Chapter 2, Chapter 3 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 2: Walker's mother, Doris Jean, became deaf after a high fever associated with spinal meningitis at thirteen months of age. Walker's father, Gale, became deaf at three months of age after a fever developed when he was taken outside during a bitterly cold day to attend a funeral. Both sets of parents, to varying degrees, spend the rest of their days blaming themselves for the deafness. Gale's parents were heavily involved in the church. Doris Jean's father was a factory foreman, and her mother was a librarian.

Walker's parents have many devices to assist them in everyday living. These devices include: a TTY, or teletype telephone, to print messages from the phone; a pulsing-light alarm clock; and a doorbell that lit up in addition to making a noise. They also have little tricks, such as turning a light switch...