# The Man Born Blind explained — Poetry > Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce. ## 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. ## Character check-ins ### Unknown The narrator observes the world through the eyes of a man born blind, offering a satirical critique of society. ## Key lines > 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._ > A bluff old farmer next he saw Sell produce in a village, And said: 'What, what! is there no law To punish men for pillage?' The blind man views the farmer selling produce as a pillager. _Critiques the perceived exploitation in honest trade._ > A dame, tall, fair and stately, passed, Who many charms united; He thanked his stars his lot was cast Where sepulchers were whited. The blind man sees a beautiful woman as a whitewashed tomb, beautiful outside but corrupt within. _Alludes to biblical imagery of hypocrisy and inner decay._ > He saw a soldier stiff and stern, 'Full of strange oaths' and toddy, But was unable to discern A wound upon his body. The blind man sees a soldier with no visible wounds, suggesting a lack of true sacrifice. _Critiques the glorification of military service without genuine cost._ > Ten square leagues of rolling ground To one great man belonging, Looked like one little grassy mound With worms beneath it thronging. The blind man sees a wealthy landowner's vast estate as a grave crawling with worms. _Exposes the corruption and mortality behind great wealth._ > A palace's well-carven stones, Where Dives dwelt contented, Seemed built throughout of human bones With human blood cemented. The blind man sees a rich man's palace as built from human bones and blood. _Critiques the exploitation and suffering underlying opulence._ > He watched the shining yellow thread A silk-worm was a-spinning; 'That creature's coining gold,' he said, 'To pay some girl for sinning.' The blind man sees the silk-worm's thread as gold used to pay for a girl's sin. _Satirizes the commodification of morality and labor._ > His eyes were so untrained and dim All politics, religions, Arts, sciences, appeared to him But modes of plucking pigeons. The blind man sees all human endeavors as ways to swindle the gullible. _Summarizes the poem's cynical view of society as exploitative._ > And so he drew his final breath, He thought he saw with sorrow Some persons weeping for his death Who'd be all smiles to-morrow. The blind man perceives that those mourning his death will soon be happy again. _Reveals the insincerity of grief and the transient nature of relationships._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/the-man-born-blind - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters