It’s troubling to understand why a person with four functioning limbs would have the desire to either have them removed or lengthened. In Frank’s article “Emily’s Scars,” he discusses Gillian Mueller who underwent limb-lengthening surgery in 2002. After surgery, Gillian states, “limb-lengthening surgery was the clearly the right decision for me,” she then says, “it is a personal decision that in every individual whose lives can be functionally improved should be allowed to make for him/herself, without being judged by anyone for that decision.”
Biopolitics is the reason that people like Mueller struggle with their lives both before and after surgery. Before surgery, Mueller is judged based on her body not fitting what is normal and after surgery, she is judged because she did make that decision. Frank makes a statement that I feel sums up biopolitics. “The choice of limb lengthening surgery is a form of normalization- fitting the body to the demands of society rather than calling on society to create accommodations for different bodies- and normalization has a bad name in age of disability rights.”
Mueller may believe that she chose to have limb-lengthening surgery to become more “functional” and have the potential of a “normal” person. The truth is, lengthening your limbs does not give you more potential as Mueller believes it has. Maybe it does become more “functional” but it isn’t required. Little people are succeeding in society just as much as “normal” people are. I wouldn’t disagree that life is not as easy, but it has become much more possible. Society made Mueller feel as though this was the best decision, perhaps the only decision. Society doesn’t create accommodations for others; we are required to meet the standard.
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I agree that the cosmetic surgery industry has really made a lot of profit transforming our human population into what is “normal” and what is “beautiful”. I believe that there needs to be a cutback on this. It is interesting to think that, really, all cosmetic surgery, facial reconstructions for severely deformed faces to nose jobs, are all making one fit the “normal”. The background stories of those getting such differing surgeries done are probably much different but it is still greatly influenced by popular culture.
ReplyDeleteIn Mueller’s case, I disagree slightly from your opinion. I’m sure that there was social pressure that Mueller felt before she got the surgery, but by lengthening her limbs, it does enable her to not have to accommodate to her shorter height. She will not have to buy special functions for a car. She will not have to step up on a stool in a “normal” sized house to reach the counter. It would make her life less full of such hassles.
I find it extremely interesting how the motives switch here. This may not be based on fact but, while reading about apotmnophelia, I got the vibe that they don't care if the world accepts their decision--it's more than that. I'm sure many, if not most, take that into account that the world views this as strange and decide against amputation. But what's intriguing is the ones that do amputate. The ones that end up amputating seem to ignore, in my opinion, these 'standards' and are more motivated by their own inner desires to feel right. Sure people that get limb-lengthening surgery have similar inner desires, but they seem like a desire that's parallel with the norm, you know, just fitting in right or whatever.
ReplyDeleteBut sometimes I think it's very possible that the stronger desire or motive comes from outside. Like the world makes you fit in. Like you don't really have the desire to be longer limbed but you know you should. Lastly, I'm completely fascinated by the thought of an outside desire conflicting with an inner desire, and yet the person follows the outside motivation. This can definitely be seen in other places: maybe cultural assimilation, suppressed homosexuality, and really any insecurities.