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Post by Gwen Bloomsburg on May 18, 2010 11:02:26 GMT -5
As you read, you may find some quotes that seem particularly disturbing, insightful, interesting, or amusing. Here's the place to comment on them.
Include the quote, the page number(s), and your response to this quote.
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Post by Andres Munoz on Aug 2, 2010 1:57:28 GMT -5
"to judge by the movement of his mouth he appears to be repeating some words,not one word but three, as turns out to be the case when someone finally manages to open the door, I am blind." (pg. 2)
I think this quote is the most important because here is where the whole blindness epidemic starts and how many people lives start to change starting from this man who suddenly became blind but not any blindness a milky white sea blindness where everything is white and apparently its contagious, and its amazing how at the mental hospital everything started from this man that infected one person who that person affected two or more till everyone ended up knowing each other at the mental hospital.
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Post by Sebastian Gordillo on Aug 14, 2010 22:29:40 GMT -5
"...just like everything else in life, let time take its course and it will find a solution," (pg 240).
This quote that I have just copy from the book, for me, is one of the most important ones of the book because it's totally true. Not only referring to blindness, but in life en general, if someone reflects, time is actually the only solution in life because as time passes, someone would experience changes and each time different situation and that how a human being finds it's solution to its life.
Sebastian Gordillo Davalos
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sebas
New Member
Posts: 8
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Post by sebas on Aug 14, 2010 22:32:03 GMT -5
"...just like everything else in life, let time take its course and it will find a solution," (pg 240).
This quote that I have just copy from the book, for me, is one of the most important ones of the book because it's totally true. Not only referring to blindness, but in life en general, if someone reflects, time is actually the only solution in life because as time passes, someone would experience changes and each time different situation and that how a human being finds it's solution to its life.
Sebastian Gordillo Davalos
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Post by majotorressanteli on Aug 16, 2010 19:50:22 GMT -5
[…] all the images in the church had their eyes covered, statues with a white cloth tied around the head, paintings with the thick brushstroke of white paint (pg. 316) [...] that priest must have committed the worst sacrilege of all times and all religions, the fairest and most radically human, coming here to declare that, ultimately, God does not deserve to see. (pg. 318)
I found this quote very interesting, since the reader is able to interpret it with his/her own point of view. Having in account the obvious (images and statues can’t see) you can assume that with this the author states and confirms the condition of the blindness, and remarks the fact of the physiological illness, that humans consider physical. This segment of the story takes place nearly by the end of the plot, when everything seems so devastated that it appears to be no possible solution anymore. Even the doctor’s wife is destroyed sentimentally by the situation, and the reader deduces the blindness will not disappear. I think Saramago wanted to emphasize the fact that the blindness has gotten so far, such is the misfortune that God can’t or doesn’t want to see it. Perhaps these words can reveal the whole essence of the story itself, by proving the mental part of the physical epidemic. Majo Torres-Santeli. Int.
