The Strange Case Of Genie

Genie, or Susan M. Wiley, is one of the people on the list of so-called “feral children” or “wild children. ” The appearance of these little ones has been documented for several centuries and many myths have been woven around them. They are said to have been raised by wolves, by dogs, by goats, but none of this has been fully documented.

What is known is that all these feral children come from abandonment or severe forms of isolation and that is why they acquire characteristics that many call “savage”. Their development has taken place outside of human society and that is why they present behaviors different from those of the species.

Genie’s case

Genie’s case is one of the best documented to date. She was a girl born in 1957, in a suburb of California. He lived with his parents and a brother, in a rather sordid environment. His father and mother had lawsuits that included physical violence; Clark, the father, suffered from depression; and Irene, his mother, had a progressive blindness problem.

Between the ages of two and thirteen, Genie had no contact with the outside world. She was cloistered in a sealed room, with no objects on the walls, and tied to a chamber pot. At night she was locked up and tied up in a cage. His only link to the world was his father. She was forbidden to make any kind of sound and if she did, Clark would hit her or bark at her like a dog to scare her.

The other inhabitants of the house also remained isolated, but had permits to go out from time to time. The father watched them from a chair, a loaded pistol in his hand. Everyone was forbidden to speak to Genie, even the mother.

The exterior world

The person who received them noticed that the girl exhibited too strange behavior and that she could barely pronounce some sounds; he was also walking abnormally. That is why he reported the case and Genie was taken into the custody of the State.

A long and eventful treatment began at the California Children’s Hospital, as well as a heated debate. The treatment was intended for her to learn to speak and socialize; the debate revolved around the effect of socialization on brain development. In Genie’s case, it was as if her left hemisphere had been removed.

It was one of the researchers who gave the girl the name “Genie”, hinting that she was like, in Aladdin’s Lamp, a genie who wanted out. This researcher took her home so that she could live in a suitable environment and then she wanted to adopt her. Authorities refused, despite the girl showing great signs of improvement.

Thus, they returned her to the hospital; then custody was returned to the mother and then she went through six foster homes. Its development process stopped, and even regressed in some moments. Finally, she was in charge of an institution for adults with cognitive disabilities, but a court order prevents giving more information about her.

Image courtesy of Brittanie Pendleton.