Kevin's Watch

Blindness (and not seeing) seem to be a really big theme in The Third Chronicles.

Kevin's Dirt
Stave's Eye
Mahrtiir
Roger's Glamour
Anele

Anyone think this is building to something even greater, or just a bunch of Coincidences?

In the Gradual Interview, Stephen R Donaldson wrote:I find it somewhat embarrassing to admit that until Anele came along I didn't actually realize that eyelessness or blindness formed such a recurring (one might almost say incessant) theme in the "Covenant" books. And yet the pattern continues, as you'll discover (if you haven't already) in "The Last Chronicles." Well, I like to think that my sub-conscious has a very good reason for insisting on this particular metaphor. Certainly one of the main subjects of the "Covenant" books is how perception creates reality. For one example, the Land becomes effectively real for Covenant when he "sees" that it is important to him. And for another, the ur-viles and Waynhim stand outside the governing forms of Law in part because they literally *don't* "see". Conversely, Hile Troy doesn't "see" the danger implicit in his attitude toward power: his inability/failure to perceive accurately threatens the survival of the Land. And so on.

(03/16/2005)

I don't think past series is indicative of the Final Chronicles. But it seems like there's a possibility that the theme of blindness is something that is recurring but unconnected.

You could argue that Anele doesn't want to "see" what happened when he lost his staff, and that Mahrtiir doesn't "see" where his reckless desire for martyrdom will lead.

Kevin's Dirt, along with the Master's imposed ignorance of history, is, if I understand it correctly, about the people of the Land losing their ability to participate in the saving of their world; they have lost the epic vision that they had during the first Chronicles.

Roger's glamour seems like it is similar to Amok's ability to become invisible, or Findail's or Esmer's or any Elohim's. It's a common power among the superior beings of the Land, I guess.

I suppose it has always been there. For some reason, listening to Fatal revenant on the way to work this morning, it just smacked me in the face, for the first time.

sindatur wrote:...or just a bunch of Coincidences?

No way!

Even Camerman Jenn's name appearing on the acknowledgements page of the Runes suggests something to do with the dilating, contracting, lens of the camera.
Full focus on sunshine causes blindness (of the film).

NOTE: CJ, I'm only thinking of the camera as an instrument and I'm not meaning to make comments about you personally.

I can't help but think that the concept of sensory derprivation is a key element in the SRD psyche for obvious reasons stemming from his early years. "Blindness" can and is used to describe a range of sensory limitations, like the effects of Kevin's dirt or a glamour, for instance, which in that context puts "blindness" in the same realm of sensory deprivation as the effects of leprosy, ie it's a dulling or muting of the senses.

Other characters with blindness in one form or another.............

Ur-viles, Waynhim, Hile Troy (as mentioned above), but also the Sandgorgons, Skest, Jheherrin and I think (tho' it was difficult to get a proper reference on it), the Arghule. Cavewights have 'pupil-less' eyes and maybe the Fire Lions and Croyel are sightless too? Not sure on the last two......

The interesting thing is that those who are "blind" through a sight impairment, or having no eyes, seem to have a greater ability to "see" than those with healthy eyesight.

Bearing in mind SRDs comments about the Mahdoubt and the link to the Shadout Mapes, the vision of the "blind" Paul Atreides also comes to mind....as does the blindness of Paul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus.

It probably means nothing, just one of those things...
But the line "Do you rave?" in my head has precisely the same intonation/implication as when people say "Are you blind?"

Not exactly a blindness but certainly a sense of immobility the Harrow provided for Linden through his eyes as well.

If it's a theme, he's fairly hitting us over the head with it. Is Linden's whole party going to be blind by the end?

I still don't see a need for Mahrtiir's blindness.

dlbpharmd wrote:I still don't see a need for Mahrtiir's blindness.

The loss of his eyes renders him second rate (or so he thinks) which will push his eagerness to achieve some heroic act to a desperate level, which in turn will make him to accept martyrdom more easily.

Another topic on this

I'd forgotten about that thread.......

I think there may be a case for Mahrtiir's Blindness be an essay in the "process of despair", which may lead him to fullfil the prophesy of his name. The purpose might be to use that essay to paint context to Kevin's despair and maybe understand the state of mind and motivations behind the Landwaster, especially if such a move is being contemplated by Linden or TC.