Disability in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle
I analyze disability in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle for several reasons: Inheritance provides a contemporary manifestation of fantasy literature that is read by children; the main character, Eragon, suffers a debilitating injury at the end of the first book, Eragon, and deals with this injury throughout the second book, Eldest; and there are numerous examples and ideas about injuries and cures found throughout the series.
After examining how disability and cure is treated throughout the Inheritance Cycle, I conclude that the overall message presented adheres to an older, typical view of disability found in American society: disabililities should be healed at all costs, those with disabilities should be kept separate from the rest of society; and the hero has to be whole and well in order to fulfill any difficult tasks. Nevertheless, several smaller messages about disability also appeal to the reader: small injuries can heal on their own, ultimately making the injured person stronger; nondisabled people can challenge the disabled to find their actual limitations; and the disabled can learn to accept their disability.