Sweet Nothing in My Ear Reaction Paper The movie Sweet Nothing In My Ear is one big dispute over whether

or not the parents of Adam Miller should give their son cochlear implants in which may or may not change his life forever. A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hardof-hearing(nicd.com). The implant consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin. Although an implant does not restore normal hearing, it can still give a deaf person a useful representation of sounds in the environment and help him or her to understand speech. Over the years, cochlear implants have caused controversy due to the high costs of the device, surgery, and unknown long-term effects. This movie has opened my eyes to how different people feel about correcting a disability. Throughout the movie, Dan and Laura Miller discuss the positives and negatives of cochlear implants for their son Adam, who was born hearing, but goes deaf around the age of four. However, due to Laura being deaf, she has pride in the deaf community and does not wish to go through with the cochlear implants for her child . Meanwhile, Dan is hearing and believes his child will have greater opportunities if he could hear again. As the movie continues, Dan and Laura struggle to understand each others opinions over cochlear implants, which escalates into a custody battle over their child Adam. The Miller family is not alone in this difficult decision making process. There are many families throughout the United States that deal with this issue and thus show how controversial this topic is. Laura Miller, mother of Adam, has been deaf almost her entire life. Given that, she sees no need to give her son corrective surgery in which to fix his hearing . Taken in

to fact that Laura has been unable to hear since birth, I completely understand where she is coming from in why she does not feel as though her son needs cochlear implants. She feels as if she could grow up and live normally and happily then why cant her son . Laura views deafness as only a minor obstacle in life, just like most other deaf people. When you have a disability, it completely changes the way you feel on that disability for you truly do not know what it is like until you have been diagnosed with it. Not being able to hear to a deaf person is completely normal and they learn to deal and go through life in that manner. Laura feels that Adams life is not hampered by the lack of hearing. She continues to add that Adam is able to do everything except hear, which should not be seen as a disability. Many people in the deaf community believe that people who go for these implants are believed to be changing themselves to fit themselves into the hearing community, with a deliberate attempt. Laura has never wanted to fit in with the hearing community. She was taught from an early age by her parents, who are deaf, to take pride in her deaf community and see her deafness as a gift not a disability. Laura has passed on the idea of deaf pride to Adam and feels that if he were to receive an implant, his idea of deafness might change from a positive outlook to a negative one. In addition, Laura says being deaf is as natural to Adam and her as being hearing is to Dan. Laura does not want her child to feel rejected from a community that he as been apart of his whole life. She feels that his deafness has become a personality trait of his and he would feel lost without it, just as she would if she could hear again. On top of all of the emotional reasons, Laura worries that his body will physically reject the device, which may cause infections or other issues. During a consult with a physician, Dan and Laura observe a child and his parents testing the new cochlear implant. The administrator turns on the cochlear implant and advises the childs parents

to call his name. Unfortunately, the child is non-responsive and cannot indicate sound. This observation supports Lauras fear that if Adam goes through with the surgery there is a chance that it will not work. If that were to happen, the time, money, and pain Adam and his whole family would have gone through would have not been worth it. Dan Miller, father of Adam, is hearing on the other hand. Dan feels as though his son should most definetly receive the corrective surgery, just like most other hearing parents would feel about their deaf child. He views it as, if there is a cure than why not take the chance to correct his sons deafness and help him live a normal life just like most other kids in the world. Dan wants to explore the idea of an implant because he believes that it will give his son a chance for a more normal life. During a heated conversation between Dan and Laura, Dan gets very emotional and screams, I just want my son back! Dan struggles because he knows that he can help his son but without Lauras agreement he feels as if he is trapped . Many researchers believe that cochlear implants enable people to be a part of the hearing community and lead lives , which are no less than being normal. Dan wants Adam to feel that he has lived his life with no regrets and that he is able to do anything he wishes. Dan believes that going through with the surgery at a young age will allow Adam to have more openings in the future with college , jobs, etc. Further more, during a family dinner Adam speaks, which shocks the whole family. This event pushes Dan even further with the idea that Adam is one of the best candidates for cochlear implants. Throughout the movie, Dan never says that being deaf is a disability. Although, he insists that cochlear implants will give great relief to Adam . Throughout their relationship, Dan has been there for Laura when she has needed a translator. He knows how difficult it is to speak for two people and Dan does not want Adam to be a burden on someone else. Unfortunately, the major issue within the controversy over cochlear implants is

choosing which community, deaf or hearing, the person feels that they belong to. However, this can be a tricky topic because at the end of the day when the implant is turned off, the person is still deaf. With that being said, it is not that the person is no longer deaf it just clarifies that the hearing perception of the individual has improved . Many people see the development of cochlear implants as a way to escape the deaf community. However, deafness cannot be cured with cochlear implants, which is why they cause such controversy in both the hearing and deaf communities. While there are many controversies over cochlear implants, overall the technology and what it does for deaf people is astonishing. The opportunities that deaf people have are endless with this advancement. With that being said, the difficulty behind this decision is apparent and is portrayed through the movie , Sweet Nothing In My Ear. Unfortunately, by the end of the movie , Dan and Laura cannot come to a

conclusion about what to do with Adam. The last scene of the movie leaves the audience unaware of the final decision Dan and Laura make. However, they both understand that Adam needs their love and support and are willing to talk about this issue without help from the courts. Dan and Laura realize the many issues they argued about were problems they had with one another, not with the decision concerning Adam. Their

communication was something that they needed to work on, just like the many other families that go through this tough decision. Ultimately, Sweet Nothing In My Ear, is not about deciding whether or not to give Adam a cochlear implant , though it is about how valuable communication is within a family and that love is one of the most important aspect of any relationship.