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Post by Sebastian Villacreces on Aug 18, 2010 17:51:06 GMT -5
"Why did we become blind, I don't know, perhaps one we'll find out, Do you want me to tell you what I think, Yes, do, I don't think we did go blind, I think we are blind, Blind but seeing, Blind people who can see, but do not see." (pg. 326)
I chose this quote because it's a confusing line. Here they are trying to say is that their whole life they were blind and when the white blindness struck them it was a meaning of saying that they did no longer wanted to see. It was a type of blindness that they didn't want to know their surroundings. But what I think is that this like a metaphor that is trying to say that the blindness was something to make them realize what people are capable of and when recovering their eye sight they might start looking how life really is like and people are supposed to follow it. To see what they really want to see. Sebastian Villacreces
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Post by Majo Borja on Aug 23, 2010 19:42:53 GMT -5
' The rubbish on the streets, which appears to be twice as much since yesterday, the human excrement, that from before semi-liquefied by the torrential downpour of rain, mushy or runny, the excrement being evacuated at this very minute by these men and women as we pass, fills the air with the most awful stench, like a dense mist through which it is only possible to advance with enormous effort. In a square surrounded by trees, with a statue in the middle, a pack of dogs is devouring a man's corpse. He must have died a short while ago, his limbs are not rigid, as can be seen when the dogs shake them to tear from bone the flesh caught between their teeth. A crow hops around in search of an opening to get close to the feast. ' (Pg. 263)
I found this section of the book to be really disturbing, as it described the city and how civilization has changed ever since the blindness hit the whole city. The organizational system of the city fell down as the people were no longer able to work and keep the system working. With such changes, the public services were no longer functioning leaving the people without water and electricity. These changes forced people to leave their homes and as there was no water or such, and if that wasn't enough, they were blind, which leads to what the author is describing the city as. The second part of the quote refers to a powerful scene in which the degeneration of the civilization is clearly stated. A corpse being eaten by dogs. This whole section was really shocking and made it comprehensible the state in which people were. It really impacted me to read that part, as it demonstrated how the hunger was everywhere on the city and how it was going back to primitive instincts.
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Post by dgodoy on Aug 25, 2010 10:58:26 GMT -5
"` [...] seventh, all the left overs must be burnt, and this includes not only any food, but also the containers, plates and cutlery which are all made of combustible material, eight, the burning should be done in the inner courtyards of the building or in the exercise yard, ninth, the internees are responsible for any damage caused by these fires, tenth, in the event of a fire getting out of control, whether accidentally or on purpose, the fireman will not intervene, eleventh, equally, the internees cannot count on any outside intervention should there be any outbreaks of illnesses, nor in the event of any disorder or aggression, twelfth, in the case of death, whatever the cause, the internees will bury the corpse in the yard without any formalities, thirteenth, contact between the wing of the patients and that of the people suspected to being contagious must be made in the central hall of the building by which they entered, fourteenth, should those suspected of being infected suddenly go blind, they will be transferred immediately to the other wing,[...]`"( pg. 44).
I found this quote particularly disturbing because I think that the government didn't have any consideration with the blind people that were in the mental asylum. I think that this part was very important because after listening to this the people realize that their lives were going to change, and that they would have to learn other ways of living. I this part, in my opinion was when they took away people freedom because they couldn't ask for anything and they couldn't go anywhere. I think that the government decided to give these harsh rules because they were afraid of the illness, so that was the way they tried to keep it under control. But what they didn’t realize is that that only was going to caused a lot more problems that they imagined. Daniela Godoy
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Post by dome ayala on Aug 28, 2010 0:16:12 GMT -5
"but in my opinion we're already dead, we're blind because we're dead, or if you will prefer me to put it another way, we're dead because we're blind, it comer to the same thing. (Pg. 156)
I liked this quote because it showed how many people felt about this whole situation. As the quote said some people already lost hope and felt like they were dead or were about to be dead. I can imagine being in that situation and how sad is to think that you cant see anyone and you practically feel alone. Also as the book explains and I found really interesting is that feelings connect to seeing. If you can not see something therefore you do not have feelings for it, and if you do not have feelings for anything you feel empty. All of this made me understand a little bit better this quote and I think is a good thing to analyze and think about. It also made me realize how being blind is much more than just not seeing, is something that only blind people can describe and for me its so interesting how the author did such a great job describing how things happened that made us understand more the concept of this blindness.
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Post by mpbravo on Aug 29, 2010 16:12:21 GMT -5
“..And for the first time she asked herself if she had good reasons for wanting to go on living. She could find no reply, replies do not always come when needed, and it often happens that the only possible reply is to wait for them.” (pg. 261)
The Doctor’s wife seem to be tired about what was going on, she noticed that she couldn’t handle any more and that this problem hasn’t an easy solution. But she never quit her job as a leader, or either lost her faith. She gave time to the time and waited for the best miracle or solution to happen because that is the way life is. The only solution she could have was to wait, because she knew nothing was impossible and that everything would be alright. Even though she had to struggle and experience many immoral circumstances she understand the situation which she was in, but also she understand how chaotic would it be to lose her confidence.
