The movie “Sweet Nothing in My Ear” was extremely moving.

It really showed
some of the stigmas about deaf people that a lot of hearing people have and that are in
the medical community. It also explores the idea that hearing people assume all deaf
people want to be hearing. It also went into the dynamics of a couple who has one deaf
partner and one hearing partner. The couple seemed to be great until the hearing
partner wanted to get their son a cochlear implant. The son seemed so torn because he
wanted to please both his parents but couldn’t, it makes me wonder how many children
with this family dynamic aren’t included in the decision that directly affects them. The
majority of the deaf characters have a lot of conflict surrounding the idea of cochlear
implants.
The hearing parent seemed to think that because his son was born hearing he
would want to be hearing again but he never asked his son. I think even though he
thought he had accepted the idea of his son being deaf but in reality he hadn’t.
The way the hearing characters signed was different than the way the deaf
characters signed, it didn’t seem as fluid. They knew how to sign and they could hold a
conversation, but it didn’t seem comfortable. They used the language in a different way.
It seemed as though it was an afterthought to use ASL while with the deaf characters it
just happened.
I definitely think that I would have a different perspective if I had watched this
movie before taking ASL. I think I would have still had the same opinion but I think the
way that opinion would have been formed would not be the same as it is now.
The movie definitely helped me explore some of my own preconceived notions
about being deaf and helped me understand why I thought some of those things.
The movie was heartbreaking and eyeopening in many ways. I think they did a
great job telling the story and explaining both parents perspective on the situation. All in
all the movie tought me many lessons about life and about deaf culture.