Reflecting an Autistic Character and Her Isolation in Society in Carol Cujec and Peyton Goddard’s Real

Year 2023, Volume: 1 Issue: 2, 19 - 31, 30.12.2023

Merve Aydın

Abstract

No matter how advanced a society gets, social perceptions on people with disabilities have predominantly kept going on. Considering technological advancements and scientific improvements, the fact remains that the disabled continue to be regarded as different and are still unable to have equal rights in contemporary societies. Being a minority in society means being a distinct subgroup characterized by certain features that distinguish them from the dominant majority group, and the word ‘minority’ often illustrates prejudices in many fields. Inspired by Goddard’s life, Real was written by Carol Cujec and Peyton Goddard. The novel portrays the experiences of Peyton who has struggled to show her existence as a human being and proves to the world that she is ‘intelligent’ although she is unable to speak due to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and despite the challenges she experiences while studying under unequal conditions. In the novel, Charity represents Peyton, and her narrative serves as an inspiration for the disabled. Through Charity, the novel delves into the value of overcoming challenges, working hard and not giving up for others who face similar challenges. Cujec narrates Peyton’s life story for the purpose of making people aware that the disabled experience various troubles in their daily lives. It advocates the importance of empathy and acceptance in society, which makes the book essential in both youth and adult literature.

Keywords

Real, Carol Cujec, Peyton Goddard, autism, discrimination, youth literature

Carol Cujec ve Peyton Gaddard’ın Gerçek İsimli Romanlarında Otistik Bir Karakterin ve Onun Toplumdaki Yalnızlığının Yansıtılması

Abstract

No matter how advanced a society gets, its viewpoint on people with disabilities has largely remained the same. When taken into consideration the continuous growth of technological advancements and scientific improvements, the reality remains the same that the disabled continue to be regarded as a minority group and are still unable to have equal rights in a contemporary society. Being minority means being a distinct subgroup, characterized by certain features that distinguish them from the dominant majority group, and the word often illustrates prejudices in many fields. Inspired by a true story, Real written by Carol Cujec and Peyton Goddard helps to foster the comprehension of children regarding autism and other disabilities, and what makes it distinctive is its perspective that shows clearly how important to treat the disabled equal in every field and give chance to educate themselves in public schools without leaving them in private centers for the disabled. Real presents experiences of a woman called Peyton Goddard who has struggled to show her existence as a human being although she is a nonverbal child with autism and has many challenges while studying. Using Peyton's narrative as a means to inspire readers to delve into the complex fabric of human difference, advocating for the significance of empathy, acceptance, and the commemoration of the distinct individuality makes the book important in not only youth literature, but also adult fiction world.

Keywords

Real, Carol Cujec, Peyton Goddard, autism, discrimination, youth literature

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