Maria Paula Bravo
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Post by vperez on Aug 29, 2010 18:51:43 GMT -5
“If you can see, look. If you can look, observe.” (from the books exhortations) I took this quote because as soon as I opened the book this was what caught my attention the most. What this quote for me means is that seeing is more than being able to look to objects, to identify its colors shapes and forms. More than that seeing is observing deeply into stuff, trying to figure out emotions, feelings and parts of humans, objects or animals. Observing the different behaviors, the variety of performances or movements, that way you are able to find out more about someone rather than only their outside. By observing attentively not only looking you can find interesting things. vperez
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Post by kgabela on Aug 29, 2010 19:05:40 GMT -5
“….lets open our eyes, We can’t, we are blind, said the doctor, It is a great truth that says that the worst blind person was the one who did not want to see, But I do want to see, said the girl with dark glasses, That won’t be the reason you will see, the only difference would be that you would no longer be the worst blind person.”(pg 298)
I found this quote interesting and I think is very true. According to me it means that that even thought they are blind they can still survive, move on and do things such as eating or taking a shower. But for achieving that you need to want to do it put effort be patient and give your best effort. Because if you only want it but don’t try you won’t be able to do it. For example when the doctors wife asked the first blind man wife and the girl with dark glasses to help her their respond was we can’t see but at least they can try because if they don’t try they won’t be able to do it, the doctors wife said at least trey it. Karina Gabela 11th grade
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Post by ralbornozr on Aug 29, 2010 19:45:42 GMT -5
“ What happened, the doctor asked, they said a man was killed, Yes, I killed him, Why, Someone had to do it, and there was no one else, and now, now we’re free, they know what awaits them if they ever try to abuse use again, There’s likely to be a battle, a war, The blind are always at war, always have been at war, Will you kill again, if I have to, I shall never be free from this blindness, and what about the food, We shall fetch it… they’ll be afraid the same might happen to them, that a pair of scissors will slit their throat…” (page,193)
In this passage the doctor and his wife are talking about the man that was killed. It impacted me because it was a very harsh and risky decision that the doctor’s wife took by killing him, the man was one of the leader of the blind groups, by killing him she could’ve set war between the different groups of inmates. Her decision made a difference since the man showed no respect toward human rights and toward woman. Another thing that impacted me from this quote is how the doctor’s wife does this to save the group of blind that were being abused, how everyday, with this man living was like hell; like a war. They also discuss how blind people are always at war, how each day is a battle, and how even though she killed the man that was making their days like hell, new problems appeared for them.
Rafaela Albornoz R.
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Post by claudiaricaurte on Aug 29, 2010 20:00:39 GMT -5
If you can see, look. If you can look, observe. (From the Book of Exhortations) I chose this quote because as soon as you start reading the book this is the first thing you read and I think it is a very powerful quote. This quote means to me that you have to look beyond the superficial; it means that you have to look deeper, like emotions feelings even attitudes to really get to understand. Many people are looking but not really observing, I think that the key to understand it not only to look at things but to observe them, and then you are able to judge and interpret.
Claudia Ricaurte
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Post by carmenmasaenz on Aug 29, 2010 20:19:42 GMT -5
"...animals are like people, they get used to everything in the end." (pg247) This quote is very true, people suffer any change but get used afterwards to it. When the characters in the story went blind, they were very scared and didn’t know what to do. Desperation and anxiety was all they could feel. After few months of despair things changed, people started to adjust to what they had and how they had to live. Everything in life goes with this quote. At the beginning is really hard to adjust to changes. But once you live under the same condition for a while, you get use to and start to feel comfortable with the new situation. I also think this is a strong quote because there is always a close relationship between humans and animals and if animals adapt to changes easily humans can become accustomed too. Carmen Maria Saenz Int
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