Blog Post #4 Summer reading timed writing prompt

Claudia Scully English IV A Ms. Wilson 29 August 2014 Title needed?
In class timed writing prompt The selection chosen from Blindness, by Jose Saramago, strengthens the idea that the universal theme of the book is “Companionship as Salvation” by giving multiple different examples of the concept.
This selection is significant in the sense that the author goes out of his way to point out the flaws of human nature, while actually challenging its relevance in consideration with the universal theme. This is seen most clearly when Saramago writes”… for there is a difference between a blind person who is sleeping and a blind person who has opened his eyes to no purpose. These observations of a psychological nature, whose subtlety has no apparent relevance considering the extraordinary scale of the cataclysm which our narrative is struggling to relate…” (94). In other words, while he describes the difference between being ‘asleep’ and ‘blind’ very profoundly, he openly admits that it is not the purpose of the book. He goes on to explain that some of the blind internees woke up due to hunger, or impatience that others were still sleeping and therefore no one could get food. This certainly wouldn't have been as effective if the author hadn’t used the tone and diction that he did, in the sense that he sounds knowledgeable, wise, and again, profound in general. He explains that they need others to survive, they need to interact with each other—returning to the concept of true companionship being salvation.
 The clearest and most consistent example of acharacters using companionship as their salvation is found in the doctor and the doctor’s wife. (They aren’t given names.) “The doctor thought his wife had gone blind, that what he so greatly feared had finally happened…” (95). This short passages gives some insight into their relationship, and later on, how much they rely on each other, as the wife is offering her husband assistance, saying, “…you’re upset, can I get you anything…” (95). Despite all the commotion and general confusion shared by everyone in the book, the couple sticks together.



FINAL DRAFT

Claudia Scully

English IV A

Ms. Wilson

29 August 2014

The selection chosen from Blindness, by Jose Saramago, strengthens the idea that the universal theme of the book is “Companionship as Salvation” by giving multiple different examples of the concept.

This selection is significant in the sense that the author goes out of his way to point out the flaws of human nature, while actually challenging its relevance in consideration with the universal theme. This is seen most clearly when Saramago writes “… for there is a difference between a blind person who is sleeping and a blind person who has opened his eyes to no purpose. These observations of a psychological nature, whose subtlety has no apparent relevance considering the extraordinary scale of the cataclysm which our narrative is struggling to relate…” (94). In other words, while he describes the difference between being ‘asleep’ and ‘blind’ very profoundly, he openly admits that it is not the purpose of the book. He goes on to explain that some of the blind internees woke up due to hunger, or impatience that others were still sleeping and therefore no one could get food. This certainly wouldn’t have been as effective if the author hadn’t used the tone and diction that he did, in the sense that he sounds knowledgeable, wise, and again, profound in general. He explains that they need others to survive, they need to interact with each other—returning to the concept of true companionship being salvation.

The clearest and most consistent example of characters using companionship as their salvation is found in the doctor and the doctor’s wife. (They aren’t given names.) “The doctor thought his wife had gone blind, that what he so greatly feared had finally happened…” (95). This short passages gives some insight into their relationship, and later on, how much they rely on each other, as the wife is offering her husband assistance, saying, “…you’re upset, can I get  you anything…” (95). Despite all the commotion and general confusion shared by everyone in the book, the couple sticks together.

These two examples from this short selection highlight the importance of the universal theme of companionship being salvation are very diverse. The first example shows Saramago contrasting one of his own propositions and saying it is not the overlying idea of the book, and the second gives a glimpse into the doctor and doctor’s wife, who are arguably the two main characters, and how they deal with the struggle by leaning on each other. But, they come together as two places where the theme is very apparent, strengthening the book as a whole.