A Silent Childhood, Childhood is such a precious, yet trenchant part of life. We all have memories of our days as children along with stories of lessons learned. Childhood is reflected by most as being a time of bliss and enlightenment. As I recall my childhood an avalanche of mixed feelings suffocates me. Would I be able to interpret these feelings if I had not learned language? More importantly, is it possible to teach language after the critical period has been extinguished? This is the prominent question that arose in my mind as I read A Silent Childhood. The researchers' goal was to establish if Genie was capable of language after eleven years of isolation. Also, how much of language, if any is innate, and how much is learned? Genie? First of all, that name bothers me. Why in the world would someone name the child Genie? Granted, it was during the seventies when these events occurred, however, that is the best name they could conjure up? Webster's dictionary defines a genie as a supernatural spirit that often takes human form.
Genie Gets Her Wish
Genie (feral child)
Vortex mixer, Vortex Genie 2Were the researchers inferring that they did not view this poor child as human? Why not name her something ladylike and promising like Hope or Heaven. With a child like Genie who was deprived of any sort of nurturing and positive reinforcement, I would think the name would be the first place to start in reconciling the child with a positive outlook upon herself and the world. A name like Genie gives me the impression that it is going to take magic to repair all the damage that has been done. The article later stated that Genie liked when she was described as pretty. Wouldn't it have been great if her name made her feel pretty? Since a name...