“My left foot” is an autobiography of Christy Brown written in 1954. Brown was diagnosed with an incurable disability but lived a productive life thanks to intelligence and the ability to control his left foot. Despite being born with the disability of cerebral palsy, Brown, thanks to various attitudes as he narrates in his book, lived a normal and productive life where he became a renowned writer, poet, and painter. People diagnosed with cerebral palsy hardly have a normal life, and thus Brown’s success was an outlier. In the autobiography, the author narrates how he managed to face challenges and the factors that helped him live a somewhat normal life despite being disabled. The autobiography was an inspiration for many people faced with similar or related challenges as it reveals the problems faced by the disabled and how to overcome them. By reading the autobiography, one cannot help but notice the various set attitudes that run supreme in the book, such as religious beliefs, love, and professional interest.
Religious beliefs shaped some of the attitudes narrated in the autobiography by Christy Brown. As shown, the Irish community at the time of writing was a Christian community. According to the book, when Brown’s mother realized that he had a disability, she “Prayed that God would give her some proof of her faith.” Her prayers were answered when Brown managed to move his left foot and wrote an “A,” a huge accomplishment. Brown’s beliefs are opposite to his mother’s as he explicitly states that he lacked interest in religion. Nevertheless, he also had hope that a miracle might happen to him and that he would be normal. Mrs. Maguire’s religious beliefs made her feel obligated to take Brown to Lourdes. This belief also pushed her to take the responsibility of helping persons in need. As seen, most attitudes adopted in the book by various characters resulted from the views held by an individual or the community.
Other sets of attitudes adopted by many characters in the book were shaped by family love and commitment. This love is manifested in the text through Brown’s mother and Dr. Robert Collins. The attitude toward love is crucial for the author’s well-being, as without love, he would have found it difficult to navigate through life as he did. Brown’s mother shows exceeding love to him just as a mother can by ensuring that her child gets the best medication she can afford. She also demonstrated love by refusing to conform to the belief of the doctors and the other family members that her child is not intellectually able. It is this love for her child that made her pray for him, as the book states in the book “But mother wasn’t content just to say that I was not an idiot, she set out to prove it, not because of any rigid sense of duty, but out of love.” Thus as a believer, she did all she knew to help her child, and her prayers were answered when Brown moved his left foot. Brown (1954) writes that his mother wasn’t content to say he was an idiot, and she set out to prove it, not because she had any rigid sense of duty but out of love. Dr. Robert Collis also demonstrates the attitude of love in how he handled Brown and his condition (Brown, 1954). Apart from offering competent medical care, the doctor shows love by helping him write his autobiography.
State science shapes another set of attitudes in the book regarding the community and professional interests. The author, Dr. Robert Collis, and other professionals who interacted with Brown demonstrated professional interest. Brown states that “Almost every doctor who saw and examined me, labeled me a very interesting but also a hopeless case.” This quote shows that at the time, medical professionals approached their work using judgment rather than actual scientific and medical tests. Christy Brown was only able to move one part of the body, the left foot, yet through sheer determination, and will be able to show professional competence in the fields he chooses to pursue. After discovering the fields in which he could be competent, Brown then devotes himself to them and excels above even normal people in the area. Dr. Robert Collis also demonstrated professional interest by writing books on disability (Brown, 1954). He also goes past his scope of work to help Brown become a writer.
In conclusion, the attitudes shaped by religious beliefs, love, and professional interest run supreme in the book under review. These attitudes, as the author narrates, were caused by various cultural, religious, and social settings in Ireland at the time of writing. The context of the book reveals that Ireland was a poor nation with indifferent medical facilities, and differently-abled individuals like the author were unable to receive proper medical care and guidance. As the book progresses, certain individuals, such as the Browns’ mother, Dr. Robert Collis, and the author himself, develop certain attitudes that are part of his success.
Reference
Brown, C. (1954). My left foot. Random House.