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... Jose Saramago’s novel, Blindness, brings about a mysterious sickness that plagues an entire city; white blindness is what doctors call it. It replaces people’s sight with the view of just plain white. ... A man driving in his car is the first person who is struck by this disease. ... In result, this white blindness develops into a threat to society, and people begin to panic. ... White blindness soon becomes widespread and more people arrive at the hospital daily. ... The doctor’s wife, who is blessed with her sight, helps these people survive and get through everyday life. ... The entire city slowly falls apart and people are forced to survive under their own instincts. Examples of selfish, compassionate and fearful people prove that Saramago’s novel is clear evidence of how humans succumb to their primal instincts when faced with adversity.
When humans are faced with the threat of the possibility of losing their life and are put to the challenge of survival, self-wants and desires emerge from them. ... “Taking advantage of the uproar, some of the blind internees had sneaked off with a number of containers, as many as they could carry, a patently disloyal way of forestalling any hypothetical injustices in the distribution” (Saramago 103) These individuals also go beyond their façade of civilization and begin to steal food from others in order to survive. ... Acts of sexual abuse and rape against woman happen within the confines of the hospital, as Saramago illustrates it in the novel,
The women, all of them, were already screaming their heads off, blows, slaps, orders could be heard, Shut up, you whores, these bitches are all the same, they always have to start yelling, Give it to her good and hard and she’ll soon be quiet, just wait until it’s my turn and you’ll see how they’ll be asking for more, Hurry up there, I can’t wait another minute. (179)
The primal instincts of men initiate them to disrespect women and violate their bodies. ...
Blindness illustrates the release of true compassion within a group of individuals when confronted with adversity. Compassion is shown when the doctor’s wife lies and says she is blind just so that she can be with her husband. “You’re not blind, I cannot allow you to stay here, yes, you’re right, I’m not blind, then I’m going to ask them to take you home […] no, my love, you can’t, I’m staying to help you” (40) Regardless of the known fact that this disease the doctor has is contagious does not prevent her from staying with him.
Approximate Word count = 2097
Approximate Pages = 8.4
(250 words per page double spaced)
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