KidLit Forum

Concerning the problem of disability in "Pollyanna" we might refer to this topic in general and in particular.
As we talked in class about the "ugly laws", according to these people were coined as merely objects and abjects. This is not however the case of Pollyanna due to her newly acquired social status. As we can see also in "The secret garden" rich people who are disabled (or thought to be) are kept out of sight. In Pollyanna`s case she is confined to her beautiful room and taken care by only a few people:her aunt, a nurse and a doctor, nobody else being allowed to enter her room; her aunt being her messenger with the outer world.
While being unaware that she had lost the mobility in her legs, Pollyanna says the following: "And so it's hurt that I am, and not sick," she sighed at last. "Well, I'm glad of that." "G-glad, Pollyanna?" asked her aunt, who was sitting by the bed.
"Yes. I'd so much rather have broken legs like Mr. Pendleton's than life-long-invalids like Mrs. Snow, you know. Broken legs get well, and lifelong-invalids don't." Admitting these Pollyanna is very much shocked when she overhears her real situation and it seems that she was defeated in her own game, being unable to find anything else to be glad about: "I know; that sounds like things father used to say," faltered Pollyanna, blinking off the tears. "He said there was always something about
everything that might be worse; but I reckon he'd never just heard he couldn't ever walk again. I don't see how there can be anything about that, that could be worse—do you?"
However, the glad game seems to have continued without it`s leader; every day people with whom Pollyanna came in contact or people who heard about the game came at aunt Polly`s door to thank the little girl for bringing hope in their lives.
It seems that the others happiness was her "antidote" because now she found new things to be glad about: "Oh, I'm so glad," she cried. Then, suddenly, a wonderful light illumined her face. "Why, Aunt Polly, there is something I can be glad
about, after all. I can be glad I've had my legs, anyway—else I couldn't have done—that!"
Then, we can`t talk about a lifelong disability because in the end she is "cured", the novel only putting under a test the glad game. For now Pollyanna passed the test but if her problem had been a persistent one, I`m not sure if she could have handled it.