“It is possible that we have come to the end of our blindness, it is possible that we will all recover our eyesight, hearing those words, the doctor’s wife began to cry, she should have been happy yet she was crying, what strange reactions people have, of course she was happy, my God…”
I think that the doctor’s wife’s reaction to the return of sight to the first blind man was interesting. There are several reasons she could be crying. She could be crying out of relief that this heavy burden was finally lifted from her. She could be crying out of happiness that everyone will return to seeing and the world can begin healing and fixing the damages that occurred while they could not see. She could also being crying because of the horrors that they will soon be subjected to, which only she had been able to fully experience up to this point. It could be a combination of all of these factors. But what first came to mind for me was that maybe she is crying because in the return of everyone’s sight, she was losing her importance, their dependence on her, and the value which they placed on her opinion.
In terms of the feminist unit, it is interesting to see how her role in life changed when suddenly she was the only one who had something that everyone desperately needed. Even when only her husband knew she was not blind, she prided herself in the little deeds she could do to make life easier for others. And once the hospital was burned down, she became the leader of the group, with the others dependent on her for everything. While it was quite a burden, she took it on willingly. Compared to her previous lot in life, the wife of a man who’s opinion everyone very greatly respected, she was always in the shadows. She is defined through the entire book as the doctor’s wife, that being her defining characteristic. It is interesting that she is not referred to as the only person left who could see or the caretaker. She is not even defined by her matronly characteristics, though she becomes like a mother to her group.
I am curious as to what you think might be the cause of the doctor’s wife’s tears when sight began to return to the world of blind people.
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The Doctor's Wife's tears represented, to me, her relief that she no longer would have to be the one responsible for witnessing the horrible events of the "blind world."
Essentially, she was relieved as her duties of moderator, guide, and source of inspiration to six other people. Now that the “others,” had the ability to see what had occurred while they had no sight, it would be their responsibility to help guide their country back to a normal state and have organization and order.
Finally, considering the notion that her companions had regained their sight, the Doctor's Wife no longer had to worry about giving up, but she understood that she fulfilled her duty. Her tears represented relief and gladness, in that throughout so many of tribulations profiled in the novel, she never gave up, but kept the responsibility she was given—a true leader.
I believe that the doctor’s wife started to cry because she could finally be seen again by someone. She said earlier in the book, “Even if I may not lose my eyesight I shall become more and more blind because I shall have no one to see me.” For so long the wife could see others and the personal things they do because no one knew she was there. She probably felt a gap between herself and the others because she did not have the blindness and she could not feel the same way as everyone around her. But now that people are regaining their eyesight, the doctor’s wife is starting to feel included again. People can now notice her presence, and she can properly fit in with the group.
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