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As a subject of literature, deafness remains a theme that is subject to misrepresentation. A close-up examination of Teresa de Cartagena’s Arboleda de los enfermos (Grove of the Infirm) reveals elements of a universal Deaf experience, regardless of the historical or socio-economic context. Moreover, it reveals a longing for a community where solitude will be absent, where communication is barrier-free, where deafness is embraced, and where it is not considered a disease. Grounded on the expression “si bien lo mirardes” that Teresa emphasizes in the treatise, I contend that where the text is construed as at odds with contemporary perspectives on deafness and the Deaf experience as championed by Deaf Studies, namely, that deafness can be explored from the perspective of “gain,” rather than “deficiency,” shared points of convergence rather than contradictions exist on both sides. This is shown through a dialogue between both sides, considering that they are expressed in languages that, on the surface, appear antagonistic: religious and secular.
Additionally, I argue that attitudes towards deafness and the Deaf experience in Teresa’s epoch do not differ significantly from their contemporary counterparts. Finally, I emphasize an interpretation of the “arboleda” as a conception of a genuine communal entity spurred by a longing from the author for such an entity. The proposition of a “saludable arboleda” within the text is thus construed as a space the Deaf can claim as their own, where they can live thoroughly dignified lives, absent the conception of deafness as a deficiency, as prevalent in mainstream society for which living a fulfilling life as a deaf person remains shrouded in mystery. Of this comes the notion of sociolinguistic and cultural identity claimed by members of said entity, a notion that is not far from a nationalistic claim, that is, the Deaf world, which both the author of Arboleda and the proponents of Deaf Studies invite “outsiders” to discover. This work contributes to this discovery journey.