Michael Cooper

Professor Goins

ENG -11-25

30 September 2024

Life in the Eyes of Nancy Mairs

Those who are fully able-bodied often take very little time to imagine what their own lives would be like if they did not have full use of their body, let alone imagine how those suffering from physical disabilities experience life. Nancy Mairs aims to make readers more mindful of those with disabilities through her intimate personal narrative, “On Being a Cripple”, which tackles the subject of her experience with multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis, abbreviated as MS, is a neurodegenerative disease in which one’s nerves are essentially attacked, slowly paralyzing limbs and eroding control over bodily functions. At the time of publication of …show more content…
Ethos, the rhetorical device of proving one’s credibility as a writer, is essential for making a convincing argument, as writers must build trust with their readers in order for their arguments or information to be believable. Mairs accomplishes this in two main ways: proving herself as a highly competent individual and showcasing that she has the knowledge to accurately portray what life is like with MS. To elaborate, writers must demonstrate that they have a certain level of competency and intellect to command authority, particularly when talking about complex topics like MS and societal expectations. Mairs seems to accomplish this somewhat inadvertently, stating, “I had just begun graduate school when I found out something was wrong with me, and I have remained, interminably, a graduate student” (Mairs 2). While this quote can be interpreted as a mere continuation of her personal narrative, it shares a crucial glimpse of Mairs’ credentials. By informing readers that she is a graduate student, the audience is led to believe that Mairs is an intellectual, scholarly woman whose words carry real weight. Moreover, her status as an intellectual is solidified through the multiple references she makes to varying literature, showing that she is a well-read, knowledgeable woman. Additionally, she establishes her credibility to talk about her experience with MS by speaking on how long she has had MS. For example, the text states, “Everyday for the past nearly ten years, then, has been a kind of gift” (Mairs 2). While this quote is in the context of her misdiagnosis with brain cancer, Mairs’ words reveal that she has had MS for nearly ten years. Due to the length of time she has had to let her views on the condition set in and experience MS daily, readers can safely assume that Mairs is