ipl-logo

The Elephant In The Village Of The Blind Analysis

695 Words3 Pages

“There are no facts, only interpretations” – a quote from Frederick Nietzsche which suggests there may be problems arriving at accurate conclusions regardless of how perfect physical sight is. By analyzing the short stories of “The Elephant in the Village of the Blind,” as well as “20/20” by Linda Brewer, the reader may find these very problems presented throughout the entirety of both texts. Both stories present a character whose perception of physical sight is slightly skewed, contrasted with a character who seems to have an accurate interpretation of their situation. Throughout these texts, each character exhibits presuppositions about the other – presuppositions that are both right and wrong. In these stories, the characters wrongly assume …show more content…

Although they believed they succeeded, the villagers were unable to fully determine the elephant’s appearance because they could not fully assess the situation; the traveler take advantage of their foolishness, as he believes he already knows the essence of the elephant. Several villagers begin to describe parts of the elephant, based on touch, as “a leather fan,” “a rough, hairy pillar,” “a cool, smooth staff,” and even an “overturned washing tub.” Eventually the villagers conclude “that the elephant was in fact an enormous, gentle ox with a stretched nose.”(Mays 14) The inaccuracy of their description proves to the reader the notion of being able to determine the complete truth of a matter without physical sight is absurd. The blind villagers were erroneous to assume they were wise enough to reveal the truth about the elephant on their own, without the use of physical sight. However, the traveler was wrong as well. Because he can physically see the elephant, he believes he already knows the truth. This seemingly leads to him attempting to swindle the villagers for another chance to identify the elephant in the coming year. This deception is an indication of the traveler’s confidence in his own wisdom. He is wrong to assume that because he can see physically, he is wiser than the villagers and has the capabilities to con them. Thus, one’s physical capability to see in no way effects his or her own wisdom. Simply because a man can see, that does not make him wise and simply because a man is blind, does not make him

Show More
Related

  • Compare And Contrast Cathedral And A Good Man Is Hard To Find

    1375 Words  | 6 Pages

    The narrator placed himself in Robert’s shoes and realized how inaccurate his perception about Robert was. By sketching a Cathedral, they were drawing a piece of art that represents a collaboration closer to sight. By sharing an intimate experience, Robert the physically blind man was able to help the unnamed narrator, metaphorically blinded prejudice man see his errors in his conscious and see things

    Read More

  • Water For Elephants Character Analysis Essay

    595 Words  | 3 Pages

    Character development is a crucial element to any story, especially due to the fact that is is utilized to create depth within a piece of writing. In Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen presents an extremely dynamic character by the name of Jacob Jankowski. In his old age, he undergoes a significant change in his attitude throughout his time at the nursing home. Through the remembrance of old memories from his life at the circus, Jacob Jankowski develops a sense of happiness and rediscovers his independence.

    Read More

  • Blindness And Ignorance In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

    968 Words  | 4 Pages

    The narrator pictures the blind as slow-moving and never laughing (34). As he finally meets Robert, the narrator is shocked that the man makes no use of a cane or dark glasses, as he “always thought dark glasses were a must for the blind” (38). Finally, the narrator’s ignorance toward Robert peaks as he asks which side of the train he sat on, because, according to the narrator, “going to New York, you should sit on the right-hand side of the train, and coming from New York, to the left-hand side” (38) to best enjoy the scenery of the Hudson. The jealous mindset of the narrator, however, drives most of his sarcasm and ignorance. One of his initial instances of jealousy occurs as he depicts a moment shared between his wife and Robert.

    Read More

  • Curious George And Babar The Elephant Analysis

    725 Words  | 3 Pages

    Growing up we 've read picture books that have introduced us to literature, wildly funny characters and taught us how to use our imagination. However, have you ever thought maybe these children books aren 't just for entertainment? What if they have hidden messages with racist undertones or represent political movements. Sometimes what we see is not always what you get so I 've studied two popular children 's figures, Curious George and Babar the Elephant.

    Read More

  • The Blind Man In Ralph Ellison's Cathedral

    303 Words  | 2 Pages

    An old friend of the narrator "Robert,'' is the blind man in the story. When the sighted man tries to explain what a cathedral is like to the blind man, his words fail. One man relies on vision to communicate, the other does not. It was like they spoke different languages. At the end of the story when the narrator says "My eyes were still closed.

