The Mother · Theme

Blindness and Disability

How The Mother develops Blindness and Disability.

The daughter's blindness symbolizes vulnerability and social burden; she is seen as useless, pitied, and ultimately married off to a harsh fate, reflecting how disability compounds poverty and gender oppression.

Where it surfaces

II
The daughter's sore eyes and the old grandmother's blindness are central to the chapter, showing how disability is managed within the family.
XIII
The daughter's blindness is central to the chapter, affecting her daily life, her mother's emotions, and the family's future plans for her marriage.