Passage Analysis: Blindness Essay

In the beginning of the novel Blindness, the author Jos Saramago introduces the first case of the disease that is known throughout the novel as the white disease. He describes how a man suddenly loses his sight, while waiting in his car at the traffic light. People gathering around to try to help the blind man all in shock:

Who would have believed it. Seen merely at a glance, the mans eyes seem healthy, the iris looks bright, luminous, the sclera white, as compact as porcelain. The eyes wide open, the wrinkled skin of the face, his eyebrows suddenly screwed up, all this, as anyone can see, signifies that he is distraught with anguish. With a rapid movement, what was in sight has disappeared behind the mans clenched fists, as if he were still trying to retain the inside his mind the final image captured, a round red light at the traffic lights. I am blind, I am blind, he repeated in despair as they helped him, to get out of the car, and the tears welling up made those eyes which he claimed were dead, shin even more The blind man raised his hands to his eyes and gestured. Nothing its like I were caught in a mist or had fallen into a milky sea. (2)

One way in which this passage is significant is that it introduces an important moment in the plot. The passage outlines the first case of the disease, which soon will turn into an epidemic outbreak of blindness. Moreover, its not the common known blindness when the person sees nothing but darkness. Rather, the man claims the opposite its like I were caught in a mist or had fallen into a milky sea. This mysterious form of blindness makes the reader becomes curious as they read through of what this could be.

Another way in which this passage is significant is that it includes interesting stylistic devices. Jos Saramago does not include quotation marks to mark the dialogue, there are no paragraph breaks for new speakers and speakers are never identified. This style of writing creates a certain level of confusion that fits perfectly with the story in hand. Moreover, there is immediacy to the work, which really helps plunge the reader into the nightmarish world that is created in the novel. Secondly, Saramago uses the poetic device smile to emphasize his point its like I were caught in a mist or had fallen into a milky sea. The author describes the blind man blindness as if he was looking in a mist or a milky sea.

A third way in which this passage is significant is that it develops an important theme. One of the main messages of the book is that vision is very precious sense. However, like many other things it could be taken away easily Who would have believed it. Seen merely at a glance, the mans eyes seem healthy. The author describes how in matter of seconds the man lost his sight while he was simply waiting at the traffic lights. Also, the novel incorporates the full spectrum of what it means to be human, stripping away society to reveal the basic elements, wishes and desires of humanity