The Blind Man

1
The Blind Man

• by D. H. Lawrence

2

• Deconstruction
• Basic Structure
• Spatial Arrangements
• Relationships
• Imageries
• Binaries

3
Deconstruction

• StructuralismBinary
• Phenomenology
• Semeiotics - - - - represent
• Hermeneuticslanguage

Infinite regress Arbitrariness
- Communication - Thought - Le dis cours vs. le
crture
4
Basic Structure

• Isabel was listening to two sounds (Maurice
  Bertie).
• The interaction between Isabel and Maurice
• Maurices blindness has made Isabel suffer
  burden.
• Isabel needed a helper.
• Isabel invited friends for giving Maurice outer
  connection.
• Isabel was pregnant.
• Description of Bertiea successful lawyer
• Description of Mauricea social exiled blinder
• Maurice and Bertie did not like each other.
• Maurice agreed Isabel to ask Bertie come.
• Isabel was waiting for Bertie at home, but
  Maurice was outside and that made Isabel felt
  nervous.
• Isabel was talking with Ms. Wernharn.

5
Basic Structure (2)
- Isabel went to the stable to find Maurice. -
Maurice and Isabels conversation - Bertie was
arrived. - The dinner - Maurice went out. -
Bertie and Isabels conversation - Bertie went
find Maurice. - Maurice and Berties
conversation - Maurice touched Bertie. - Bertie
was forced to touched Maurice. - Maurice and
Bertie came back home. - Maurice took Bertie as
friend. - Isabel was watching the two men.
6
Spatial Arrangements
Outside
Inside Home

• Isabel was waiting at home.
• Isabel and Maurice came back home.
• Isabel and Maurice was waiting at home.
• I, M, and B were having dinner at home.
• Maurice came back home with Bertie.
• I, M, and B was at home.

• Maurice was outside.
• Isabel went out to find Maurice.
• Maurice went out.
• Bertie went out to find Maurice.

7
Spatial Arrangements
Outside farm
Home
Isabel
Maurice
Barn
Bertie
Isabel
Bertie
Maurice
8
Relationships
Isabel
(a media, a glue, a bridge)
Isabel
Somehow civilized but also has the ability to
get in touch with wild life, blood
consciousness.
In between
The couple used to be happy.
They are intimate.
Theyve met a crisis.
An affinity
Over
Over
Help
Help
Bertie
Over
Civilized
Maurice
Fulfilled
Primitive
Beaten
Over
Beaten
Fulfilled
Blood consciousness over Intellect consciousness
9
Imageries

• Visual Images
• Auditory Images
• Olfactory Images
• Tactile Images

?How do those images help convey the meanings
of the story?
10
Visual Images
- P.400, Para 2, serene picture of the couples
life
- P.402, 2nd line, the outer feature of Maurice
- P.403, last 3rd para, last 2nd para, Isabels
stereotype of mother and wife
- P.403, last para, 3rd line, image of Isabel,
symbolic, coyness
- P.404, 3rd para,line 7, image of farm peoples
living, Wernhams family.

• P.406407, Their contact in the dark
• P.406, last 4th para, line 3, more clear
  image of Maurice
• 
  strong, powerful, Blood
• P.407, last 2nd para, line 3, Maurices
  living in the dark, like a normal person
• line 4,
  Flood in a sort of blood prescience
• line 9,
  life seemed to move in him like a
• tide
  lapping, possess it in pure contact.

- P.410, last 2nd para, to p.411, 1st para, image
of Bertie

• P.415, 5th para, Maurice stood with head
  lifted,the new
• delicate fulfillment.elation
  about Maurice.
• Bertie was haggard, with
  sunken eyes.

- The last paragraph, Isabel was watching the two
men.
11
Auditory Images
- the 1st line, Isabel was listening for two
soundsMaurice Bertie.
- P.405, 6th para, Isabels voice soft and musical

• P.405, 8th para, Isabel listened the small sound
  from Maurice.
• She listened
  intenselyshe heard a small noise
• in the distance.a
  mans voice speaking a brief word
• It would be Maurice.

• P.405, last 2nd para, She saw nothing, and the
  sound of his voice
• seemed to touch
  her.

- P.406, 5th para, Maurices voice to Isabel.
Pleasant ordinary
- P.408, 2nd para, line 4, His hearinglike a
bell ringing.
12
Olfactory Images
- P.405, 6th para, line 3, Isabel smelled of wild
life

• P.406, last 3rd para, line 4, Maurice smelled of
  his wife, Isabel.
• It
  changed his bearings

- P.409, last 3rd para, odors of violets,
connections of their home town
13
Tactile Images

• P.406, middle part, give me your arm,
  dear,pressed his arm to
• her,she
  longed to see himshe could feel
• the strong
  contact his feet with the earth,as
• if he rose out of the earth.

• P.407, middle part, last 4th para, touching her
  cheeks delicately..
• 
  the touch had and hypnotizing effect on
• 
  her.

• P.411, 1st para, Bertie couldn't have physical
  contact.
• Physical weakness

• P.414, middle part, last 9th para, Do you mind
  if I touch you?
• It is the most significant part
  of this story.
• After
  the two men touched each other,
• 
  Maurice believed they became good friends.

14
Binaries

• Reject the surface meaning
• Challenge the original, authority concern
• Difference (ontological difference)
• Dissemination of meaning
• Text is open to readers
• Presupposition ?assumption

Darkness vs. Lightness
Wild life vs. Civil life
Man Womans relation vs. Man Man s
relation
Blood consciousness vs. Intellect consciousness
Touch? Tactile senses? Visual senses
The Blind Man?
Activity?