communicate with him.
The story tells briefly how this young man, referred to as Ildefonso in the book, comes first to grasp language as an adult. This begins an odyssey not only for Ildefonso, but for Susan his teacher; she was charting new territory in a field that had long regarded languageless adults as unteachable.
My interest in the story derives not only from the remarkable story itself, but also from the philosophical writings of a 20th century novelist, Walker Percy. Percy was fascinated by semiotics, or "sign theory" first enunciated by the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce. Semiotic theory gave Percy the means to develop a philosophical anthropology that was both scientifically grounded but that avoided a reductionist materialism that dismissed language as a mere epiphenomenon of neural activity. In , his collection of linguistic essays, he attempts to show how language defies comprehension in terms of linear, stimulus/response patterns, and that "meaning" is irreducibly threefold: sign, concept, and speaker cannot be broken down into a more fundamental binary interaction. In other words, language is an utterly unique phenomenon in the history of the cosmos, and science cannot explain it simply in terms of material and efficient causes.
One point of contact between Schaller's experiences with Ildefonso and Percy's linguistic theory was the moment that Ildefonso "gets" the fact that gestures "mean" concepts. Percy recounts a similar moment: the famous event in which Helen Keller, with water running over one hand and the sign for water traced on her other hand first realizes that "water" isn't just a sensation, but a name. Both Helen and Ildefonso enter the human community at that moment, and in Ildefonso's case, a lifetime of confusion and isolation is washed away in an instantaneous flood of tears.
Schaller writes with great passion for her subject matter, and her research into the ways in which languageless adults have been misunderstood in the past allows her to bring a fresh eye to much of human history and the study of language. Her love for the Deaf community also shines through and gave me insight into a segment of our society of which I know little to nothing. Highly recommended for parents of deaf children and all men of good will!
The story tells briefly how this young man, referred to as Ildefonso in the book, comes first to grasp language as an adult. This begins an odyssey not only for Ildefonso, but for Susan his teacher; she was charting new territory in a field that had long regarded languageless adults as unteachable.
My interest in the story derives not only from the remarkable story itself, but also from the philosophical writings of a 20th century novelist, Walker Percy. Percy was fascinated by semiotics, or "sign theory" first enunciated by the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce. Semiotic theory gave Percy the means to develop a philosophical anthropology that was both scientifically grounded but that avoided a reductionist materialism that dismissed language as a mere epiphenomenon of neural activity. In , his collection of linguistic essays, he attempts to show how language defies comprehension in terms of linear, stimulus/response patterns, and that "meaning" is irreducibly threefold: sign, concept, and speaker cannot be broken down into a more fundamental binary interaction. In other words, language is an utterly unique phenomenon in the history of the cosmos, and science cannot explain it simply in terms of material and efficient causes.
One point of contact between Schaller's experiences with Ildefonso and Percy's linguistic theory was the moment that Ildefonso "gets" the fact that gestures "mean" concepts. Percy recounts a similar moment: the famous event in which Helen Keller, with water running over one hand and the sign for water traced on her other hand first realizes that "water" isn't just a sensation, but a name. Both Helen and Ildefonso enter the human community at that moment, and in Ildefonso's case, a lifetime of confusion and isolation is washed away in an instantaneous flood of tears.
Schaller writes with great passion for her subject matter, and her research into the ways in which languageless adults have been misunderstood in the past allows her to bring a fresh eye to much of human history and the study of language. Her love for the Deaf community also shines through and gave me insight into a segment of our society of which I know little to nothing. Highly recommended for parents of deaf children and all men of good will!
Read
June 11, 2018Like many people, I heard the podcast first.
RadioLab: “Words that Change the World.� A ten minute introduction to Ildefonso, a 27 year old deaf man who had never learned the concept of words, spoken or signed, and Susan Schaller, his younger American Sign Language teacher who set out to teach him. The story is moving and inspiring, a step outside of the cave of language, a ten minute introduction to the revelation that words are an invention and that they change who we are.
The book complements the podcast. It deepens the story, revealing not only more detail about Ildefonso himself and Susan’s efforts to teach him, but also more detail about the world of languageless people, people who, though without words, have a rich communicative life of gesture and narrative.
