Before viewing the questions below, go to the Silent Ears, Silent Heart category and read the excerpt of Chapter 2 from the book itself. Afterwards, come back and review the questions taken from the workbook.

This chapter was designed to increase the reader's understanding of the feelings hearing parents may experience when they realize their child is deaf and what is being done to identify deafness at an earlier age. It also will stimulate the reader to consider a deaf person's life from another vantage point.

1. Why was Jack’s meeting with Stan Pratt so important to him?

2. What happened that caused Margaret to become concerned about Christopher’s hearing?

3. When this incident occurred, how old was Christopher?

4. Why hadn’t Margaret noticed any problems with Christopher’s hearing prior to this?

*** Additional Research ***

What is the average age at which hearing loss is identified?

What is the government currently trying to do to enable earlier identification of hearing loss?

5. Margaret began to realize that soothing words and singing could not comfort her son. What range of emotions might she have experienced and why?

6. When Margaret explained what had happened earlier, what emotions did Jack experience and why?

7. What did Jack proceed to do with Christopher? Why did he feel the need to do this?

8. Why did Jack feel resentment toward Christopher?

9. How do you feel about Jack’s overall reaction, especially with regard to his calling Christopher a retard?

10. Does Jack’s reaction indicate he didn’t love his son? Why or why not?