Plot: Continued

Over time David Small’s father subjects him to continuous rounds of radiation in the hopes to cure his ongoing health problems. Not only does David’s father fail to cure his son of his ailments, but his actions lead David to develop a lump on his throat. Surgical measures were taken and very little information was given to David as to what exactly was going to happen to him. He awoke post surgery to find that his procedure had resulted in a life changing debility; one of his vocal cords had been removed during the operation leaving him mute. He was crushed and devastated at what had happened to him. David’s family avoided the subject of what had occurred, but the tension and underlying emotion couldn’t be withheld. It slowly seeped into their daily lives creating an even more dysfunctional family dynamic. David struggled with his emotions and when life became too much for him he recoiled from everything and focused on his drawings and writings. He went through school and much of his early life after this feeling alone and invisible to the world around him. He had lost his vocal communication and had yet to find another way to make himself heard; it wasn’t until later on in David’s life that he would find a way to make himself heard.

The link below leads to a video that demonstrated a few of the important scenes from David’s book.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qb7mvbBCBE

Small, David. Stitches: A Memior--. New York: W.W. Norton, 2009. Print