Downfall to Friendliness?: Analyzing Common Tropes in The Boy Who Loved Too Much

Authors

Heather Paglia, College of the Holy CrossFollow

Abstract

One of the most commonly held misconceptions regarding the disabled population is that living with any disability automatically decreases the quality of life. It is assumed that any deviation from society’s established norm for the perfect brain and body must be a burden. Both the physical and social implications associated with disability have forged in the minds of many the idea that a disabled life could not possibly be a good life. This overarching negativity, however, is turned on its head when considering Williams Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder more accurately described as happy syndrome. This so-called disability is not only a biological source of that individual’s happiness, but also of their great vulnerability. Jennifer Latson’s novel, The Boy Who Loved Too Much: A True Story of Pathological Friendliness, follows Eli, a young boy with Williams, and his mother, Gayle, as they navigate an unkind world with their own unique sense of love. Their story emphasizes the cost not of disability, but of the suffocating grip of societal norms, as well as the need for strong advocacy, not control.

Recommended Citation

Paglia, Heather (2024) "Downfall to Friendliness?: Analyzing Common Tropes in The Boy Who Loved Too Much," The Criterion: Vol. 2024, Article 4.
Available at: https://crossworks.holycross.edu/criterion/vol2024/iss1/4