"Blind people who can see, but do not see": The animalization of the Other in Blindness

a animalização do outro em Ensaio sobre a cegueira

Abstract

The present article analyses, based on the animal studies, the importance of sight in the process of erasing subjectivity. Having in mind some writings of Helène Cixous, that speaks of blindness and of love towards animal beings, the work then dissects Saramago’s book Ensaio sobre a cegueira, and how the animalization is depicted in it. The text then progresses in such a way that it is concluded that Saragamo approaches with his work a blindness much bigger than the physical one, which is the blindness towards the Other, and how it’s been damaging the human and non-human relationships equally. At last, it is concluded that the true sight is the one that considers the Other, and that the violence and desolation depicted in the work and that happen every day is due to a lack of empathy to everyone and everything that is considered less than human.