# Blindness and Disability in The Mother

> Theme guide for The Mother by Pearl S. Buck.

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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mother_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mother_se/chapters/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.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mother_se/themes/blindness_and_disability
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mother_se/themes