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Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science

ISSN Print: 2576-0556 Downloads: 477463 Total View: 3655277
Frequency: monthly ISSN Online: 2576-0548 CODEN: JHASAY
Email: jhass@hillpublisher.com
Article Open Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2024.11.014

Study of the Metaphor of Blindness in Sartre’s Existentialist View of Blindness

Xin Lin

Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University, Guangzhou 510665, Guangdong, China.

*Corresponding author: Xin Lin

Published: December 16,2024

Abstract

The 1998 Nobel Prize winner, Portuguese writer José Saramago's most important work Blindness describes a sudden plague of eye disease called "white evil" spreading uncontrollably among human beings and causing the gradual collapse of the social order of human society. Through a unique narrative technique, Saramago vividly portrays the horrific and chaotic consequences that ensue as people are stripped of one of their fundamental senses. This paper examines Blindness using the lens of Sartre's existentialist principles, particularly his view on "existence precedes essence", "human condemned to be free to choose" and "human needs to be responsible for the world when he creates his own self". By applying these three points of view, the paper analyzes and studies the metaphorical role of blindness as a profound symbol in the work. It relates it to broader social realities, offering reflections on the trajectory of human development and the moral implications of free choice.

References

José Saramago. (1999). Blindness (pp. 40-85). Harcourt Brace Press.

Ming, Z. (2011). Blindness and reborn of soul—Reading Blindness on the basis of Sartre’s existentialism. Master’s Thesis, Northeast Normal University, China.

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Xiaomeng, Z. (2024). A Study of Sartre’s Existentialist Literary Thought. Thesis for Master's Degree, Liaoning University, China.

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Ziyi D, Haiyan Z. (2024). From “White Evil” to the Metaphors in Saramago's Blindness. Dynamics of Social Sciences.

How to cite this paper

Study of the Metaphor of Blindness in Sartre's Existentialist View of Blindness

How to cite this paper: Xin Lin. (2024) Study of the Metaphor of Blindness in Sartre's Existentialist View of Blindness. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science8(11), 2548-2552.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2024.11.014