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SUSAN CURTISS DEPARTMENT of PSYCHOLOGY of California the UNIVERSITY of ROCHESTER } University % Los Angeles, California ROCHESTER, NEW YORK Iy %

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SUSAN CURTISS DEPARTMENT of PSYCHOLOGY of California the UNIVERSITY of ROCHESTER } University % Los Angeles, California ROCHESTER, NEW YORK Iy % * ISTITUTO 2 < | - NW i 5 43 mS 2} . os 2 w eq 559 a ag > ef < — 4 | =Jw AGE | 1 GENIE | & PSICOLOGIA_ ; A Psycholinguistic Study of (om ° ° et 99 é a Modern-Day‘‘Wild Child PERSPECTIVES IN ie NEUROLINGUISTICS anp PSYCHOLINGUISTICS 4 ; ; Harry A, Whitaker, Series Editor Wy SUSAN CURTISS DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY of California THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER } University % Los Angeles, California ROCHESTER, NEW YORK iy % HAIGANOOSH WHITAKER and Harry A. WHITAKER (Eds.). é . Studies in Neurolinguistics, Volumes 1 and 2; Volume 3. In preparation iq NorMawn J. Lass (Ed.). Contemporary Issues in Experimental Phonetics JASON W. Brown. : Mind, Brain, and Consciousness: TheNeuropsychology if of Cognition of S. J. SEGALOwiITz and F. A. GRuBER (Eds.). Language Development and tq Neurological Theory J SUSAN Curtiss. Genie: A Psycholinguistic Study of a Modern-Day “Wild xy Child” . ' In preparation : I. M. SCHLESINGER and Lita Namie (Eds.). Sign Language of the Deaf: i. * ACADEMIC PRESS New York San Francisco London 1977 Psychological, Linguistic, and Sociological Perspectives a JOHN . MACNAMARA (Ed.). ; Language Learning and Thought A Subsidiary of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers https://pdfify.app/trial | ; CopyriGut © 1977, sy ACADEMIC Press, INC. % To Genie ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 4 NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED OR = TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS, ELECTRONIC 4 OR MECHANICAL, INCLUDING PHOTOCOPY, RECORDING, OR ANY & INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, WITHOUT = PERMISSION IN WRITING FROM THE PUBLISHER, " z % ACADEMIC PRESS, INC. £ 111 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10003 o . United Kingdom Edition published by ACADEMIC INC. S PRESS, (LONDON) LTD. ig 24/28 Oval Road, London NW1 oe Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data i Curtiss, Susan $ Genie : a psycholinguistic study of a modern-day “wild child.” ¥ (Perspectives in neurolinguistics and psycholinguistics ‘s series) : Originally presented as the author’s thesis, University + of Los California, Angeles, 1976, iy Bibliography: Pp. Ae 1. studies. 2. Children—Language~Case Psycho- o . studies, 3. disorders in linguistics~Case Speech ae children—Case studies, 4, Languages—Physiological aspects—Case studies. I, Title. , PIt8.C8 1976 401 9 76-55968 | ISBN 0-12-196350—0 , PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA : https://pdfify.app/trial . ' + a ai ; Family Background and #Ph ship ° 3 Early Childhood S To understand this case history, one must understand Genie’s family a background. Genie’s mother said that when she married, her life ended. She had ES a stormy marriage, during which she was frequently beaten by her husband. He # repeatedly threatened to kill her, and she lived in fear, reinforced by the recurrent 2 beatings over the years. a Despite the fact that her husband disliked children and was adamant about Mi not having any, after 5 years of marriage, Genie’s mother became pregnant. e Very late into the pregnancy, the father-to-be viciously beat and tried to kill his Oe wife by strangling her. Nonetheless, their first daughter was born, evidently if healthy and thriving. As babies often do, this infant cried considerably. Exas- Pa perated and irritated by her crying, the father had his new daughter put into the Be garage so that he would not have to listen to her. At the age of 24 months this x4 child died of pneumonia and overexposure. oS The following year, a second child was born. A boy, this infant had an RH wf blood type incompatibility. He died when he was 2 days old, allegedly from if choking on his own mucous. 2a Three years later, another son was born. Delivered by Caesarian section 4 (as were the first two infants) with an RH blood incompatibility as well, he was { nonetheless an apparently healthy baby. Because the father had very rigid ideas 3 about obedience and discipline, the mother was under great pressure to keep f her new son from “acting up” or crying. Perhaps not surprisingly, then, this : young boy began to manifest early developmental problems. He was reportedly i late to walk, had eating problems, was late to talk, and was still not toilet-trained | at the age of three. At that point his paternal grandmother took the boy into her | https://pdfify.app/trial: and Early Childhood 5 4 Genie: A Psycholinguistic Study 4 ; Family Background . : . E : = the street. became was hit by a truck and killed