Blindness is a dystopian novel, depicting a society where a peculiar kind of white blindness is so highly contagious that practically everyone is affected by it and society discontinues to function in a civilized way. The readers are witness to the very first man that goes blind. After being helped home, and his wife’s return from work, the blind man goes to an Ophthalmologist who is baffled by this condition. Later that evening, it turns out that the patients in the waiting room and the ophthalmologist himself go blind. As the disease spreads rapidly, the diseased are quarantined. The Doctor’s wife lies that she has gone blind as well so that she may stay by her husband. Of course the quarantine is an awful place, where the corrupt patients seize control over everyone. However, the disease spread so fast that eventually the patients escape only to find a broken society with no government to facilitate, no water, no electricity, no nothing; just people living like animals, defecating and dying on the street and groping their way around to find food and survive. However, the doctor’s wife can still see and she with their close knit group are able to survive. In the end everyone can see again. The reason I told you what happened is because it’s a lame ending, and it doesn’t deserve the honor of being kept ambiguous.
Furthermore, the narration is painstaking as it has to rationalize every aspect and emotion of the character. To some extent, I believe that Saramago is just rationalizing his own fantasies. For example, at one point in the quarantine the doctor’s wife sees her husband sneaking into bed with another woman. Although she is hurt by this she is understanding and walks over there and practically gives her blessing. Like that would ever happen. At least let her pretend she didn’t see it. The doctor is lucky enough to have his wife with him (considering that she is described as pretty and obviously in obscenely patient), as so many families were split.
I also did not understand why Saramago did not use names. It is explained at one point (like everything else is, not leaving much up to the reader’s imagination), but it still didn’t make sense to me. The doctor is the doctor, his wife is the doctor’s wife, the woman he cheated on her with is the girl with dark glasses. If none of the characters in the novel can see her dark glasses, why should she be identified by them? I suppose the blindness has catapulted them into a such a different world that their names and former identities no longer apply, but it just didn’t seem relevant, especially since they are identified by aspects of their previous way of life.
I can’t say I was that enthralled with this novel, and that’s bad since I was really anticipating reading it. Perhaps my hopes were too high. I felt like an interesting idea for a plot was wasted by an over-rationalizing, third person narrative which diminished any suspense or emotion from me since it was all so thoroughly explained.
Furthermore, the narration is painstaking as it has to rationalize every aspect and emotion of the character. To some extent, I believe that Saramago is just rationalizing his own fantasies. For example, at one point in the quarantine the doctor’s wife sees her husband sneaking into bed with another woman. Although she is hurt by this she is understanding and walks over there and practically gives her blessing. Like that would ever happen. At least let her pretend she didn’t see it. The doctor is lucky enough to have his wife with him (considering that she is described as pretty and obviously in obscenely patient), as so many families were split.
I also did not understand why Saramago did not use names. It is explained at one point (like everything else is, not leaving much up to the reader’s imagination), but it still didn’t make sense to me. The doctor is the doctor, his wife is the doctor’s wife, the woman he cheated on her with is the girl with dark glasses. If none of the characters in the novel can see her dark glasses, why should she be identified by them? I suppose the blindness has catapulted them into a such a different world that their names and former identities no longer apply, but it just didn’t seem relevant, especially since they are identified by aspects of their previous way of life.
I can’t say I was that enthralled with this novel, and that’s bad since I was really anticipating reading it. Perhaps my hopes were too high. I felt like an interesting idea for a plot was wasted by an over-rationalizing, third person narrative which diminished any suspense or emotion from me since it was all so thoroughly explained.
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