A 2011 article by Nancy Bombaci addresses the possibility the famous author, Gertrude
Stein, having autism. Bombaci states that Stein is often referred to as a “loose cannon,” and
claims that many of her writings occur in a style which matches the speech pattern of those with
autism. Whether or not Stein actually has autism, however, it not stated. Autism typically causes
extremely specific character traits, being hyper-attention and intelligence. Though autism has
different effects on the brain of each person, the most prominent is the overall high intelligence
level.
Reading Stein’s essays can be both confusing and overwhelming, causing distress in its
readers. The same can be said for conversations with people having autism. …show more content…
Autism is considered a “males
disease,” due to the fact it is more prominent in the male species. Stein’s work “The First
Reader” has many examples of obsessive and hyper-focused behavior. One boy spends his entire
day counting the letter w, while another was engrossed in measurement. “He measured his hair,
he measured his share of a pear, he measured his feet” were the examples used to describe the
young boy’s behavior.
Perhaps Stein’s use of examples of autistic behavior was used repeatedly because of the
fact that it was something she was familiar with. It may have been that she was unable to voice
her own feelings so she did so through the expression of characters in her writings. Bombaci
states that Stein uses a masculine tone with a touch of femininity in her writings, causing the
reader to more relate her to the young boys who exhibit autistic behavior as opposed to the
questioning manner of the young girl, who is confused and defensive because of her different
way of thinking. Stein also uses the examples of the woman who needs to assert her
independence from the man in order to show her own identity. Bombaci states that she uses …show more content…
Her
way of systemizing is not entirely the same as those with autism, but rather those with a high
level of intelligence. For example, in the way that the young girl in “The First Reader” does not
feel empathetic to the young boy’s feelings toward measurement and his obsessive behavior.
In “Autism and Creativity” by Michael Fitzgerald, he address the fact that people with
high functioning forms of autism are more prone to being highly creative. They are able to work
for long periods of time, often without breaks for food. Some people view autism as a disability,
but in fact it may be just the opposite for some. Creating the ability to focus intently and for long
periods of time, some of the most famous scientists were thought to have a form of autism, such
as Albert Einstein.
Stein’s style of writing became more adventurous with each passage written. With her
unique word choice, her work is both confusing and addicting. It causes the reader to come back
for more and to yearn to understand her thinking. Though her words spin in circles, the reader
becomes enveloped in the dance. Her gender neutral sense makes the reader feel that the tone
Stein, having autism. Bombaci states that Stein is often referred to as a “loose cannon,” and
claims that many of her writings occur in a style which matches the speech pattern of those with
autism. Whether or not Stein actually has autism, however, it not stated. Autism typically causes
extremely specific character traits, being hyper-attention and intelligence. Though autism has
different effects on the brain of each person, the most prominent is the overall high intelligence
level.
Reading Stein’s essays can be both confusing and overwhelming, causing distress in its
readers. The same can be said for conversations with people having autism. …show more content…
Autism is considered a “males
disease,” due to the fact it is more prominent in the male species. Stein’s work “The First
Reader” has many examples of obsessive and hyper-focused behavior. One boy spends his entire
day counting the letter w, while another was engrossed in measurement. “He measured his hair,
he measured his share of a pear, he measured his feet” were the examples used to describe the
young boy’s behavior.
Perhaps Stein’s use of examples of autistic behavior was used repeatedly because of the
fact that it was something she was familiar with. It may have been that she was unable to voice
her own feelings so she did so through the expression of characters in her writings. Bombaci
states that Stein uses a masculine tone with a touch of femininity in her writings, causing the
reader to more relate her to the young boys who exhibit autistic behavior as opposed to the
questioning manner of the young girl, who is confused and defensive because of her different
way of thinking. Stein also uses the examples of the woman who needs to assert her
independence from the man in order to show her own identity. Bombaci states that she uses …show more content…
Her
way of systemizing is not entirely the same as those with autism, but rather those with a high
level of intelligence. For example, in the way that the young girl in “The First Reader” does not
feel empathetic to the young boy’s feelings toward measurement and his obsessive behavior.
In “Autism and Creativity” by Michael Fitzgerald, he address the fact that people with
high functioning forms of autism are more prone to being highly creative. They are able to work
for long periods of time, often without breaks for food. Some people view autism as a disability,
but in fact it may be just the opposite for some. Creating the ability to focus intently and for long
periods of time, some of the most famous scientists were thought to have a form of autism, such
as Albert Einstein.
Stein’s style of writing became more adventurous with each passage written. With her
unique word choice, her work is both confusing and addicting. It causes the reader to come back
for more and to yearn to understand her thinking. Though her words spin in circles, the reader
becomes enveloped in the dance. Her gender neutral sense makes the reader feel that the tone