what does wonder became error mean in Rosemarie Garland-Thomson article

Question

From Wonder to Error: A Genealogy of Freak Discourse in Modernity,” from Freakery: Cultural Spectacles of the Extraordinary Body article

Answer 1

Hello Lol L.,

It appears that Rosemarie Garland-Thompson specializes in advocating for those with disabilities while also being adept in English as a professor at Emory University, more specifically she deals with monster theory in literature. The phrase "from wonder to error," found in the title of her article "From Wonder to Error: A Genealogy of Freak Discourse in Modernity" is in reference to Garland-Thompson's argument for new vocabulary to be attached to non-normative bodies. She asserts that instead of looking at disability as an error, it should be viewed with wonder. The "from" in the title connotes a sense of chronology and being that in her article assesses the perception of non-normative bodies over time, it seems to suggest that wonder was the original default way of thinking about disability and somehow over time the perceptions have shifted to be looked upon as erroneous.

I have gathered this understanding by reading the critical introduction found on degruyter.com.

Hope this helps and good luck!