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Scars, Burns and Healing
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Abstract
A film featuring a disfigured character and the way the disfigured
character is betrayed: correlation with the current stance on
disfigurement discrimination in Pakistan
Objective: Dynamically, disfiguration brings in the kludge on extreme
deformity. In this context disfiguration is a permanent change on shift on a
part of the body the mind inclusively. In most cases, such a deformity is
usually accompanied by impacts that change the personality of individuals.
It is not easy to walk around freely with disfigurement whether you were
with it or it is due to an illness, burns, as a result of supernatural powers or
one was involved in an accident. Serious diseases like cancer and
smallpox (Riedel 2005) have left serious and damaging scars to people,
and as doctors such as Charles Maitland (1971) (Devi et al 2011) work
tirelessly to combat the side effects of this disorder by grafting and
inoculating the affected areas in a similar way as burn survivors are
treated. Therefore, the objective of this article is to explore the social and
cultural differences towards disfigurement in terms of gender in Pakistan.
Setting: Eastern (specifically Pakistani) as compared with western studies
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Participants: This is a review and therefore the write up of the article did
not include any participants other than the author’s experience as well as
knowledge collected from previous studies.
Results: there is a significant difference in dealing with disfigurement with
gender bias in Pakistan, where by disfigurement, although limiting for men,
has a significantly worse outcome for women. This includes women with
disfigurement being completely isolated, rejected by society and deprived
of their liberties.
Conclusion: There is a lack of education and awareness in the way
Pakistan’s society approaches women with disfigurement and therefore not
only does this require further research but also it requires aid work to raise
awareness and eliminate taboos associated with disfigurement.
Strengths and limitations: The strength of article is that it addresses a
key issue in disfigurement in Pakistan that has not been addressed in the
public domain as yet. In addition, another strength is that it relates to
western societal views in this area.
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The limitation is that it does not include a quantitative study with
participants, however draws conclusions from currently available work of
research groups.
Patient and Public Involvement: For the purpose of this article, there was
no direct patient or public involvement.
Article
Dynamically, disfiguration brings in the kludge on extreme deformity. In this
context disfiguration is a permanent change on shift on a part of the body
the mind inclusively. In most cases, such a deformity is usually
accompanied by impacts that change the personality of individuals. It is not
easy to walk around freely with disfigurement whether you were with it or it
is due to an illness, burns, as a result of supernatural powers or one was
involved in an accident. Serious diseases like cancer and smallpox (Riedel
2005) have left serious and damaging scars to people, and as doctors such
as Charles Maitland (1971) (Devi et al 2011) work tirelessly to combat the
side effects of this disorder by grafting and inoculating the affected areas in
a similar way as burn survivors are treated.
People with any kind of disfigurement feel uncomfortable around other
people and experience poor quality of life in all dimensions including
physical health, psychological health and even social relationships (De
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Sousa 2010; Hughes et al 2009). In the society we live in deformity is
considered impure just like in the movie ‘Phoenix II'. But as Devi et al
(2011) others might overcome this and live a normal life as though nothing
is wrong. The purpose of this movie as related to the essay is to bring out
how the society of today judges and treats people who have any form of
disfigurement the essay puts into detail disfiguration of character from the
casts in relation to the Pakistan’s culture in the societal perspective.
Historically, throughout society discriminatory behaviour has been exhibited
towards those with disfigurement and this is illustrated well in some of the
television programmes and movies in an attempt to address this. These
unacceptable behaviours often leave lasting psychological trauma for the
recipients. For example, people with any form of disfigurement may get
angry at times for continuously feeling misunderstood, subjected to
undeserved unkindness, being shunned and isolated, such is the case of
Frankenstein in the Frankenstein movie. The purpose of this movie as
related to the review is to bring out clearly how the society of today judges
and treats people who have any form of disfigurement.
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As the movie begins, it becomes evident how this person living with
disfigurement is faced with emotional experiences. Frankenstein takes us
through the account of what led to the serious scars he has on his body. A
human doctor, Victor Frankenstein created Frankenstein and cursed him
into being without a soul, by stitching and assembling body parts of people
who do not exist anymore, bringing him back to life. Looking closely at what
he says, Devi et al (2011) state that supernatural powers are involved in
bring harm to people and if they survive they are left with serious marks
and scars that can be seen all over their bodies, comparable to grafting
which leads to visible scars he has on his body. After his creation, Victor
Frankenstein was afraid and ashamed of what he had created, so much so
that he tried to drown him in a river but luckily, he escapes. This form of
betrayal is even widely seen today when a deformed baby is born, and the
parent feels ashamed that they hide the innocent child indoors in fear of
what people will say. On rare circumstances, considerate and caring
parents take an action to treat their child if they have this problem. Riedel
(2005) Wrote about Lady Mary Wortley Montague who was responsible for
the introduction of violation in England in 1715.
