Blindness


 * DIRECTIONS: Each student in the group is responsible for inventing one discussion question. This discussion question must be posted on the Monday of each week, ensuring time for discussion of each question. Each member of the group, including the person who invented the question, MUST respond to the discussion AT LEAST twice EACH week. Your participation in these online discussions, along with the amount of effort and reflection put into your responses, will account for a portion of your Literature Circle final grade. Each time you post a discussion question or a response,you MUST skip a space from what was written above, and you MUST begin your writing with your last name and first initial so I can mark your participation. It would also be helpful if you choose a specific colour and stick to that colour each week to identify yourself with also.

Week 4 Discussion Question: MooreC- Up to this point of the book all of the characters have been through lots of things. They have been blind for quite some time now and many of them are loosing hope of ever regaining their eyesight. Do you believe that the people in this book will regain their eyesight and if you do how do you think they will regain it?

MacLeanE- I think they will eventually gain their eyesight back, after all there is nothing physically wrong with their eyes, so it should clear up eventually. I don't think that there will be a cure or anything for it, it will probably just come back. How do you think the people will change after they regain their sight, if they do that is? Do you think that they will look at life differently from then on?

McMurtrie B- Oh definitely! They will appriciate their eyesight and there pass lifestyle a lot more, and will not take life or their eyesight for granted again. But once everyone regains their eyesight, there will be alot of work to be done to rebuild the city and their own lives. The population will be minimized, health care centers will be full of injured people, I think it will be very overwhelming when they (if they do infact) get their eye sight back. Something tells me that this whole white epidemic was just a wake up call for everyone...

Hickey n- I think the blindness was a wakeup call. you are also right about how it will take a long time to fix everything. They will have to barry many dead people that may by now be unrecognizable. The actual clean up will take a long time but it will take awhile to clean up mentally. many have gone insane once they went blind. They will also see bodies of family members or naighbors which will also tramatize many. When they were blind they might of killed over food, all these things would leave an impact on them mentally dont you think.

MacLeanE- It will be pretty chaotic if it all ends, it would take many years to get back the way they were before, if they do at all. And there is always the chance that the blindness might come back, or start infecting animals instead of humans. How would you deal with the situation if all of a sudden you could see again?

McMurtrie B- Well if I all the sudden went blind, i have no idea how i would cope with everthing. It would be too much, worst then if I were still blind because at least then i did not have to see the world deteriating before my eyes. Plus eventhough they can now see that does not mean there will all the sudden be food for all the starving! At least if the blindness does end up transfering to animals the humans could take care of their blind pets. hickeyn- i Agree with all those points. i would never be able to cope with being blind. The aftermath if everyone got their sight back would make life harder. If the white blindness did go to the animals i would deffinatly help my pets. Animals in the wild would probably learn to adapt just like they adept to living with less land. animals are more resiliant then humans. Also they would probably be less violent to their own species unlike the people in the book. they would help each other like how penguins take turns in the cold. i personally hope we never have a sitchuation were people or animals turn blind all at once. it would be easier if half the population turns blind so they can adapt then the rest of the people so we would have alot more controll and time to adapt. dont you think that that would help even alittle. Week 3 Discussion Question:McMurtrie B- So far the author of this novel (Jose Saramago) has a very different style of writing, but he does use one technique that we are used to, and that is foreshadowing. He has used this by talking about the scissors that the doctors wife brought in her luggage, she has yet to make any attempt to do anyone harm from the other ward, but she certainly could. Do you think that she will use the scissors as a weapon against the other ward that has taken over all the food? Plus what do you think would be the best way to end this powerful other ward from making them all starve to death? And if you were a women in that situation would you be a volunteer, would you give your body to disgusting men, to feed everyone else?

MooreC- I think the doctors wife will use the scissors to fight against the people from the other ward. if she has a weapon like the scissors and her sight, i think she could easily take the people who are taking over. I think the only way to end the people from taking over would be to kill them .... what about you? **


 * MacLeanE- I agree that the doctors wife will somehow use the scissors as a weapon, especially in an emergency. I don't think she'd really like to use them though because murdering people isn't really her thing. I found that the author used a lot of foreshadowing in the novel, especially with the wife telling the other people she could see. I don't think I would do that just to get food for everyone else, it's really gross and degrading what they make them do. The best way to defeat the other ward would have been to fight them, but they were too cowardly to do that and it resulted in the whole place getting burned down. **

McMurtrie b- Now that they have all been set free, and the blind inmates find out that the whole CITY has become blind, what do you think they should do to survive in a blind world? I think if i was in the situation of the blind people i would be extremely scared! The only reason the seven main characters are still alive is because of the doctor's wife because she still has her sight but since there is still other blind people still out there, what do you think they are doing to survive? Do you think there are more people out there that still have their sight?

Hickey n- already the docters wife has killed the leader with the scizzors. i like the forshadowing that the author uses and it makes the story interesting. we all knew before hand or expected that the docters wife would kill them but she is not the type of person to kill unless it is neccisary. i think they will have the easiest time surviving because of the docters wife and because they seem more advanced then the other groups. How do you all think they will survive?

