The I Am Mute/I Am Deaf Sign symbol of.....?

The I am mute/I am deaf sign is a symbol of expectations. This symbol is found in the short story “Mute.” Monette believes that the hitchhiker he had picked up is really deaf and mute, as his sign indicates, because he wants to vent to someone about what his wife has done to him. It is customary to expect that if a person claims to have a disability, he is telling the truth. There are instances during the drive that Monette suspects the hitchhiker can hear what he is saying, but he goes on telling the story of his wife’s infidelity and embezzlement regardless.