Revisiting HG Wells' "The Country of the Blind"

Yenning *

"The Country of the Blind" is a short story by HG Wells (1904). It delves into the narrative of a fictional secluded community in a mysterious South American valley, isolated from the rest of civilization. An affliction swept through the neighbourhood, causing individuals to lose their sight. This sickness continued through successive generations, resulting in each new child being born entirely without the ability to see.

Nunez, a man hailing from Bogota, was working as a mountain guide for a group of tourists when he had a fall, leading him to find himself amidst this fabled "country of the blind". Having heard legends about this community, Nunez views the situation as an "adventure".

Remembering the age-old saying, "In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king", Nunez is convinced that he can share his knowledge of the world beyond their village with them. Upon being escorted to meet their leaders, Nunez learns that these people have fashioned their self-contained reality for fourteen generations, entirely disconnected from the outside world. For them, their valley encompasses the entirety of existence.

Lacking the ability to perceive light or darkness, they divide their days into "warm" and "cold", relying on their keen sense of temperature. Consequently, they rest during the "warm" period, which corresponds to daytime, and engage in activities during the "cold" phase, which equates to nighttime. Their unique system allows them to navigate their lives effectively without sight.

The inhabitants of the Country of the Blind perceive Nunez as someone specially created to gain knowledge from them. However, Nunez harbours different intentions; he desires to instruct and exert authority over the community.

Nunez observed they possess a different eloquence and sophistication in their speeches than him. These characteristics highlight that their mastery of language has developed because verbal communication holds greater importance for them in their inability to depend on visual cues or observe body language in their interactions.

Despite Nunez's belief in his regal status among these individuals, he is, in reality, seen as "a clumsy and useless stranger". His abilities in hearing and smelling are notably inferior to those he deems his subjects. Moreover, "sight" and "blindness" hold no place in their vocabulary.

Nunez endeavours to astonish them with his descriptions of the world's appearance, including the celestial bodies beyond. However, they dismiss his accounts, asserting that the world's boundaries lie at the edges of their valley and that a stone roof encloses it, replacing the conventional notion of a sky.

Growing increasingly frustrated with the difficulty of executing his plan to assume kingship, Nunez becomes enraged one day. He seizes a spade, intending to strike one of them, muttering, "In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king". However, his conscience forbade him to harm a blind person intentionally. As the community unites against him, armed with spades, he flees the scene in haste.

Yet, he realises that he cannot endure for an extended period without sustenance. Consequently, he returns to the community and humbles himself, expressing remorse for his earlier conduct. He apologises and "admits" his error in asserting he possessed "sight". Furthermore, he affirms their belief in a stone roof encasing the world. This declaration aligns with their worldview. Thus, the blind country accepted him as their citizen.

Over time, Nunez falls in love with Medina-saroté. She remained unmarried as her facial features do not align with the conventional standards of feminine beauty within the community. However, Nunez finds her particularly appealing due to her long eyelashes and the absence of the sunken eyes characteristic of the rest of the blind population in this world. To his beloved Nunez shared the concept of the beauty of sight. She attentively listens and seems to grasp his perspective.

Unfortunately, Yacob, Medina-saroté's father, adamantly opposes their union. He, along with the other community members, regards Nunez as an "idiot" plagued by "delusions". However, Yacob fathoming the depth of his daughter's affection for Nunez sought counsel from another elder, a doctor, who examined Nunez.

The doctor concludes that Nunez's brain appears to be affected by his unique eyes, which distinguish him from the other individuals in the community. The doctor suggests a surgical procedure to extract Nunez's eyes. This intervention is proposed to remedy his condition, thus enabling him to marry Medina-saroté.

Initially, Nunez is hesitant and resistant to the suggestion. However, upon hearing Medina-saroté's plea, he begins to reconsider. She implores him to proceed with the procedure for their love's sake, believing it will ultimately unite them. While it appears that Medina-saroté comprehends Nunez's ability to see, she is aware that her father will not consent to their marriage unless Nunez undergoes the procedure to "cure" his sight.