**MacLeanE- I don't think anyone else is able to see like the doctor's wife, it's probably a one time thing. I agree that the group from the hospital will have an easier time surviving, the doctor's wife would be a great help in a situation like that. I don't think the other blind people will last long in the city, eventually food will run out and the only person who would be able to find any would be the doctor's wife. I also think that the dog of tears will have some significance in the story somehow later on, it already defends the blind internees from the blind city people, what other significance do you think it may have?**

McMurtrie B- I am not sure but something tells me that the dog has something to do with either the cure for the illness or the cause, because somehow the dog of tears feels connected to the doctor's wife, it may be because she is the only human left that has her eye sight, or because he knows that she will help him to accomplish what he is trying to get accross. There is also the factor of hunger, eventualy the food will run out. Once that happens it does not matter weither you are blind or not, thats when i think the dog of tears will come in and somehow lead them to safety or food.

**MacLeanE- I think the dog might have something to do with the cure of the blindness, after all it can still see. Is there a reason the blindness is only affecting humans? I don't think the people will run out of food though, atleast not the people who are led by the doctor's wife. It wouldn't be hard for her to find food.** Hickey n- i agree the people lead by the doctors wife will have the best chance of finding food. but i dont think everyone will find food. The dog confuses me though i have no idea if he is the cause or the cure or even if he has any significence. erika has a good point about how the dog can still see, maybe animals and the docters wife have a special defect in their brain. This boook confuses me alot and I have no clue what will happen but i believe that they will get their sight back. what i would really like to know is does the boy with the squints mother miss him and is she searching for him. i Also wonder if she will ever find him. the girl with the glasses seems to be looking out for him but will she always be able to help?

MooreC- I doubt that the dog has enything to do with the cure for the blindness, but he could. If everyone is blind it will be impossible for enyone to come up with one. So the cure, if there will be one will have to come from something other then humans. But i dont see how a dog could have a part to do with the cure. I think if they ever do see, it will be because the desease is temporary. I believe that the white blindess will just eventually ware off and people will begin to see just as unexpectedly as they had lost it.


 * Week 2 Discussion Question: <span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">Hickey N- the doctors wife is staying with her husband in the Ward for people who have the blindness. Why do you think she does that? Why do you think that she does not tell the others that she is blind? Would you say you are blind to stay with someone you love? Also why do you think she still has her sight and do you think she will go blind?

<span style="color: rgb(128,0,0);">MacLeanE- I think she stays in the blind ward because she wants to be with her husband. She probably doesn't tell the others she can see because she doesn't want them to use her and be a slave to their every need. I would probably say I was blind to stay with someone I love, they would probably need someone to help them, and I would do as much as I could. I can't think of any reason why she wouldn't go blind like everyone else, maybe it's a psychological thing? I don't think she'll ever go blind, without her being able to see, the story wouldn't be as interesting.

MooreC- I agree, why would you leave your husband or someone you love knowing that you will probably have the same chance of getting the sickness enyways. If I were her another reason I would stay is because i would rather try to help people that are blind then a bunch of angry people that are deprested because they know they will get the sickness.... also because the blind get food and the others dont. I cant go without eating for a few hours, so i couldnt imagine what it would be like to go without food for days. That is like torture. For those reasons ,if I was the doctors wife I would stay with the blind.** <span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">
 * Hickey n i agree she probably stays with her husband out of love. I also agree that personally i would rather be with someone who i could help then with a bunch of angry people. I think she does not become blind because of a defect in her brain.**


 * <span style="color: rgb(128,0,0);">MacLeanE- Maybe the doctor's wife doesn't become infected because she stays with the blind people, maybe being seperated from them is what makes you become blind. The doctor's wife is the only one who is with the blind people all the time and she has not yet become infected. I think she did the right thing in going with her husband it definitely made the situation a lot easier for him.

<span style="color: rgb(60,165,49);">McMurtrieb- That is an interesting fact because if you look at it, the doctor only went blind when he was by himself, the guy in the car was by himself, but the only problem to your theory was that the girl with the dark glasses was definitely not by herself. Their could be another reason, i am thinking it has something to do with the brain. I think that the doctors wife, and the rest of the contaminated that have yet to go blind have some sort of defect, that enables them to catch this disease. On another note I found that the doctors wife is very brave for enduring the stay with the blind, and I think that the mother of the little boy should have done the same thing for the safety of her child! Who knows what could happen to him, the way that the government are treating them anything simple could go terribly wrong. ** <span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">
 * hickey n- she is very brave to stay with the blind. she risks more exposure for someone she loves. she is also smart for lying unlike the boys mother. the docters wife is risking alot to stay with hi; like the cruel treatment from the government and the blind internees. i think that she does not tell the others because they might use her or treat her like a slave. by saying she is blind can protect her from at least that.**


 * <span style="color: rgb(78,193,47);">McMurtrieB- But what is she really being protected from? If she does end up telling the others that she is in fact not blind, what can they do about it? It's not like she is going to be leaving that area any sooner than the rest of the blind people would. Plus at least then she could clean up and help out the others that are blind and need help! So much more stuff would get done, and the small amounts of food would be finally passed out equally to each and every person in the ward.

