Dear
Susan,
I read a lot about you in the article “The Civilizing of Genie” and I saw the movie “Secret of the
Wild Child” based on the Genie case. You have very strong ideas on how to deal with Genie and you give very powerful
examples to prove your opinion about the Genie case. You had helped her to improve what she had missed during her childhood.
However, I disagree with you. I believe you exposed Genie. You helped Genie a lot, but you also used Genie for your own benefits.
Genie was 13
years old when she was found in California.
She was locked up in a small room. She never spoke or learned anything from her family. Genie was really abused by her father.
She had no love, no fun, no passion, or game in her life. Genie’s case was opened when her mother ran away from her
father and she took the child with her. I can finally understand and believe how important it is for a young child to be raised
in an atmosphere where she can be used as subject. Genie is living proof of human resiliency. She suffered a lot in her life,
but she had the ability to get better. She proved to humanity how she learned a language and the way she made her life better
than before.
Although you did every
positive thing toward Genie, but I think you used her. The movie shows some important parts of Genie’s progression after
she was found. A lot of doctors were working with Genie to help her catch up to what she missed during those eleven and a
half years in isolation. After thinking about all the specialists and how they helped in the case, I can choose you Susan
as the one who was really impressive in the case. All the specialists were working in a way to help Genie, but you Susan,
were the one who was always with her. It was not an easy case for an adult to work with such a child. That was very difficult.
As you say “. When I first met her, she was silent most of the time.” And you helped her a lot and you were the
one who understood her very deeply, more than others because you worked with her for four years. Yes, you did a lot of good
thing for Genie However; you used Genie for your own benefits. Not for Genie to improve her skills.
Genie was still in isolation
after she was found because she was still staying in the hospitals, even after she was exposed to people. Based on what the
film shows, I can say that Susan, you were helping her in a way However; you exposed her to the environment and worked closely
with her. You were very understanding and always there to help her. But why did you leave Genie when you finished your project
and your career after four years? Because then you did not need her any more for your career.
I can compare you to other people in the case. But in some ways, I can compare you to Itard, who was the French Doctor
that worked in the 1800’s with Victor, a wild child like Genie. There is no difference between you and Itard. You and
Itard both used wild children to further your own careers. However, you forget that they are human beings. You did hard work
only for your own name but not to help Genie.
Although Genie never fully developed in a normal way, she did acquire some language after she was discovered. At first,
her language was very limited so that Genie wasn’t qualified to attend any school. After a while she began going to
nursery school for normal children. Then later she was transferred to a special elementary school for handicapped children.
If you had not left her, you could have helped her longer than you did. May be there was a way that Genie could become as
normal as a normal human being. If I were you, I would never have given up on Genie. I should keep her and help her as long
as I breathe or until she is able to live on her own.
To sum it up, overall, I understand clearly what it means to be a living proof of human resiliency. However, I just
cannot believe that there are people who can do such immoral action that harm a wild child like Genie. Susan can you imagine that smile is an expensive way to be happy. Beautiful faces are worthless without
beautiful souls like Genie’s. I apologized whatever I did unkind with you. I would like to thank you for reading
this letter, and I hope that you will take it as seriously as I do.
Respectfully yours
Kalsoom