    Read More

  • Blindness In Chaim Potok's The Chosen

    569 Words  | 3 Pages

    In The Chosen, blindness is a theme woven throughout the book. When a person makes a hasty judgement about someone else, they are blind to who the person truly is. When you take the time to listen and understand him, your eyes will be open and you will be able to see the

    Read More

  • The Use Of Blindness In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

    1488 Words  | 6 Pages

    The act of looking corresponds to physical vision, but in Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” the act of seeing involves a much deeper level of engagement. The narrator is fully capable of looking. He looks at his house and wife, and he looks at Robert. The narrator is not blind and therefore assumes that he is superior to Robert. Robert’s blindness, the narrator believes, makes him unable to have any kind of normal life.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Devices In Shooting An Elephant

    716 Words  | 3 Pages

    All of those depictions related to the “immense” crown that had followed the narrator expecting him to kill the elephant. This can be analyzed from his own words: “I was only an absurd puppet pushed to and fro by the will of those yellow faces behind”. “And he also realizes that to shoot the elephant would be not only unnecessary but quite immoral. But he is not a free agent; he is part of the impartial system (Ingle,

    Read More

  • What Is The Theme Of Cathedral By Raymond Carver

    1063 Words  | 5 Pages

    Robert’s wife has recently died and he used to work for the narrator’s wife. Robert comes to visit the narrator’s home and the narrator is not happy about this because he believes blind people to be miserable and gloomy based solely on what he has absorbed from the movies. At the end of the first paragraph, he says, “A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to” (1.1). Little to the narrator’s knowledge, his wife and Robert had been using audio tape to correspond over ten years, and have much past history with each other. The narrator’s wife makes sure he knows to make Robert comfortable, and if he doesn’t it shows that he does not love her.

    Read More

  • Hills Like White Elephants Point Of View Analysis

    969 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the short story "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway the central idea is people sometimes don't appreciate something special when it's in front them. This story can put in the category of Drama because at the end the reader is left with a open ending unlike other dramas that have a closing. The story is about a couple who is waiting for a train at a railroad junction in Spain they decide to have a beer then have a conversation of whether to go through the abortion of their child. Next, the bartender tells the couple that the train arrives in 5 minutes so the American moves their bags onto the other side of the train station and gets a drink at the bar while Jig sits by herself. The theme of the story is people sometimes don't appreciate what's in front of them and is shown through characterization, point of view and symbolism.

    Read More

  • How Does Harper Lee Use Sight In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1623 Words  | 7 Pages

    Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is an amazing novel that touches on many of the social issues during the time period in which it is written. Narrated by a six-year-old, readers “see” the faults and fallacies of the setting through the innocent, honest Scout. Sight plays an incredible role in the novel, as it is utilized to show what is morally acceptable to Harper Lee. Not only did Lee’s novel capture America’s attention at the time it was published, it brought to the surface all-to real social problems prevalent during the time period.

    Read More

  • The Narcissistic Narrator In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

    910 Words  | 4 Pages

    “His being blind bothered me” (Carver 1). In Raymond Carver’s short story Cathedral, Carver establishes an ignorant narrator, who is dependent on alcohol and fixated upon physical appearance; he juxtaposes the narrator to a blind man who sees with his heart rather than his eyes. Through indirect characterization, Carver contrasts the narcissistic narrator to the intuitive blind man while utilizing sight as a symbol of emotional understanding. He establishes the difference between looking and seeing to prove that sight is more than physical.

    Read More

  • Internal And External Conflict In George Orwell's Shooting An Elephant

    1926 Words  | 8 Pages

    When the narrator heard the news about an elephant going wild and destroying most of the Burmese homes, he rushed to find the elephant and shoot it. During his journey, he told himself that he would not shoot the elephant. But when he arrived face to face with the large mammal, with thousands of people watching, he shot it multiple times until the elephant fell. Minutes later, he came back with a different weapon brutally killing the elephant.

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Epiphany In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

    860 Words  | 4 Pages

    “I wasn’t enthusiastic about his visit. He was no one I knew. And being blind bothered me” (104) The narrator has no knowledge of experiencing seeing a blind person. “My idea of blindness came from the movies” (104).

    Read More

  • The Size And Shape Of An Elephant Analysis

    1444 Words  | 6 Pages

    The men happily got back to their place and each shared the other what he experienced about the size and shape of an elephant. The one who reached the ear said that elephant is something flat and large where the one reached the tail said that elephant is something thin and long. Although they both approached the same elephant, their outcomes were different. Based on each one's experience, neither of them is wrong, but neither of them has the whole story. I started the essay with this story because it gives an image how people's notion differ when it comes judging something based on their experience.

    Read More

More about The Elephant In The Village Of The Blind Analysis

Open Document