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Under The Eye Of The Clock by Christopher Nolan
family, teachers and friends, a new successful medication, and an innovative tool, Joseph finally learns to type. He calls the new tool his “unicorn stick,” a typing stick attached to his head used to press buttons on a keyboard. In fact, this becomes his means of communication and he is finally able to share with others the “insight and whimsy” of his inner world, the innermost thoughts that he was burning to express, the thoughts in his once “imprisoned” mind that no one suspected.
Although conceived in such a manner that able-bodied individuals could not begin to imagine, Joseph’s (Nolan) writings gain him great prestige and he encounters such unusual life experiences as becoming an award-winning writer. He is even given the opportunity to attend college, Trinity College; however he later decides to give it up. Joseph is grateful that he has been able to cross the boundaries society sets for most disabled people, boundaries I believe we are too unaware of. But Joseph doesn’t ask for more. He accepts it and he is pleased that he has at least gotten the chance to come this far.
This is the story of a boy longing to be a man, an individual without restraints. It is a story of courage and family; the story of a father, a mother and a sister who won’t give up for the sake of the person they love, Joseph. Through his autobiography, Nolan describes what he wants and what he needs from life. He says, “Accept me for what I am and I’ll accept you for what you’re accepted as. He asks himself, “can I climb socially constructed barriers…what can a crippled speechless boy do?” All of these things reveal to us his feelings, the feelings that an uncertain world has created. But Joseph is very lucky. He has the support unlike so many others and he is able to become successful.
I believe that this book is a definite contribution to our society. For so long we have been closed out to the world of individuals like Joseph. We have been so unaware of their unvoiced concerns that I wonder how many other similar cases have gone unnoticed. We are often selfish and take for granted the lives that we have been given. Joseph however, did not do this. He appreciated the little things that he could do, the things that helped to make him an individual.
This is the reality that we face as able-bodied persons, which is why I believe Nolan’s story is so important. Not only does he create a vision for non-disabled individuals to experience, but he also gives voice to millions of sufferers without ever asking for pity. Nolan uses so much detail and vivid language in his novel that it is almost impossible for the reader not to understand his feelings and what he goes through day to day. He has gone to [next page]