best paper ever
Blindness
In Blindness, the internees lives are completely uprooted when they become victims of an obscure and unidentifiable disease, landing them in quarantine. Here, they must face perils of not only the body, but the mind and heart. What must occur for one to regain control of their freedom after it’s been taken away? Jose Saramago demonstrates the need for human submission and rebellion in times of chaos in order to maintain a functioning environment and to prevail once again.
A parallel can be drawn between the ward in which The Blind reside and a second or third world country on the brim of a political and social revolution. Our inhabitants are stricken with a disease which cripples their potential prosperous nature as a society. They are abandoned by their government and left with meager conditions to live in. They are displaced and must depend on rationed means to survive. These reasons are why the people of the ward became vulnerable to oppression.
The oppressors, The Thugs, entered the institution establishing power and forcing The Blind to renounce whatever system of leadership they had cultivated. “...Let it be known...that from today onwards we shall take charge of the food...we shall put guards at the entrance, and anyone who tries to go against these orders will suffer the consequences.” [139] Again, on page 140, The Thugs assert their power by collecting the wardens’ valuables in exchange for food. “First you pay, then you eat.” Here, the internees realize there is nothing else to be done but become subject to The Thugs, for they are now their source of food. “From what we’ve heard, I don’t believe that for the moment we can do anything other than obey...worst of all, they have weapons.” [140] However, by handing over their personal belongings, The Blind gave away the last bit of freedom they had left.
Another instance of obedience for survival occurs when The Thugs request women. “The blind hoodlums sent a message saying they wanted women. Just like that, Bring us women.” [166] With no other source of food, the women comply. “Here...was a woman already in her fifties who had her old mother with her and no other means of providing her with food. I’ll go, she said.” [169] Though the situation has become increasingly grave, the women do not give up. They are hopeful for the future, despite the terrible situation that is currently taking place. This shows how far an individual will go to stay alive, and the sacrifices they will make to provide for those around them.
Finally, when The Thugs’ power has become too degrading and overbearing, the doctor’s wife takes matters into her own hands. She has decided to kill the leader of The Thugs. “...She brought her arm down with tremendous force. The scissors dug deep into the blind man’s throat.” [189] As a result of the murder, there is a power shift. Without a central leader, the remaining Thugs are now on the same level as the other blind internees. But, because the doctor’s wife has taken such a drastic step towards rebellion, she is seen as a threat. “Yes, I killed him, why, someone had to do it...And now, we’re free, they know what awaits them if they ever try to abuse us again.” [193] The doctor’s wife knew without action there would not be change or progression. Though the situation was dangerous, a risk needed to be taken so that control could be in the hands of The Blind once again.
It would be impossible to name an exact moment when the human spirit feels it must triumph over whatever evils it has become victim to. Nevertheless, The Blind, and the doctor’s wife especially, knew that they would not give up their lives to a dictator, being both Blindness and The Thugs. What The Blind endured and what they did to rise up, proves that one will surfer the most terrible of situations, even when life is not guaranteed, and that our desire to live will always overcome. “Find out just what a people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.” - Frederick Douglass.
In Blindness, the internees lives are completely uprooted when they become victims of an obscure and unidentifiable disease, landing them in quarantine. Here, they must face perils of not only the body, but the mind and heart. What must occur for one to regain control of their freedom after it’s been taken away? Jose Saramago demonstrates the need for human submission and rebellion in times of chaos in order to maintain a functioning environment and to prevail once again.
A parallel can be drawn between the ward in which The Blind reside and a second or third world country on the brim of a political and social revolution. Our inhabitants are stricken with a disease which cripples their potential prosperous nature as a society. They are abandoned by their government and left with meager conditions to live in. They are displaced and must depend on rationed means to survive. These reasons are why the people of the ward became vulnerable to oppression.
The oppressors, The Thugs, entered the institution establishing power and forcing The Blind to renounce whatever system of leadership they had cultivated. “...Let it be known...that from today onwards we shall take charge of the food...we shall put guards at the entrance, and anyone who tries to go against these orders will suffer the consequences.” [139] Again, on page 140, The Thugs assert their power by collecting the wardens’ valuables in exchange for food. “First you pay, then you eat.” Here, the internees realize there is nothing else to be done but become subject to The Thugs, for they are now their source of food. “From what we’ve heard, I don’t believe that for the moment we can do anything other than obey...worst of all, they have weapons.” [140] However, by handing over their personal belongings, The Blind gave away the last bit of freedom they had left.
Another instance of obedience for survival occurs when The Thugs request women. “The blind hoodlums sent a message saying they wanted women. Just like that, Bring us women.” [166] With no other source of food, the women comply. “Here...was a woman already in her fifties who had her old mother with her and no other means of providing her with food. I’ll go, she said.” [169] Though the situation has become increasingly grave, the women do not give up. They are hopeful for the future, despite the terrible situation that is currently taking place. This shows how far an individual will go to stay alive, and the sacrifices they will make to provide for those around them.
Finally, when The Thugs’ power has become too degrading and overbearing, the doctor’s wife takes matters into her own hands. She has decided to kill the leader of The Thugs. “...She brought her arm down with tremendous force. The scissors dug deep into the blind man’s throat.” [189] As a result of the murder, there is a power shift. Without a central leader, the remaining Thugs are now on the same level as the other blind internees. But, because the doctor’s wife has taken such a drastic step towards rebellion, she is seen as a threat. “Yes, I killed him, why, someone had to do it...And now, we’re free, they know what awaits them if they ever try to abuse us again.” [193] The doctor’s wife knew without action there would not be change or progression. Though the situation was dangerous, a risk needed to be taken so that control could be in the hands of The Blind once again.
It would be impossible to name an exact moment when the human spirit feels it must triumph over whatever evils it has become victim to. Nevertheless, The Blind, and the doctor’s wife especially, knew that they would not give up their lives to a dictator, being both Blindness and The Thugs. What The Blind endured and what they did to rise up, proves that one will surfer the most terrible of situations, even when life is not guaranteed, and that our desire to live will always overcome. “Find out just what a people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.” - Frederick Douglass.