<span style="color: rgb(128,0,0);">MacLeanE- I'm not saying you would have to be alone to become blind, I was saying that maybe you had to be separated from the infected people, which the girl with dark glasses was. She probably won't tell them she can see because she is afraid, the blind people are in an very stressful, unusual situation, so there is no way she can predict what they'd do if they found out. If I was her I don't think I would tell anyone I could see, I'd be pretty afraid of what they might do, even if they're blind.

MooreC- I don't think that being separated from the blind people would cause you to go blind, because the people in the ward for the infected people are separated from the blind people, but they can still see. Another thing i don't get is if the doctors wife can see, why doesn't she sneak past the people that are taking over the food. If she was sneekey enough, she would never get caught.

Week 1 Discussion** **Question: <span style="color: rgb(128,0,0);">MacLeanE- So far in the book, many characters have already been infected with the 'white blindness'. This week we will look at how some of them reacted to getting this disease. Did they over react? Under react? How did their reactions differ, and why might that be so? Finally, how would you react if you were suddenly infected with the white blindness<span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">? <span style="color: rgb(255,31,0);"> <span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">McMurtrieB- I found that the man who suddenly went blind in his car had no choice but to over react. He was in the middle of the street, under a very streesful situation in rush hour. If he did not react how he did that man might not have help him home. Even though it ended in the result of his car being stolen at least he was home safely. But the character that I found reacted the (best) or how i would like to react would have to be the doctor. He was so calm and under control of the situation that he could take the messures that he know he had to take.

Hickey n- i agree the Doctor did react the best and calmest. The man in the car also reacted properly to that sitchuation. I personnaly would of acted like the man in the car, but with more swareing. I would probably be even more panicked then him. My eye site means everything to me so I would easily go into shock. I know that they are just made up charecters but if anyone reacted like the doctor i would be shocked.

<span style="color: rgb(128,0,0);">MacLeanE- I think almost all of the characters had a huge reaction to getting the disease, especially the man in the car and the girl with the dark glasses. They both did not expect to get the disease and had no knowledge of it at all. The doctor probably reacted calmly because he was at home in his study where it was peaceful and quiet and he already knew about the disease from the first blind man. It also mentions in the book that while the doctor was in his study he had a feeling that he would become blind, so he kind of expected it. There is no way that I could ever be as calm as he was if I suddenly became blind, especially if it was a white blindness. I can't even imagine how annoying that would be.

MooreC- I don't think any of the characters over reacted to this situation, because to me going blind would be a pretty huge thing. I'm surprised that some of the characters didn't really seem all to concerned, like the first blind man. When he all of a sudden go infected with the white blindness he just kind of kept it cool until someone agreed to take him home. There was also some people who freaked out, like the naked girl at the hotel. If I were infected with the white blindness, my reaction would be more like the the lady at the hotel. My sight means a lot to me and if it suddenly disappeared, I would go crazy and would not know what to do.

<span style="color: rgb(128,0,0);">MacLeanE: I agree, it would be hard; I would hate not knowing where I am, what time it is, and what's around me, even more so if I saw only white. I'd rat<span style="color: rgb(128,0,0);">her just have a normal blindness, because it would be just as if you were closing your eyes. I think that being infected with the white blindness is one of the most horrible situations I could ever be in. The characters in the story reacted a lot better to getting it than I would. Being quarantined in a mental hospital would only make things worse for me, it would be so long and boring, and you would always wonder about whether or not the government would decide to kill you, to stop people from getting any more infections, or if you would just die from a sickness or starvation because the place was so dirty and gross and you would hardly get any food at all. <span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);"> hickeyN- i agree being quaranteened would make the blindness even worse. That might also drive the blind insane and violent. i would also rather be regular blind then white blind. The whiteness would give you major headachs and drive you nuts. At least with regular blindness you would not get headachs and not feel like you are looking into the sun. I in the end would not be able to live at all if i was blind because i depend on my eyes too much. I think the people who went blind reacted alot calmer then i would of <span style="color: rgb(27,183,26);"> McMurtrieB- I do not find it fair that the gouvernement does not give them a fair chance at life, now that they have been infected. The only thing that the deases takes away from beeing normal is you eye sight and the gouvernnement is reacting like they have all become aliens. I know that they have to stay in quaranteen but the gouvernement could at least make it comfertable for them to live there. For all they know they could be in quaranteen their whole life they might aswell make hte best of it. Plus the gouvernement should at least make an effort to give them new close, soap, shampoo, and a tooth brush. I don't think it would be doing the government any harm to give the internees a healthy living environment?

MooreC- Yeah, being blind is bad enough as it is, but being put in the situation that they are is pretty cruel. They are stuck in a old mental hospital with out meny of everyday needs like soap to take a shower or thing too brush their teeth, and their forced to live off small portions of food. They could at least put them somewhere that is nice and clean. On top of all that the army men are porupously killing the blind men when they come to collect their food. They just leave the dead bodys laying around to rot untill the blind burry them, witch is kind of hard if you cant see. So i agree, the gouvernement could be doing alot more too improuve the living invironment for the blind instead of makeing their lives a nightmare.**