Put simply, The Story of Beautiful Girl is absolutely beautiful. Inspired by the true story of 'John Doe no. 42', an intelligent deaf man who was institutionalised simply because he could not communicate, The Story of Beautiful Girl, tells the story of Homan (John Doe no. 42) and Lynnie, the eponymous Beautiful Girl who has severe developmental delays. The pair, who are very much in love, run away from the cruel and disgusting institution where they and their disabilities are hidden from public view. However, they are not just running away to escape from the horrors of the 'school' - Lynnie is heavily pregnant, but not with Homan's child, and cannot bear the thought of giving birth to her child in such a place. Fortunately, they find Martha, a retired and widowed schoolteacher who provides them with shelter and food. But their bliss does not last as officials catch up with them and Lynnie is taken back to the school, leaving Homan on the run and Martha alone with a baby girl that is not hers. The remainder of the story is a 43 year long love story: Lynnie and Homan's love for one another, and the love that they share with Martha for Lynnie's baby.
One of the most striking features of this novel is, unsurprisingly, the harrowing descriptions of the horrific conditions that institutionalised disabled people were forced to live in, with all of the residents in one 'cottage' sharing the same toothbrush and pools of urine left for days, creating an intolerable smell. Worse than that are many of the staff in the institution who sexually, physically and verbally assault the vulnerable people who live there, claiming that they are somehow dehumanised due to their disabilities. For modern-day readers, the concept of such an institution is absolutely horrific, yet less than half a century ago, such treatment of disabled people was relatively commonplace, as the author, Rachel Simon, knows only too well as her sister is disabled. Fortunately for her, she was never institutionalised, as her father was brought up in an orphanage and refused to let his daughter be left in an institution.
Simon also examines the importance of communication, as Homan is only labelled as truly disabled because he cannot communicate - he was never taught American Sign Language, and instead uses a different form of signing meaning that, with the majority of people, he cannot understand or be understood. Therefore, he creates his own names for people, based on their appearances or characteristics - 'Beautiful Girl' is his name for Lynnie. Lynnie herself struggles with speech, and after being at the 'school' for a few years, she stops talking altogether after one of her friends dies. Since two of Simon's protagonists do not speak, she uses an omniscient narrator, switching between different characters' perspectives in each chapter, to give the reader a deeper understanding of each of the characters and their history, using flashbacks frequently, especially with Lynnie and Homan, to show how they ended up in the institution. By doing this, Simon also gives a voice to the thousands of people who were voiceless in institutions such as this one.
Simon uses the needless and unprovoked suffering of Lynnie and Homan to question religion throughout the novel- can there truly be a God if he allows innocent, vulnerable people to suffer so much? Simon is by no means conclusive in this regard, allowing the reader to reflect upon what they have read and question their personal beliefs. For a period of the novel, Homan contemplates the idea of a 'Big Artist' who is drawing his entire life out for him, giving him hope that everything will somehow fall into place if someone has designed it. However, he is soon disillusioned with this idea when he reflects on the suffering that he has experienced throughout his life.
The Story of Beautiful Girl has the potential to be deeply depressing, but it is surprisingly hopeful and incredibly moving. The attachment that the reader feels to each of the characters is remarkably strong by the end of the novel, reflecting the skill with which Simon has created not only the plot, but also each of the characters. Although some of the time changes in the plot span up to 10 years, the novel flows incredibly smoothly, creating a wonderfully easy read in spite of the multitude of difficult issues that Simon addresses. It also provides food for thought for modern readers, as although disabled people are no longer institutionalised today in the same manner that they were last century, they remain marginalised and many prejudices exist against them, usually due to ignorance. The crucial thing to remember when dealing with anyone, regardless of their physical or mental capabilities, is that they are a human just the same as you, and Simon does this perfectly.
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