Deaf Marlee Matlin Is One

Deaf

Marlee Matlin is one of the most recognizable faces in the deaf community. An Oscar-winning actress, Matlin has also appeared on numerous television shows including the West Wing and Dancing with the Stars. Matlin has become a remarkable emblem for the deaf community: living proof that deaf stars can shine every bit as brightly as their hearing counterparts. However, Matlin's childhood was relatively uneventful. Her supportive parents enabled Matlin to feel comfortable in the mainstream world and in a variety of social situations. Matlin went to a mainstream summer camp and did not attend a deaf-only school. Her education was integrated and so was her social world, illustrating the importance of inclusion. Acording to Putz (2005), "Marlee's childhood world was unlimited." Marlee Matlin's family should therefore be credited for their role in helping shape her self-confidence and self-esteem. Family members and friends of deaf individuals can learn a lot from reading about Matlin, a role model for the deaf community.

Putz (2005) also notes that Marlee's family cultivated a sense of humor and a positive attitude. That sense of humor and lightheartedness tremendously helped Matlin feel confident enough to sign and sing aloud at a summer camp attended by mainly hearing kids. The experience was her first with performance, and Matlin said, "The more I signed, the more they smiled and clapped. It felt great! I wanted to do more of this stuff." The camp experience encouraged Marlee and her mom to pursue after-school programs at the Center on Deafness, (now known as ICODA, the International Center for Deafness and the Arts) (Putz 2005). At age 7, Matlin was cast as Dorothy in the center's production of the Wizard of Oz, and thus her acting career began in earnest. She started touring as a performer. A run-in with Henry Winkler inspired her further, even though Hollywood had yet to embrace deaf actors as a part of their community (Putz 2005).

Matlin won an Oscar for Best Actress in her performance in Children of a Lesser God. The award was meaningful on many levels: for Matlin personally as a sign of her success in the career of her choice, and also for the deaf community. Success in the hearing world -- and especially in an industry saturated with sound and verbal dialogue -- symbolized a transformation of ideals and ambitions. Aspiring deaf actors finally had a role model. Matlin's success also signified the progress made by deaf culture. Deaf culture could be recognized as part of American cultural discourse.

Matlin was invited to deliver an Oscar at the following year's Academy Awards ceremony. She signed the whole time, proudly using the primary language of the deaf community. However, Matlin then spoke out loud the names of the three nominees. Her speaking was perceived as a political faux pas by some parts of the deaf community: especially those who feel that deaf culture is best preserved, cultivated, and maintained by rejecting the mainstream culture's methods of communication. Sign language has become a politically charged issue in the deaf community: a means to create a cohesive social group. For the same reason that cochlear implants are viewed as controversial, speaking is occasionally viewed as selling out. Matlin's move did not deter her, however. With moral support from Whoopie Goldberg, Matlin maintained her identity as a proud member of the deaf community while still being willing to express herself in whatever way she pleased.

Matlin is married to a police officer and has four children. She still works as an actor and views herself not as a deaf person who happens to be an actor but the reverse: as an actor who happens to be deaf (Putz 2005). Her level of comfort with the mainstream hearing society is far from threatening to the cohesiveness of the deaf community. Matlin can also be a role model for any aspiring actor needing encouragement from those who actively pursue their dreams without fear.

Matlin would not seem to be a controversial figure but she has been. Reading about Matlin reminded me of how politically charged deafness and deaf culture have become. Speech and cochlear implants can be viewed as bridges between deaf individuals and the world around them, as a means to solidify membership in the deaf community, or both. Matlin shows that deafness is not a hindrance to success; only doubt can prevent the fulfillment of a dream. What Matlin also shows is that deaf individuals are just that: individuals. The deaf community is no more monolithic than the Jewish community or the Latino community. Each person must decide for himself or herself whether or not to embrace speech.