Nunez reluctantly agrees to the operation, but he discovers he cannot bring himself to proceed when the day arrives. The value he places on his sight proves to be too great. In a resolute decision, Nunez departs from the village, embarking on a gruelling ascent up the mountains.

He aims to break free from the confines of the Country of the Blind and make his way back to Bogota and the world of civilization. The tale concludes with Nunez reclining in serene contentment beneath the starry night sky.

"The Country of the Blind" brims with symbolic depth, yet extracting a definitive meaning or interpretation can be complex. One potential understanding by Oliver Tearle is that it is a cautionary tale about the perils of colonialism.

Nunez's sense of superiority, stemming from his background in mainstream "civilization", leads him to underestimate the wisdom and unique perspective of the blind community. This is a poignant commentary on the arrogance often associated with colonial attitudes.

Tearle adds, "Of course, if we analysed the story as a sort of allegory for imperialism, we would have no choice but to conclude that the story represents an example of 'tall poppy syndrome' – where an arrogant person is cut down to size". The story's conclusion, where Nunez flees from the community he initially sought to dominate, underscores the failure of his imperialistic endeavour. This outcome is a powerful commentary on colonial ambitions' ultimate futility and moral bankruptcy.

Indeed, from a different perspective, the story can be seen as an exploration of the conflict between individuality and collective identity. Nunez, with his unique abilities and knowledge, represents the individual. In contrast, the blind community exemplifies a tightly-knit joint with shared beliefs and a way of life. This clash serves as a rich thematic exploration within the narrative.

The story highlights how the shared experience of blindness forms the foundation of the community's cohesion. Their collective inability to see unites them, leading to the absence of the concept of "sight" in their language and worldview. This common perspective is integral to the functioning and stability of their society.

Precisely, when Nunez, who possesses the gift of sight, arrives to enlighten them about their lack of knowledge, the community responds with hostility and mistrust. This reaction underscores the deep-seated nature of their collective beliefs and their resistance towards accepting an outsider's perspective. To them, Nunez is expected to conform to their established way of life, or he will forever remain an outsider in their community.

What strengthens this analysis is the knowledge we, as readers, possess. Nunez's understanding of the world is accurate. A world exists beyond their secluded valley, and above them stretches a vast sky adorned with stars, not the stone roof that they believe confines their world. This sharp contrast between their beliefs and the objective reality is a powerful commentary on the limitations of collective perspectives.

This statement emphasises the challenge of overcoming ignorance when only one person holds knowledge, while the ignorant are numerous. It underscores the difficulty of changing deeply ingrained beliefs within a collective group.

Certainly, it's important to note that Nunez's perspective isn't necessarily deemed correct. Right from the start, he perceives his arrival in their village as an "adventure" and harbours fantasies of assuming a position of power as their "King". This attitude highlights his biases and preconceptions, which may skew his interpretation of the situation.

Indeed, when Yacob characterises Nunez's convictions as "delusions", it is accurate not because Nunez is mistaken about the world but because he has underestimated the collective strength.

Much like Winston Smith in the conclusion of George Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four", Nunez must undergo corrective treatment. In his case, it involves the removal of his eyes. However, his time spent among the blind also impacts his psyche: "He was ill for some days, and they nursed him kindly. That refined his submission. But they insisted on his lying in the dark, a great misery.

And blind philosophers came and talked to him of the wicked levity of his mind and reproved him so impressively for his doubts about the lid of rock that covered their cosmic casserole that he almost doubted whether indeed he was not the victim of hallucination in not seeing it overhead".

Oliver Tearle labels this situation "gaslighting" or "psychological conditioning". The blind community has become deeply accustomed to their lack of sight. They firmly believe that Nunez must be incorrect in seeing the world differently from their perception.

This conviction leads them to try to convince Nunez to abandon his dissenting beliefs. This relentless persuasion eventually leads Nunez to question the validity of his own sensory experiences.