The Country of the Blind

Sight is one of the story’s most dominant motifs, representing a colonizer’s perceived superiority and connecting to the theme of The Folly of Colonialism. Nunez believes that his sight is a sign of his power over a community of people who are blind. This motivates him to attempt to become their ruler and reshape their society according to his needs. Nunez’s failure to subdue the people exposes the illusory nature of his power, raising the idea that his sight only offers advantages in a society designed for people with sight. Through this metaphor, Wells illustrates how a characteristic that a colonizer sees as making them superior can in fact hold no value in a different society.

When Nunez submits himself to the power of the collective, he begins to recognize that his sight is not a sign of his superiority but an obstruction to his assimilation, developing the theme of The Challenges of Assimilation. Wells highlights the sacrifices necessary for assimilation as the community suggests a procedure to surgically remove Nunez’s eyes as a condition for his full acceptance into their society. He is left to reckon with the possibility of living as a blind man who has previously experienced sight, which would ironically increase his isolation.