Professor Bahr

Professor Bahr is a perfect example of the general misunderstanding of the hearing-sighted towards the Deaf of DeafBlind. While she is never malicious towards Arlo, she struggles to understand his position. This causes her to think that he is not as intelligent as he actually is. Most importantly, Professor Bahr shows how education and awareness can drastically change someone’s perception and encourage them to support those with disabilities rather than accidentally getting in the way.

Brother Birch

Brother Birch is a representation of a corrupt religious figure. All throughout the novel, he uses his influence in the church and preachings of eternal damnation to manipulate Arlo’s emotions. This leaves Arlo terrified of failure and more likely to blame himself rather than recognize Brother Birch’s emotional abuse. Even the way Brother Birch treats Molly after their affair is revealed is an example of...