What do words do to us? To the way we communicate, to the way we think, and to the way we act? How much are words reliant on sound? How do spoken and signed languages differ in syntax? Can a signer have a sign language “accent�?
These are just a few of the questions wrapped into “A Man Without Words,� and while Schaller’s narrative focuses on Ildefonso (and the book is primarily the narrative of this one storyline), she surfaces many answers, too. That said, Schaller also makes many missteps, both, it seems to me, in her teaching and in her presentation of some of the people. While Schaller is empathetic, deeply motivated and caring, writing “He had entered the universe of humanity� when Ildefonso learns his first words might not be the most sensitive way to celebrate. Yes, words may be a uniquely human invention, but as the reader learns later, those without language nonetheless have a rich interior, human life.
Ultimately, the narrative doesn’t go too far beyond what the podcast shares, but it does share more of Ildefonso’s history and personality, and of Susan’s history. We learn what happens in the decade and more following Susan and Ildefonso’s meeting, and, in sometimes overwrought (but earnest) prose, we come to a better understanding of the world of languageless people.
Schaller’s story is an easy and compelling read. I’d be curious to learn about the response of people who read this before hearing the podcast.
Do I recommend it? Yes, for those who are interested in the nature of language itself, this is an evocative story of how language changed a person. It meaningfully explores life with and without words.
Would I teach it? Excerpts, perhaps. It’s not a long book, but it isn’t dense enough to teach the whole text. I think this could be effective in partnership with the RadioLab podcast.
Lasting impression: As a complement to the podcast, this offers a better sense of Susan and Ildefonso’s relationship, even if it doesn’t substantially deepen in the impact. The most compelling moment might be the experience of a meeting of four languageless people as they tell each other stories.
RadioLab: “Words that Change the World.� A ten minute introduction to Ildefonso, a 27 year old deaf man who had never learned the concept of words, spoken or signed, and Susan Schaller, his younger American Sign Language teacher who set out to teach him. The story is moving and inspiring, a step outside of the cave of language, a ten minute introduction to the revelation that words are an invention and that they change who we are.
The book complements the podcast. It deepens the story, revealing not only more detail about Ildefonso himself and Susan’s efforts to teach him, but also more detail about the world of languageless people, people who, though without words, have a rich communicative life of gesture and narrative.
What do words do to us? To the way we communicate, to the way we think, and to the way we act? How much are words reliant on sound? How do spoken and signed languages differ in syntax? Can a signer have a sign language “accent�?
These are just a few of the questions wrapped into “A Man Without Words,� and while Schaller’s narrative focuses on Ildefonso (and the book is primarily the narrative of this one storyline), she surfaces many answers, too. That said, Schaller also makes many missteps, both, it seems to me, in her teaching and in her presentation of some of the people. While Schaller is empathetic, deeply motivated and caring, writing “He had entered the universe of humanity� when Ildefonso learns his first words might not be the most sensitive way to celebrate. Yes, words may be a uniquely human invention, but as the reader learns later, those without language nonetheless have a rich interior, human life.
Ultimately, the narrative doesn’t go too far beyond what the podcast shares, but it does share more of Ildefonso’s history and personality, and of Susan’s history. We learn what happens in the decade and more following Susan and Ildefonso’s meeting, and, in sometimes overwrought (but earnest) prose, we come to a better understanding of the world of languageless people.
Schaller’s story is an easy and compelling read. I’d be curious to learn about the response of people who read this before hearing the podcast.
Do I recommend it? Yes, for those who are interested in the nature of language itself, this is an evocative story of how language changed a person. It meaningfully explores life with and without words.
Would I teach it? Excerpts, perhaps. It’s not a long book, but it isn’t dense enough to teach the whole text. I think this could be effective in partnership with the RadioLab podcast.
Lasting impression: As a complement to the podcast, this offers a better sense of Susan and Ildefonso’s relationship, even if it doesn’t substantially deepen in the impact. The most compelling moment might be the experience of a meeting of four languageless people as they tell each other stories.
