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Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
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Author:  NotThatShort [ June 16th, 2012, 5:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
Hi! I suppose this is where I should post this...
Anyway, my MC is the youngest of 4, Marc (30), Thalen (27) Calista (23), then Natalia (15, the MC).
So anyway, Marc. He was school-aged before Natalia was born, obviously. But he couldn't get through school, so his father provided him with a house on his farm and makes sure he has all he needs, in return for Marc's working for him.
The reason he could not make it through his education is very vague in my story, because I don't know how to explain the dyslexia I want him to have from my other character's perspective without adding a scene with Marc explaining it to her, and that scene just wouldn't fit.
Here's the paragraph that mentions it:
Quote:
Marc is my oldest sibling. He is kind, gentle, and sweet, though also brave and strong. When he was younger, he did not do well in school. Not even the teachers of the public town school could figure out why. So he works on my father's farm-he is an excellent worker-and my father makes sure that he is taken care of.

Is this sufficient, or should I explain it differently or add more? Help!
Author:  Jay Lakewood [ June 16th, 2012, 5:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
My first question is: How many people (percentage) can read or write?
My second would be: What sort of schooling is it?
And my third would be: Does he dislike the thought of being schooled?

(yes, I do have a point to asking those questions. It takes a little bit.)

Anyway, I think that you should explain it more. You can create a huge plot point for it, if you wanted to. A couple little scenes probably are in order, if that is a big enough point to mention.
Author:  NotThatShort [ June 16th, 2012, 5:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
Let me mention something here: The story is first person, present tense, from the POV of Natalia.
The main percentage of the population (in this town, anyway) can read and write, either schooled by their parents or going to the town schoolhouse.
Basic schooling, reading, writing, arithmetic, history.
He really did try in school, but when it became apparent that something was wrong and he just couldn't do it, his parents and the teachers stopped pushing him.
It's not a huge element, nor do I want it to be, it's just a little something to explain why Marc lives in his father's property and works for him instead of having moved away, like most people do.
Author:  Jay Lakewood [ June 16th, 2012, 5:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
Hmm...Well, then probably only a few scenes are necessary. If it were a larger plot point, then more scenes would be nice.
Author:  NotThatShort [ June 16th, 2012, 5:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
*facepalm*
What I want to know is how I can explain it, from Natalia's POV, when these people have no idea what dyslexia is. And I think only one scene would suffice.
Author:  Jay Lakewood [ June 16th, 2012, 5:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
**hears point finally arriving** In that age, most people would call him stupid, since if many other people can read and write, then he'd be an abnormality.
Author:  NotThatShort [ June 16th, 2012, 5:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
Well, yeah. His struggles don't come up in the story. Anyway, his family knows he's not stupid, and it's apparent to anyone observant enough to know that he just has trouble with written things and such, but neither they nor he know what is actually going on.
Author:  Jay Lakewood [ June 16th, 2012, 5:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
Also, you could have the POV MC overhear something, that lets him/her know that his/her brother has problems. Or some sort of flashback...
Author:  NotThatShort [ June 16th, 2012, 5:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
Can you explain this more? I don't really get it. She's known for a while, it's not said how she finds out.
Author:  Jay Lakewood [ June 16th, 2012, 5:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
Like, a flashback. Where the character remembers a scene (possibly only shown there) of how she/he discovers that something is wrong with another character.
Author:  NotThatShort [ June 16th, 2012, 5:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
Well, I knew what you meant by that. Hmm, maybe I could work that in somewhere... But still. I don't know how I'd explain it.
Author:  Mistress Kidh [ June 18th, 2012, 6:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
Well...maybe you could explain it like you would explain dyslexia to someone who has never heard of it. Though, depending on how important it is to the people there to be able to read and write, and how they react to a handicap, the character might not put it as sensitively as we try to. :P If you know what I mean. We know that dyslexia has nothing to do with how intelligent someone is, but they might not see it that way.

So, something like "I don't know why, and neither does anyone else, but he simply can't understand the things that the rest of the children could about reading and writing. They eventually just gave up teaching him, and he works for my father." :)

Does that help?
Author:  NotThatShort [ June 18th, 2012, 8:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
Yes! That helps. Thanks. ;)

Down, Odomok! No, you may not eat Juliet's mouse!
Author:  Mistress Kidh [ June 19th, 2012, 3:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
NotThatShort Mimetes wrote:
Down, Odomok! No, you may not eat Juliet's mouse!
* takes mouse out of pocket where it ran and hid * * shakes head at Odomok * :(
Author:  Aemi [ June 19th, 2012, 9:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
So, do people insult him and talk bad about him because of his failures in school?
Author:  NotThatShort [ June 19th, 2012, 12:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
Well, it's a relatively recent element that I added in to make something that happens in chapters 11-12 work better, so I haven't gone back and edited in much. But their father is the Mayor. He doesn't allow for that; he is very strict. And it's in first-person, so even if they do, the readers wouldn't hear about it unless the MC did.
Author:  Aemi [ June 19th, 2012, 3:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
*nods thoughtfully*
Author:  NotThatShort [ June 19th, 2012, 4:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
I'll probably do the thing Jay suggested and add a flashback to Natalia remembering her parents talking about it, or something like that.
Author:  Sam Starrett [ June 19th, 2012, 10:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
Well, for what it's worth, in the version you have up now, I assumed he was stupid...
Author:  NotThatShort [ June 19th, 2012, 10:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
Gee, thanks. :roll: Yeah, I know I need to expound on it some... Just not sure how to fit it in.
Author:  Airianna Valenshia [ July 3rd, 2012, 12:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
You all are making this out to be way more complicated than it needs to be. You need to clearly show that he is not stupid. I have a brother who has always struggled with reading and writing. He seems to have some form of dyslexia, because things get jumbled, but he is an incredibly razor sharp kid. He masters those crazy multidimensional puzzles all the time, he can recount all sorts of history facts to you on war and weapons, and he memorizes things like that *snaps fingers for emphasis *. He's not stupid. He just struggles with having all of the words line up properly when he is reading and writing.

