what did the narrator pretend by facing the window? the eyes have it
Answers
The author remarks that While people with eyesight often fail to see the really beautiful and essential things, blind people take in only the essentials, whatever registers tellingly on their remaining senses.
As the narrator was blind for a good portion of his life, he had learnt wonderful lessons about blindness. He often noticed that people with sight are worse than those without sight. Although they are able to see, sighted people often fail to see things that they should really see. In the modern, fast and furious world, people see only that benefit them materially but fail to see things that give them endless happiness. This speech of the narrator is very ironical and realistic.
“She had beautiful eyes. But they were of no use to her” – Whose eyes are referred to here? Why were the eyes ‘of no use’ to her? Explain the irony of situation.
Ans:- In the story The Eyes Have It the eyes of the narrator’s co-passenger is referred to here.
The eyes were not useful to her because she was completely blind at that time.
From the start of the journey the narrator pretended to the girl that he was not blind. But when he asked the second co-passenger if the girl had kept her hair short or long, the man replied that that he did not notice the girl’s hair. He only noticed the beautiful eyes of the girl which were of no use to her as she was completely blind. The irony of the situation is that the narrator was trying to hide his blindness from a girl who was also blind. Truly it is too pathetic to think about the two blind persons both of whom tries to hide their blindness from the world.
Is the narrator somewhat cautious about not revealing too much about himself ? Support your point with instances from your text.
Ans:- Ruskin Bond’s The Eyes Have it is a very beautiful story on human perception. However the narrator who was totally blind at that time narrated the entire story tactfully without revealing much about himself. The two major characters the narrator himself and the young girl met each other during their journey by train towards Dehra. The narrator was very eager to know about the girl and to appreciate her beauty as well. But the narrator disclosed very little about himself. Except for his destination to Dehra and then to Mussoorie. He did not disclose his blindness to the young girl. He provided no information about himself. Again when the girl asked the narrator about his being too serious the narrator changed the topic. The narrator actually expressed some of his inner thoughts without revealing much about himself for keeping the readers in the shadow of mystery.
From the start of the journey the narrator pretended to the girl that he was not blind.