“On Being a Cripple” is placed under the genre of autobiography because it focuses on a significant personal experience in Mairs' past and draws meaning from it as she tells her story and reflects on her experiences. The key factors of an autobiographical essay include dramatic events or episodes, vivid detail and narrative, and an interweaving of narrative with reflection and interpretation of the essayist's experiences (Norton xxvii). This essay focuses on Mairs' experiences and personal struggles with multiple sclerosis. Nancy Mairs was born in Long Beach, California in 1943. Throughout her life, Mairs experienced numerous physical and emotional hardships. Mairs was hospitalized for six months in a state psychiatric facility, suffering from a mixture of agoraphobia and anorexia. At the age of about thirty, Mairs was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. However, along with these struggles, Mairs also achieved great success. He received his MFA in creative writing (poetry) in 1975 and his doctorate in English literature in 1984. "On Being a Cripple" was written in 1984....