Stuck In Neutral

Throughout the narrative, communication is an integral aspect of the presented conflict. As a teenager with cerebral palsy, Shawn is wholly unable to communicate. He is assumed to have the intellect of an infant because he is physically unable to produce sounds or purposefully move his muscles in any way:“Of course, nobody knows I can read. Like the captain says in Cool Hand Luke, ‘What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.’ In my case that’s kind of like calling the Grand Canyon a pothole” (9). Shawn’s inability to communicate leads to other characters, namely his family, using only their assumption of his capabilities. Although Shawn tries to remain positive about this setback, he repeatedly references his inability to communicate as the source of many of his problems. His failure to communicate leads to his father assuming that he does not possess the ability of thought and that it would be merciful to kill him. It also puts Shawn in physical danger, as his lack of speech is directly associated with the two strangers burning him with a lighter. Here, the audience witnesses the physical ramifications that a lack of communication can have: namely, it can result in physical trauma or even death.