December 22, 2014
Sorry this isn't a better review, but I just wanted to jot down a few thoughts. What I really liked about this book was being able to see into the world of a Deaf man without a formal language, but I didn't care for the author or her style. There seemed to be a veiled audism to the book that was a little off-putting. However, it is interesting to see how as long as there's is (healthy) human interaction of some kind, there will be a kind of language development, even if it isn't quite the same kind of language that we usually think of as such. It actually made me re-evaluate my "hard and fast" linguistic ideas of what a language is. As long as two human beings can exchange ideas using recognizable "symbols" (even if these are gestures), can't we consider that a language? It's an interesting thought a book worth reading if you're at all interested in Deaf studies or language/linguistics in general.
June 24, 2014
Despite the 3-star rating, this is a really interesting book and definitely worth a read.
I just finished writing a 3-page report on this so I'm not in the mood to do a review right now, but the drop in rating is mostly because of the author's disorganized structure and heavy-handed ("trying too hard to be profound") writing style.
I'll try to write a full review later.
But anyone who is at all interested in deafness, in language/linguistics, or human culture should definitely read this book.
I just finished writing a 3-page report on this so I'm not in the mood to do a review right now, but the drop in rating is mostly because of the author's disorganized structure and heavy-handed ("trying too hard to be profound") writing style.
I'll try to write a full review later.
But anyone who is at all interested in deafness, in language/linguistics, or human culture should definitely read this book.
April 17, 2019
I really enjoyed this book! You learn the stories and adventures the characters took. Throughout the book you learn how hard it must've been for the protagonists, Ildefonso and Susan. This made the life of Susan Schaller much harder to live, as she had to help this man at the age of 27 years old learn and understand language and communication. This book made me look through a different perspective because you see how Ildefonso struggled understanding. I hope you are able to read this book and enjoy it as much as i did! :)
July 22, 2013
I was looking to understand more about this man and his evolution of thought and language, but instead got a personal narrative of the teacher's own grandeur. Very intriguing story, but hard to get through since the author seems to think that Ildefonso was incapable of anything without her intervention. She compares him and other "languageless" people to Neanderthals and in general exhibits a condescending attitude toward a clearly capable and interesting, though different, man.
August 22, 2009
The first half was three stars, the second half...six. (yes, six.) <3
January 23, 2014
A fascinating story, but stiffly and rather blandly told.
September 21, 2015
A fascinating and important story maddeningly told.
September 20, 2018
I had a feeling that I would love this book the moment I picked it up. Somehow, the plain, modest book cover, and the block-lettered title just seemed to call out to me.
Turned out, my sixth-sense was right. This book is extraordinary.
Before picking this book up, I have met and seen a few deaf people, and have occasionally wondered what life was like without sound; however, I realised that I have never really thought about what a language less life would be like, something that is arguably worse than living in silence. Susan Schaller not only described her experiences in an engaging way, she also gave a lot of insight about the human mind, human development, civilisation, and essentially what it means to be human. This book opened my eyes to the miracle of life, and really made me ponder about humanity in ways I have never done before.
When Ildefonso learned his first structured language, and could finally integrate into society, I found myself rejoicing with Susan. While reading this, I felt like I was a part of this journey, and I sometimes wish that I could meet Susan and Ildefonso in person- two incredibly courageous warriors.