Very simply, what you need to do, is something along these lines:

Marc always showed great promise as a child, and many of his teachers thought he would go on to become a great scholar, but as time went on, learning didn't come as easily to Marc. He could solve any problem you gave him, so long as he did not have to read it on paper. Marc always said something happened to the letters on the page, like they were moving and restructuring themselves in a different order. Some said Marc would grow out of it, but he never did. Instead, Marc began to use his hands more and more, coping with his struggles by challenging his mind in ways that were less frustrating.

I would remove the remark that the father "makes sure Marc is taken care of". He's 30. If Marc is a hard worker, his lack of reading skills and schooling won't hinder him from making a life and a name for himself, and standing on his own two feet. You only "take care of" someone who is that old because they are mentally unstable or have a physical inability to care for themselves.

You have to make sure, when writing about these things, that you don’t portray this struggle as stupid, because it’s not. And that’s the feeling I got from your above excerpt. There’s nothing wrong with Marc . He’s just got a hurdle to jump. Those hurdles we face in life, build character. They shouldn’t demoralize us.
Author:  NotThatShort [ July 7th, 2012, 10:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
*nodnod* Thanks for taking this so seriously, Airi.
The thing is, I want people to think he's stupid; dyslexics are few and far between in this place, and the people aren't as scientifically developed as we are. I'm thinking about doing a flashback scene where Natalia remembers her parents talking about it or something... Anyway, I need some way for him to be best off living on his parents' property and working for them. I suppose he could just work for them, without having any type of problem, although it's rather unusual for children to stay on their parents' property and work for them after they're married and have children.
Let's see if I can explain the situation here a little. Marc defies their father by taking Natalia to see her sister whom she's forbidden to see (long story). When they get back, their father (a control freak, power-hungry, how-dare-you-do-anything-i-told-you-not-to type) is absolutely furious. He disowns Marc, and Marc has no other way to make a living because any child of the mayor's who has been disowned is a pariah; the townsfolk don't want to get into any trouble.
And then things happen, and stuff comes to pass, and yeah. :P
Author:  Airianna Valenshia [ July 8th, 2012, 5:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
Quote:
I suppose he could just work for them, without having any type of problem, although it's rather unusual for children to stay on their parents' property and work for them after they're married and have children.


That may be true in your culture, but they often do in our own, if you are talking about a farming community.

I would just be very careful portraying dyslexia as stupidity. As authors, what we present can often be what people think we believe.
Author:  NotThatShort [ July 8th, 2012, 8:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
I know. Thanks. :)
But it's not like it's actually named or anything, I just wanted-needed-to have him dependent on his father, for a huge plot development.
Author:  Calenmiriel [ July 16th, 2012, 11:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
I am dyslexic myself, so I may be of some help having been in a school system and being remoived from it due to my--different learning abilities. My form of dyslexia is more apparent in my mathematical skills (called dyscalculia) than my writing.

Like Jay R. Lakewood was saying, no one would know what dyslexia is back in that era. Even 30 years ago it wasn't widely known or accepted as a condition. My uncle is dyslexic and his teachers thought he was mentally retarded because he couldn't grasp the material he was being taught.

Even when I was in second grade, the resources and tutoring were either scarce or nonexistent. (At least in the town I live in.)

One of the ways you could explain his "disability", as the common populace would dub it, is by having your main character mention how Marc struggles with studies but excelles with his hands.

Dyslexics are often kinetic learners and like to do things with their hands. They also have a completely different way of looking at certain academics and life issues.

Dyslexics also struggle with feelings of being "stupid" or "inadequate" when they cannot grasp concepts, such as math for me or writing for my brother. There is a sense of falling behind the rest of the crowd and being judged as abnormal.

Feel free to PM me (or reply to the thread) if you have more questions. I'd love to help you out. ^^

~Calen
Author:  NotThatShort [ July 17th, 2012, 5:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
Thanks, Calen. That was helpful. :D I have a friend with dyslexia. I used to help him with his English papers. He's a lot better now. :D
I do need to remember to go back and elaborate on this some in my story...
It's obvious Marc's not stupid. The reason why he is the way he is is just very vague.
Author:  Calenmiriel [ August 6th, 2012, 12:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
I'm glad I was able to help out, Shorty. ^^
Author:  Maid Nua Kells [ November 15th, 2013, 4:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dyslexia in a medieval-ish era
I just had a thought- what if my FMC is dyslexic? Both her parents are what we today would call "nerds", but she has never shown herself to be extraordinarily bookish. Her home country is a place of arts and sciences- people are judged very much on what they can or cannot do. Well, this girl of mine is more of a visual thinker, loves to "do" things, especially with people. She is kind of quirky, creative, and thins an idea is so much better when it is out of the box. She is one with messy handwriting and is a terrible speller. Her Myers-Briggs type is ENFP. However, unlike most dyslexics, she is no genius, just average intelligence. There are a lot of dyslexics in my life, my brother included. I'm thinking my charrie might have at least mild dyslexia.
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