https://doi.org/10.67147/literariness.v1i3.031
Experiencing Disability in an Ableist Society: Identity Formation, Social Violence, and Satirical Resistance in Shoot!
ASWATHI N
Research Scholar
Department of Comparative Literature
Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady
Assistant Professor
Department of English
Alphonsa College, Pala
Abstract: Disabled individuals have historically been represented in literature as symbols of weakness, dependency, and pity. Contemporary disabled writers, however, challenge and subvert these reductive portrayals by foregrounding lived experience and reclaiming agency through creative expression. Drama, in particular, has emerged as a powerful medium through which disabled playwrights articulate identity, resist societal prejudice, and negotiate selfhood. In classical Greek and Roman theatre, disability was often depicted through a lens of tragedy and pathos, reinforcing narratives of suffering. In contrast, modern theatrical practices mark a significant shift, transforming the stage into a space of resistance and self-representation. Disabled playwrights employ drama not only to narrate their experiences but also to contest the cultural assumptions that marginalize them.
This paper examines Shoot! by Lynn Manning, an African American blind playwright, as a compelling example of this transformation. The play centers on a blind protagonist who purchases a gun in response to persistent humiliation and discrimination. Here, the gun operates as a complex symbol—signifying visibility, self-respect, and a means of survival within a hostile social environment. The study adopts a critical disability studies perspective to analyze the play as a narrative of conflict shaped not by blindness itself, but by the oppressive structures of ableism. It argues that the protagonist’s actions emerge from accumulated social violence rather than individual deficiency. The paper further explores how societal treatment functions as an enduring psychological wound. Ultimately, the study highlights how contemporary theatre serves as a site of social resistance, enabling disabled voices to challenge dominant discourses and reconstruct disability identity beyond pity and marginalization.
Keywords: Disability Studies, Disabled Identity, Social Resistance, Theatre and Blindness, Ableism
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