I’m about halfway through the first Ghost in the Shell: Standalone comples series and finally became curious enough to look up where “I thought what I’d do was, I’d pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes” came from. Well, it’s a reference to J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye. I was never forced to read it in high school, so it’s new for me.

Here’s the quote in question:

I thought what I’d do was, I’d pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes. That way I wouldn’t have to have any goddam stupid useless conversations with anybody. If anybody wanted to tell me something, they’d have to write it on a piece of paper and shove it over to me.

They’d get bored as hell doing that after a while, and then I’d be through with having conversations for the rest of my life. Everybody’d think I was just a poor deaf-mute bastard and they’d leave me alone…

I’d cook all my own food, and later on, if I wanted to get married or something, I’d meet this beautiful girl that was also a deaf-mute and we’d get married. She’d come and live in my cabin with me, and if she wanted to say anything to me, she’d have to write it on a piece of paper, like everybody else.

Source: Goodreads

Seen in the context of the book, I have no idea what in the world this is supposed to mean in the series. I suppose I shall find out :-)