A lot of times, disabled characters in childrens’ shows and movies seem infantilized. We’ve all seen at least one kids’ show episode in our lives about the disabled character, usually someone in a wheelchair. They are always held up to the spotlight to tell the audience about their disability so much that disability seems to become all that they are. And once that happens…they’re sort of more a lesson for abled people. And I, an epileptic, never thought of them as anything more. The writers are always very well-intentioned, of course, but no matter the audience, it always seems the same. Not a person, but a lesson for the abled on how to treat people like them. And don’t get me wrong!! There is nothing wrong with that! But the disabled person will always stand out and not be treated as someone with that condition really would be. They will never be treated as just another character who just happens to not be able to do some of the things the rest of the cast can.
This is why Teardrop was such a pleasant surprise to me.
Teardrop, in the end, blends together with the other characters, but in a good way. In the way that she is treated as every other person is. One thing you need to know is people do not usually treat each other very well in the show Battle for Dream Island. They are treated as almost nothing but competition for a prize. Teardrop is not an exception to this at all, although there are a few instances where a line is crossed. For example, episode 1 of season 3 of the show. The episode is called “Getting Teardrop to Talk”. The reason for this is because of one of the more major subplots; in it the characters Liy and Ice Cube do everything they can think of to get the lone speck of water to talk. And in a forceful manner, too: by trying to move Teardrop’s vocal cords. The subplot as a whole feels a bit more cruel than most, which is saying a lot as Battle for Dream Island is a violent show. But what saves it is at the end, is the character Clock comes in and scolds Liy and Ice Cube, showing that he respects her muteness. And after this one situation, Teardrop is never asked to talk again. She still struggles, as she is still mute, but she is treated as any other mute person would face when dealing with people like the contestants on Battle for Dream Island. This is not very well, of course, but after Clock’s scolding, it’s clear her muteness is respected, on some level. The entire cast just accepts that she can’t. They never tease her for being mute, either. They just become used to having this non-verbal person around.
In this way at least, they all respect that she cannot say a thing. However, the contestants also all see her muteness as something to be exploited. “I think I heard Teardrop say” begins quite a lot of sentences. Anything a contestant finds dangerous or undesirable they will say Teardrop wishes to do. This, obviously, should not be imitated in real life. But it works here. It works because of the tone Battle for Dream Island chooses to take. Battle for Dream Island takes the idea of a gameshow with cartoonishly exaggerated stakes where everybody is willing to kill to achieve the prize, and as a result this joke never comes off as offensive. And it adds to Teardrop’s character a lot.
At the end of the day, Teardrop’s muteness is played for exactly what it is: an important part of who Teardrop is, but not all of who she is. It makes her come off as a strong underdog, which makes her personality a very strong one as well. And as much as her muteness is used against her, she also manages to use it to her own advantage a fair amount, as people will just assume her intentions are pure as long as she smiles and acts happy around them. Teardrop does have to do more work than most to earn the basics. But all this is not because she is muteness as a person, but because being mute is a part of her. I am not mute myself, I am epileptic, and I would say my condition is an important part of me. I think every single disabled person would agree with me when I say we feel the disability is an insanely essential piece of who we are. However, it is not who we are as a whole, as I see a lot of well-intentioned writers putting into so many characters out there. So many of them are on at least some level given the spotlight above everyone else, the writers presenting them as better than the others at least a little.
I truly wish writers could learn from examples like Teardrop. If you focus too much on a character’s disability, it comes across as just a lesson for the abled that you need to treat this kind of person this way. Characters can very easily become their disability if not written correctly. This is why I feel Teardrop is a testament to exactly how to write a disabled character. Teardrop is mute, yes, but that’s not who she is at all. Teardrop is malicious, she’s clever, and she likes to work alone. She’s become a fan-favorite in the BFDI community because of her personality, and this makes me very happy. Another thing that annoys me is how often disabled characters are written to be people who need to be treated delicately or else they’ll break. Battle for Dream Island does not do this. Teardrop goes through the exact same struggles I feel a mute person would encounter while playing in the game show. She has to work for her reward, a little harder than the other characters do and this is a part of why Teardrop is an amazing character. I think more writers need to take a page from her book.
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