![]() ![]() Such a situation is bound to produce two extreme effects: those who support it without question and those who reject it wholeheartedly. It is only natural that not everybody raised in a community obsessed with imposing its own standards of order and normalcy would quiescently accept it. The obsession of Shaker Heights as an idea becomes concrete in the narrative focus of the story in the form of a child custody battle between the Chinese biological mother of a child and the white family trying to adopt her. This devotion to order and normalcy masquerades a more sinister intent: control of what is deemed to be normal and what is not. Everything about Shaker Heights has been planned to attain and maintain the appearance of order and order is simply another word for “normalcy.” That which is out of order is also out of sync with what is normal. The story takes place in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a planned community governed by rules as intrusive into personal expression as the allowed height of lawns and the exterior colors of homes. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.
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