Blindness: Summary of the Book by José Saramago

Blindness is a novel by Portuguese author José Saramago. It was first published in 1995 and has since become a classic of contemporary literature. The novel is a powerful exploration of the human condition and the consequences of a mysterious epidemic that leaves everyone blind.

The story begins with an unnamed city that is suddenly struck by a strange epidemic of blindness. The first victim is a man sitting in his car waiting for a traffic light to turn green. He suddenly becomes blind, but doctors cannot find any physical cause for his condition. The blindness quickly spreads throughout the city, and soon, the government establishes a quarantine in an abandoned asylum to contain the outbreak.

The novel follows a group of characters who are among the first to be quarantined. They include a doctor, his wife, a young woman, an elderly man with a dark past, a boy with his mother, and a group of other strangers. All of them are strangers to each other and come from different backgrounds. As the epidemic spreads, they are forced to confront their own weaknesses, fears, and prejudices.

The blindness becomes a metaphor for a loss of humanity and civilization. The world in which the characters live rapidly descends into chaos and violence. The government and its institutions crumble, and basic needs such as food, water, and shelter become scarce. The quarantine becomes a prison, and the characters struggle to survive in a world where they cannot see and cannot trust each other.

The doctor's wife is the only one who can still see. She hides her sight from the others, afraid of being isolated from the group and exposing herself to danger. However, she secretly guides the group through the dangerous city to find food and water. Her husband becomes the de facto leader of the group, and his wife becomes his eyes.

As the days pass, the situation inside the asylum deteriorates. The characters are faced with hunger, thirst, and violence. The elderly man with the dark past takes control of the food distribution and becomes a tyrant. He trades food for valuables and forces the women to provide sexual favors. The doctor's wife refuses to comply and is punished by being locked in a cell. The doctor must confront his own cowardice and decide whether to stand up to the tyrant or remain silent.

Despite the bleakness of the situation, there are moments of hope and humanity. The young woman becomes pregnant, and the birth of her child brings joy and new life to the group. The boy with his mother becomes a symbol of innocence and hope in the midst of darkness.

Eventually, the epidemic ends, and the characters are released from the asylum. They emerge into a world that has been forever changed. The blindness is gone, but the scars remain. The characters must find a way to live in a world that has lost its innocence and where the old rules no longer apply.

The novel is a powerful meditation on the human condition and the fragility of civilization. Saramago's prose is masterful, and his exploration of the blindness epidemic is both harrowing and beautiful. The characters are fully realized, and their struggles and triumphs are deeply moving.

Overall, Blindness is a profound and unforgettable novel that forces the reader to confront the darkness and light within themselves. Saramago's vision is both bleak and hopeful, and his exploration of the human experience is both universal and deeply personal. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the complexities of the human condition and the power of the human spirit.