Poetry · Chapter
The Man Born Blind explained
A man born blind receives his sight and, through his untrained eyes, perceives the world's hypocrisy and corruption, seeing merchants as swindlers, patriots as calves, doctors as assassins, lawyers as accomplices, judges as wild beasts, pre
What happens
A man born blind receives his sight and, through his untrained eyes, perceives the world's hypocrisy and corruption, seeing merchants as swindlers, patriots as calves, doctors as assassins, lawyers as accomplices, judges as wild beasts, preachers as burglars, farmers as pillagers, and the wealthy as parasites. His observations reveal the deceit and moral decay beneath society's respectable surfaces.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Corruption
The blind man's fresh sight reveals the hypocrisy and corruption underlying respected figures like merchants, patriots, doctors, lawyers, judges, preachers, and the wealthy.
Deception and Self-Deception
Society's self-deception is exposed as the blind man sees through the facades of virtue and respectability to the deceit beneath.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The narrator observes the world through the eyes of a man born blind, offering a satirical critique of society.
Key passages
“He saw a merchant, good and wise And greatly, too, respected, Who looked, to those imperfect eyes, Like a swindler undetected.”
The blind man perceives a respected merchant as an undetected swindler.
Illustrates the theme of hypocrisy and corruption in commerce.
“He saw a patriot address A noisy public meeting. And said: 'Why, that's a calf. I guess, That for the teat is bleating.'”
The blind man sees a patriot speaker as a bleating calf.
Satirizes political rhetoric as mindless noise.
“A doctor stood beside a bed And shook his summit sadly. 'O see that foul assassin!' said The man who saw so badly.”
The blind man mistakes a doctor for a murderer.
Critiques the medical profession's potential for harm.
“He saw a lawyer pleading for A thief whom they'd been jailing, And said: 'That's an accomplice or My sight again is failing.'”
The blind man sees the lawyer as an accomplice to the thief.
Exposes the collusion between law and crime.
“Upon the Bench a Justice sat, With nothing to restrain him; ' 'Tis strange,' said the observer, 'that They ventured to unchain him.'”
The blind man views the judge as a dangerous animal that should be chained.
Highlights the unchecked power and potential tyranny of judges.
“With theologic works supplied, He saw a solemn preacher; 'A burglar with his kit,' he cried, 'To rob a fellow creature.'”
The blind man sees the preacher as a burglar robbing his congregation.
Satirizes religious hypocrisy and exploitation.