while crossing Although own home. Under her care, he thrived, rapidly toilet-trained,and,finally, = grandmother in her late seventies, Genie’s father considered her death in much better developmental condition, was returned to his parents. #t. his mother had been a close with her was delivered and although he had not had very relationship Three years later Genie was born.Afull-term baby, she, too, * untimely, and embittered when the truck driver by Caesarian section, and suffered from an RH blood incompatibility for ay when she was alive, he become outraged was to move was of all charges. His response his which she received an exchange transfusion 1 day after birth. Her birth weight 2 : who had hit her acquitted dead mother’s home and to isolate them from the outside (7 pounds, 14 ounces) was in the 50th percentile on the lowa Growth Chart (ie., ae family into his completely normal). Genie was first taken to a pediatrician at the age of 3 4 i world. a of the father, this move was the beginning of months. He noticed a congenital dislocation of the hip for which he prescribed a Living in fear imprisonment but for Genie it was the beginning of her Frejka pillow splint to hold both legs in abduction. At this visit, Genie’s weight a and seclusion for the whole family; was confined to the was normal for her neglect, and isolation. Genie increasingly was 12 pounds, 24 ounces, her height 23 inches—again, age ‘- extreme abuse, was gE two It is her mother that, at first, Genie and sex. At 4 months she was noted to have “good head control.” At4$ months smaller of bedrooms. reported by to sit on the back or play in a playpen Genie began wearing the Frejka splint. At the age of 5 months, when she was 3 occasionally allowed to go outside, steps the to and When these backyard “excursions,” however, brought in for a routine follow-up examination, she was noted be alert a in the backyard. discussing even these were often times of neglect and confinement. engaged in hand-to-mouth movements. On a return examination at 6 months, mother revealed that was a “bad that left in her playpen to play, Genie she 14 pounds, 7} ounces, and was 253 inches tall. At that visit, the oy She reports that Genie girl,” weighed ~ One wonders how long Genie, a tiny doctor asked that she be returned again in a month. Genie was not brought a would take it apart with her fingernails. - left in that how long she must have been back for 5 months, however, until she was 11 months old. At that time she me toddler, must have been playpen, weighed only 17 pounds—below the 16th percentile for her age and sex; thus, 23 neglected or forgotten, to resort to this action. to an at that house Genie was confined to a small bedroom, harnessed within the first year of life, her weight had fallen drastically. Nonetheless, In the a sewed the himself; unclad except for 3 visit, Genie could sit alone, was described as alert, and had normal primary as infant’s potty seat. Genie’s father harness, was Her was left to sit on that chair. Unable to move anything except dentition for her age. Soon after this visit, the Frejka splint removed. the harness, Genie ; 3 hour after physician recommended physiotherapy following removal of the splint, but oe her fingers and hands, feet and toes, Genie was left to sit, tied-up, month after after ; Genie’s father refused to permit it. a hour, often into the night, day after day, month, year year. was from her harness only Genie’s life her first and Ce At when Genie was not forgotten, she removed : We do not know many other details of during year Ee night, thatshedidn’tcoo into another sleeping bag which her father a half. Her mother reports that Genie was a noncuddly baby, #4 to be placed restraining garment—a to her from even Junior foods. Genie to hold Genie’s arms stationary (allegedly prevent or babble very much, that she resisted any solid food, 2 had fashioned Therein constrained, Genie was reportedly, then, was manifesting similar developmental problems and lags to i taking it off). In effect, it was a straight jacket. sides and a wire mesh cover overhead. those her brother had shown—reluctance to chew, resistance to most foods, =*% put into an infant’s crib with wire mesh was left to somehow endure the hours lateness in walking. We do not know the cause of these early problems, but we 3 Caged by night, harnessed by day, Genie do know that Genie’s father disliked his daughter and did not allow his wife to ee and years of her life. there was no TV or radio in the house. devote too much time or attention to her. Thus, her life may not have provided There was little for her to listen to; next to a bedroom and bath- the nurturing that aids development. ae Genie’s bedroom was in the back of the house a the entire time the family At 14 months, Genie developed an acute illness (pneumonitis) and was WE room. The adjacent bedroom was left unoccupied “mother’s” room.
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