Chapter 22: “He’s Blind for a Reason, You
Know”
How to Read Literature Like a Professor by
Thomas C. Foster
By: Amber Brown
If a writer introduces a blind character
to an audience, then that character is
going to perform a very significant role
during the plot of the story.
• Extremely Important & Ironic Disability
• In a story (NOT IN REAL LIFE)
• Portray pshycological, moral, & intellectual
characteristics
• Blind See and Sighted are Blind
• Identifies failure to see reality, love, truth etc.
When a Writer wants us to know something
significant about a character then…
• Mention It
• Concepts of light and dark
• Dark=Blindness
• Light=Sight
• Mentioned Early
• “Indiana Jones Principle”
• “If you want your audience to know something
important about your character (or the work at
large), introduce it early, before you need it.”
Introducing a Blind Character to the
Audience is a Challenge
Challenges the Writer
• Actions have to
accommodate the disability
• Disabled characters can be a
hassle to authors
• Specific Reasoning
Challenges the Audience
• Learning the characters is
blind
• Familiarity to the concept of
light and dark
• Interpret Text for Full
Meaning