Here are some quotes that really spoke to me:
"I refused to accept the idea of hopelessness. The Mayan had survived. He must have experienced some form of communication, however primitive. To understand him and to begin to communicate, I must walk outside of language[...]He had lived for decades without names, and without having a name he nonetheless had a sense of self. Tarzan didn't need a name in his jungle."--p.28
"Was counting more intuitive and basic than naming? I pictured Adam counting and grouping animals for months before he named them." ---p.36
"Suddenly he sat up, straight and rigid, his head back and his chin pointing forward. The whites of his eyes expanded as if in terror. He looked like a wild horse pulling back, testing every muscle before making a powerful lunge over a canyon's edge[...]He broke through. He understood. He had forded the same river Helen Keller did at the water pump when she suddenly connected the water rushing over her hand with the work spelled into it."---p.44
"Perhaps I had simply opened the door far enough for me to join him in his prison where we both were trapped. That Friday night, Ildefonso's crying haunted me. If it was too late to learn language, I had only tortured him by offering the unobtainable. My efforts had robbed him of his only cushion-ignorance."---p.58
"A new friendship can sometimes cause one to feel that life is happening for the first time." ---p.76
"He looked up at me, then to the right and left to make sure no one was watching. Ildefonso showed me his new sign. 'Love-you,' he signed, gently urging his chest with the love sign. His eyes rose shyly."---p.80
"Language, I realised, is a membership card for belonging to a certain tribe [...] within the tribe, members notice and exaggerate differences between families and neighbourhoods [...] They forget how much more similar they are until they meet someone outside the tribe who can't tell any of them apart." ---p.90
"Human beings gain a sense of security, false though it be, from conformity, from the lack of startling differences that would force us to contemplate who we really are." ---p.155
Turned out, my sixth-sense was right. This book is extraordinary.
Before picking this book up, I have met and seen a few deaf people, and have occasionally wondered what life was like without sound; however, I realised that I have never really thought about what a language less life would be like, something that is arguably worse than living in silence. Susan Schaller not only described her experiences in an engaging way, she also gave a lot of insight about the human mind, human development, civilisation, and essentially what it means to be human. This book opened my eyes to the miracle of life, and really made me ponder about humanity in ways I have never done before.
When Ildefonso learned his first structured language, and could finally integrate into society, I found myself rejoicing with Susan. While reading this, I felt like I was a part of this journey, and I sometimes wish that I could meet Susan and Ildefonso in person- two incredibly courageous warriors.
Here are some quotes that really spoke to me:
"I refused to accept the idea of hopelessness. The Mayan had survived. He must have experienced some form of communication, however primitive. To understand him and to begin to communicate, I must walk outside of language[...]He had lived for decades without names, and without having a name he nonetheless had a sense of self. Tarzan didn't need a name in his jungle."--p.28
"Was counting more intuitive and basic than naming? I pictured Adam counting and grouping animals for months before he named them." ---p.36
"Suddenly he sat up, straight and rigid, his head back and his chin pointing forward. The whites of his eyes expanded as if in terror. He looked like a wild horse pulling back, testing every muscle before making a powerful lunge over a canyon's edge[...]He broke through. He understood. He had forded the same river Helen Keller did at the water pump when she suddenly connected the water rushing over her hand with the work spelled into it."---p.44
"Perhaps I had simply opened the door far enough for me to join him in his prison where we both were trapped. That Friday night, Ildefonso's crying haunted me. If it was too late to learn language, I had only tortured him by offering the unobtainable. My efforts had robbed him of his only cushion-ignorance."---p.58
"A new friendship can sometimes cause one to feel that life is happening for the first time." ---p.76
"He looked up at me, then to the right and left to make sure no one was watching. Ildefonso showed me his new sign. 'Love-you,' he signed, gently urging his chest with the love sign. His eyes rose shyly."---p.80
"Language, I realised, is a membership card for belonging to a certain tribe [...] within the tribe, members notice and exaggerate differences between families and neighbourhoods [...] They forget how much more similar they are until they meet someone outside the tribe who can't tell any of them apart." ---p.90
"Human beings gain a sense of security, false though it be, from conformity, from the lack of startling differences that would force us to contemplate who we really are." ---p.155
August 4, 2019
This is in many ways a fascinating and informative account of the author's ultimately successful work with a deaf man who spoke no language at the age of 27. She was, at that time, a sign language (ASL) interpreter. She played a role similar to the role Annie Sullivan played in the life of Helen Keller.
I had one minor and one more significant problem with this book. The first: it tends to be repetitive. The second probably arises from the way the book came to be written, and the crucial event that occurred well after the author conceived of writing it.
This would, in fiction, be a spoiler, but I don't view it as such here.
