Showing the reality of deafness in sci-fi and fantasy remains a challenge

Occasionally, programmes will try to tap into reality through storylines which are rich in diversity and representation – which should be welcomed, obviously. However, when it comes to the growing trend of showcasing Deaf people in sci-fi and fantasy, it’s important these characters aren’t portrayed in a way which is as hyperbolic as the setting in which they are placed.

In February, I wrote about how the hit HBO zombie series The Last of Us failed in terms of its Deaf representation. In episode 5, we were introduced to Henry and his Deaf younger brother Sam, yet the latter character turned out to be nothing more than a plot device to motivate and inspire pity in protagonists Joel and Ellie.

Ironically, Sam was also a fan of superheroes, and if Deaf people – and indeed, disabled people more broadly – are not portrayed as individuals with ‘debilitating’ or ‘heartbreaking’ conditions, then they’re seen as people with conditions or ‘superpowers’ which supposedly make them ‘superhuman’.

Now that may sound perfect within the genre of sci-fi and fantasy, but this is an exaggeration. Deafness and disability are inherently neutral.

Yes, there will of course be moments where challenges present themselves, but in the context of deafness they almost always come from attitudes and infrastructure – the hearing people who get frustrated when I have to ask for things to be repeated on the phone, the cinemas that wrongly assume Deaf people don’t have jobs and so schedule the only captioned screening of the latest blockbuster at 2pm on a Tuesday.

These issues prove not everything is rosy when it comes to being a Deaf person – we still encounter audism (discrimination specifically against Deaf people). Don’t pity us when ableism arises; call on peers and organisations to do better. Equally, being Deaf comes with a language, a culture and a community which many of us are proud to associate with – just not to the extent that we rip off our shirts to reveal a superhero suit underneath.

Look no further than Prime Video series The Power for an example of where a Deaf person has actual superpowers – the whole premise of the show, for those unfamiliar, is that teenage girls suddenly develop the ability to shoot electricity from their fingers – yet still appears in a way which does not misrepresent the reality of the Deaf experience.

As Eloise Pennycott, who pops up from episode 5 as Deaf teen Marinela, recently told Deaf news website The Limping Chicken: “When we see her come in, [two men] sort of say, ‘Well, no, of course she can’t have "the power’" she’s nothing to be afraid of. She’s not all there,' because I’m disabled. So it’s because of my disability, that they assume that I’m not a threat.”

And without spoiling the incredible series for anyone interested, Marinela proves herself to be cunning and wise in a way which soon shows the men were wrong to underestimate her.

In dismantling harmful perceptions with the zap of a finger, The Power’s Deaf representation triumphed with its naturality, showing empowerment can come from resourcefulness and community, and not just a person’s disability.

This is also important when ensuring Deaf people are portrayed as well-rounded characters, not monolithic, ‘one-size-fits-all’ individuals who only talk about their deafness.

His Dark Materials is another successful example, whereby in its third and final season, we saw Amber Fitzgerald-Wolfe play the Deaf teenager Ama who comes across Ruth Wilson’s Mrs Coulter and her sleeping daughter – the show’s protagonist – Lyra.

Using BSL to communicate, Ama’s character becomes a quiet observer of the secrets and danger surrounding Mrs Coulter and Lyra, but far from being inconsequential on the sidelines, she soon helps Lyra’s friend Will on his journey based on the information she has learned.

When it comes to authentic Deaf representation in sci-fi and fantasy, the best storylines are clearly being done when Deaf people exceed the ableist and patronising expectations placed on them by antagonists, when their capacity for excellence and greatness goes far beyond what hearing people think they’re capable of.

And in a way, that ties into what makes the sci-fi and fantasy genre so fascinating to so many people: that the stories and characters we come across usually go so far beyond our own imaginations.

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