This stigmatization is even seen in the movie in retaliation Frankenstein
comes back after being drowned in the river and kills Victor's newly
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beloved bride Elizabeth (Kelloir et al). People with any form of physical
disfigurement should be reassured with love and supported as this gives
them the morale to continue living a healthy and happy life (Ghosh and
Bharat 2009). But instead, Victor pursues Frankenstein into the forest after
he came back and killed his lover Elizabeth and unfortunately, this leads to
Frankenstein’s death.
Correlation
The country Pakistan, which is my country of origin, stigmatization with
regards to disfigurement is still on peak. A society that lacks proper justice
contemplates a jungle fully filled with wild beasts and savages, more so
there exists no form of protection for the timid and weak. Pakistan`s culture
emasculates any depiction of deformity. In a small town of Pakistan, known
as `Kacha Khuh`, A man identified by the neighbors reportedly buries his
newborn due to body deformation (Hughes et al 2009). In the society in
Pakistan, discrimination is still at strife for those who are considered as
“different” in terms of physical characteristics and this sadly includes those
that have been affected by physical deformities or disfigurements, by birth
or otherwise.
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Poverty is still a key issue in Pakistan, which is a relatively young country,
following the division of India. Education remains to be more readily
available for those that are the wealthy, and is not available to a large
percentage of the population. Therefore, this is a lack of awareness and to
a degree ignorance and taboo associated with disfigurement. In Pakistan,
people think a disfigured female is embarrassing and thus she may never
get married due to her disfigurement. Families are more willing to accept
disfigured boy/male in comparison to women because they can use him to
earn for them. Some families hide disfigured children from others as they
consider that it is shameful for them. Pakistani society make it more difficult
for them to survive, people don`t like to talk to them, don`t like to eat and sit
with them just like they have any contagious disease.
Moreover, due to societal isolation they decide to isolate themselves too. In
addition, Pakistani media tend not to put any single disfigured person on
TV or any Magazine, so discrimination remains, without equal opportunity.
Furthermore, there is little social support for disfigured people, for example
there is no external support groups, no facilities apart from that of family
support. In Pakistan, gender discrimination remains at large and women
tend to be given less opportunity than men. social evils such moral
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depravity and coercion of the poor and inequality remain significant
problems for Pakistan as a country.
Albeit, there has been an improvement in spreading awareness about
domestic violence, a lot of work still needs to be done to put an end to
domestic violence in the Country. Pakistan has a movement of close to 100
women who are working to bring to light the level of brutality to the female
gender so that the perpetrators can stop it.
Conclusion
Living with a physical disfigurement, which is visibly different is not always
easy (Gaff and Clarke 2007). A sudden change either due to cancer or its
treatment or due to side effects leads to significant social maladjustment,
elevated anxiety, depression, and poor quality of life among the cancer
survivors with body disfigurement which calls for multi-professional
involvement in addressing various psychosocial issues (Clarke and Cooper
2001). It is important that these people should be helped by being offered
psychiatric help depending on how bad their situation is, was
Frankenstein’s when he fell in love with a doctor who worked for Tiberias in
the Frankenstein movie. The doctor dedicates herself and vowed to help
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him overcome his problem. She understood his problem through reading
the book that was written on the day Frankenstein was being created.
Empathizing helps us cope with those with the problem and understand
them.
Contributorship statement
No other authors contributed to this work than the primary author.
Competing interests
None declared
Funding
None
Data sharing statement
No quantitative data produced
References
1) Riedel S. (2005) Edward Jenner and the history of smallpox and
vaccination. Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings. BUMC
PROCEEDINGS, vol18:21–25.
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2) Devi ST, Arunachalam D, Thirumoorthy A. (2011) Quality of life in
cancer patients with disfigurement due to cancer and its treatments.
Indian J Palliat Care, vol 17:184-90.
3) De Sousa A. (2010) Psychological issues in acquired facial trauma.
Indian journal of plastic surgery, vol 43(2):200-205.
4) Keillor JM et, al. Emotional experience and perception in the absence
of facial feedback. Journal of the International Neuropsychological
Society: JINS, 2002.
5) Ghosh A and Bharat R. Domestic burns prevention and first aid
awareness in and around Jamshedpur, India: strategies and impact.
Burns. 2009.
7)- Hughes J, Naqvi H, K Saul et al. South Asian community views about
individuals with a disfigurement. Radcliffe Publishing. Diversity in Health
and Care, 2009.
8)- Gaff C and Clarke A. Stigmatization, culture and counseling. A
commentary on growing up and living with NF1: a UK–Bangladeshi case
study by Santi Rozario. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 2007, vol
16:561–5.
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9)- Clarke A and Cooper C. Psychological rehabilitation after disfiguring
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