Throughout the first half or more of the book, Schaller describes Ildefonso's (a pseudonym) situation when she met him as utterly lacking language, and even lacking the concept of symbolic communication. However, seven years or so after she met and worked with him, she meets him again and for the first time discovers that he is part of a community (though small and with its members unable to meet each other often) of nonlinguistic deaf adults, most or all from the same region of Mexico. She is able to spend hours witnessing the way they communicate with each other -- which in addition to extensive and skillful miming, does involve the use of invented symbols, although not all these symbols are used by all the members. (I realized, at this point, that Helen Keller, before her work with Annie Sullivan, also used invented symbols, though from my vague recollections, at least some of them were gestures clearly arising from their meanings.)
Schaller expresses awe at seeing something akin to the invention of or beginnings of language itself. All well and good -- but she didn't then go back and revise her earlier characterizations of Ildefonso's experience. I found that incongruity jarring.
I had one minor and one more significant problem with this book. The first: it tends to be repetitive. The second probably arises from the way the book came to be written, and the crucial event that occurred well after the author conceived of writing it.
This would, in fiction, be a spoiler, but I don't view it as such here.
Throughout the first half or more of the book, Schaller describes Ildefonso's (a pseudonym) situation when she met him as utterly lacking language, and even lacking the concept of symbolic communication. However, seven years or so after she met and worked with him, she meets him again and for the first time discovers that he is part of a community (though small and with its members unable to meet each other often) of nonlinguistic deaf adults, most or all from the same region of Mexico. She is able to spend hours witnessing the way they communicate with each other -- which in addition to extensive and skillful miming, does involve the use of invented symbols, although not all these symbols are used by all the members. (I realized, at this point, that Helen Keller, before her work with Annie Sullivan, also used invented symbols, though from my vague recollections, at least some of them were gestures clearly arising from their meanings.)
Schaller expresses awe at seeing something akin to the invention of or beginnings of language itself. All well and good -- but she didn't then go back and revise her earlier characterizations of Ildefonso's experience. I found that incongruity jarring.
June 23, 2021
While the topic is a real source of interest and information, the author remained too biased a narrator to create an enjoyable account of events. Although being an interpreter and advocate for more visibility to the Deaf community, she paints Deaf people who do not sign ASL in a troubling light. They are 'languageless' (while simultaneously communicating whole stories to one another?)
In her portrayal, she:
- does not acknowledge the efforts of communication realised by these non signing, not speaking Deaf people.
- describes Ildefonso with an uncomfortable point of view, even mirroring him with her much younger nephew. That specific point could bear no issue, if Deaf people were not already troubled and persecuted for being perceived as intellectually lesser then. Within this context, it seems to me that such comparison was inappropriate.
Finally, at the end, she mentions interviews with him realised for the purpose of allowing him to express his thoughts on whichever matter. Ildefonso seemed rather disinclined to write much himself, but they do hold sessions where he tells her stories. However, the stories are only mentioned if they allow to catch yet another glimpse at the way language works for Ildefonso.
Moreover, not once (I could be wrong on this), does she mention her signing word per word the book to him. it seems like a whole book as been written on a man and he has little knowledge of the extent of the writings. It did irk me that she kept projecting emotions on his stances, when a) it is a recollection b) she does not have access to his mind; however she did mention him having explained to her how he felt.
Nonetheless, without mentioning him being aware of everything she wrote about him (which she may have done without signalling it to the readers), as a reader, it kept me from much of Ildefonso's persona.
In her portrayal, she:
- does not acknowledge the efforts of communication realised by these non signing, not speaking Deaf people.
- describes Ildefonso with an uncomfortable point of view, even mirroring him with her much younger nephew. That specific point could bear no issue, if Deaf people were not already troubled and persecuted for being perceived as intellectually lesser then. Within this context, it seems to me that such comparison was inappropriate.
Finally, at the end, she mentions interviews with him realised for the purpose of allowing him to express his thoughts on whichever matter. Ildefonso seemed rather disinclined to write much himself, but they do hold sessions where he tells her stories. However, the stories are only mentioned if they allow to catch yet another glimpse at the way language works for Ildefonso.
