Part Four, The World of the Simple: Introduction and Chapter Twenty-One, Rebecca Summary and Analysis

Sacks notes he is slightly apprehensive about working with retardates because he thinks the work will be "dismal." He even writes a letter to this effect to Luria who has worked with retardates for some time. Luria's surprising response is that this population presents some of his most rewarding work. Sacks soon finds that what Luria means is that even though these patients are considered mentally defective, they almost always possess a certain endearing characteristic or ability that more than makes up for anything they may lack. Indeed the reader's mind may conjure up images of patients sitting for hours in a chair facing a window while a string of drool drips from their mouth. The mental picture created...