Moreover, not once (I could be wrong on this), does she mention her signing word per word the book to him. it seems like a whole book as been written on a man and he has little knowledge of the extent of the writings. It did irk me that she kept projecting emotions on his stances, when a) it is a recollection b) she does not have access to his mind; however she did mention him having explained to her how he felt.
Nonetheless, without mentioning him being aware of everything she wrote about him (which she may have done without signalling it to the readers), as a reader, it kept me from much of Ildefonso's persona.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this book! The author manages to write about complex topics in such a way that it is easy to follow and understand. I started this book thinking that it was only going to explain how the author taught a languageless deaf adult language, but I got so much more. When reading about languagelessness before, I just could not wrap my mind around the concept. Thanks to this wonderful book I now understand better and see it in a completely different light. The author also adds personal thoughts and feelings to the story which I perceived as very refreshing.
This book is ideal for people who are fond of language and linguistics and if they are none of these things beforehand, I strongly believe that this book could turn them into language enthusiasts.
This book is ideal for people who are fond of language and linguistics and if they are none of these things beforehand, I strongly believe that this book could turn them into language enthusiasts.
August 29, 2018
This book was mentioned in Temple Grandin's book *Animals in Translation* and I followed up the reference and was glad I did. This is a fascinating tale of the experience of a man who had been born deaf in a poor Mexican town with no access to any sign language at all and how he was introduced to common language, shared by many people. The concept of not having any language at all is still really, really hard for me to comprehend, frankly. But here's the story. More importantly, he is quite obviously not alone - then or now, in all likelihood. How many people have to live in that box, baffled by what they see going on around them every day? This book is a look at a world you never knew, you never knew.
June 26, 2022
2.5 stars (which is a very generous review)
This books highlights very real issues within the deaf education field and the Deaf community. Stories like Ildefonsos are still happening; Individuals with severe hearing loss not receiving any language until later in life and from an unqualified individual due to the shortage of resources and bodies within the field of deaf education.
HOWEVER� this book is very outdated, condescending, and written from a ‘hearing savior� perspective. If you have not been exposed to Deaf culture, language development, or deaf education—this is not the book to start with. There are many Deaf artists, poets, authors, and influencers that would give you a much more appropriate introduction to this beautiful AND SUFFICIENTLY INDEPENDENT community.
This books highlights very real issues within the deaf education field and the Deaf community. Stories like Ildefonsos are still happening; Individuals with severe hearing loss not receiving any language until later in life and from an unqualified individual due to the shortage of resources and bodies within the field of deaf education.
HOWEVER� this book is very outdated, condescending, and written from a ‘hearing savior� perspective. If you have not been exposed to Deaf culture, language development, or deaf education—this is not the book to start with. There are many Deaf artists, poets, authors, and influencers that would give you a much more appropriate introduction to this beautiful AND SUFFICIENTLY INDEPENDENT community.
May 11, 2022
I both enjoyed and disliked this book. The first half of the book where she is struggling to teach him language was fascinating. I enjoyed reading about the various approaches and frustrations and techniques she used to make connections. The second half of the book was very different. It just seemed like in the guise of friendship she kept pestering him. He just wanted to live his life at that point, but she kept creating introductions to people who wanted to use and study him. She kept wanting to study him! It felt very exploitative and at times hard to read.
February 15, 2025
Author encounters a man born deaf in southern Mexico who had never received any training in sign language and follows his struggles, breakthrough and acquisition of sign language. It turns out people in this situation are more common than thought and the ability to learn sign language as an adult is greater than deaf scholarship believed.
February 14, 2018
This was an easy read. Read it in a couple of days. I was captivated by Ildefonso’s story. There were a couple of times I got lost in the stories, and there was a lot of repetition. But the story is worth the read. I know I couldn’t have done any better writing this story, so Kudos to Susan!
March 18, 2019
Three stars for average. Not bad, not exciting. The ending was anticlimactic and the author self-focused. I did enjoy taking the time to think from a different perspective, which was exactly why this book caught my attention at the library.
January 4, 2022
I read this for my psychology class and while it’s a very interesting story, Schaller infantilizes Ildefonso and takes a bit too much credit for his language learning. Still, she helped something pretty amazing happen, just not quite like she says.
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