This paper explores the themes of hyperbolic apocalypticism and cognitive estrangement in José Sa... more This paper explores the themes of hyperbolic apocalypticism and cognitive estrangement in José Saramago’s novel Blindness. It examines how Saramago constructs a dystopian reality to critique oppressive political and ideological systems. The novel’s portrayal of a mysterious epidemic of “white blindness” serves as an allegory for societal decay, exposing the fragility of human institutions and the mechanisms of control exercised by authoritarian regimes. Through the lens of cognitive estrangement, the study highlights Saramago’s use of defamiliarization to challenge readers’ perceptions of power, autonomy, and the human condition. Ultimately, the novel’s apocalyptic vision is not merely one of despair but a call for agency and critical awareness in confronting systemic oppression.
The demise of the British Empire led many novelists and critics to try to dig deep into the stori... more The demise of the British Empire led many novelists and critics to try to dig deep into the stories of the unheard voices of the ex-colonized countries so as to trigger the truth about colonization and more importantly (de)colonization as being put into question. In fact, British withdrawal from India and later on from Malaya and Pakistan formed a radical change in the world map and led to a sense of nostalgia for the loss of power. Fiction played a substantial role in unveiling the truth about the dark sides of the (de)colonized nations. Furthermore, novelists tried to shed light on the subaltern and give them space to speak about their stories; the stories that could not find a place in the official history. Indeed, post-colonial novelists tried to narrate the nation through the voices of ordinary people in order to elucidate their suffering and their struggle whether physical, mental or emotional.
This paper explores the themes of hyperbolic apocalypticism and cognitive estrangement in José Sa... more This paper explores the themes of hyperbolic apocalypticism and cognitive estrangement in José Saramago’s novel Blindness. It examines how Saramago constructs a dystopian reality to critique oppressive political and ideological systems. The novel’s portrayal of a mysterious epidemic of “white blindness” serves as an allegory for societal decay, exposing the fragility of human institutions and the mechanisms of control exercised by authoritarian regimes. Through the lens of cognitive estrangement, the study highlights Saramago’s use of defamiliarization to challenge readers’ perceptions of power, autonomy, and the human condition. Ultimately, the novel’s apocalyptic vision is not merely one of despair but a call for agency and critical awareness in confronting systemic oppression.
The demise of the British Empire led many novelists and critics to try to dig deep into the stori... more The demise of the British Empire led many novelists and critics to try to dig deep into the stories of the unheard voices of the ex-colonized countries so as to trigger the truth about colonization and more importantly (de)colonization as being put into question. In fact, British withdrawal from India and later on from Malaya and Pakistan formed a radical change in the world map and led to a sense of nostalgia for the loss of power. Fiction played a substantial role in unveiling the truth about the dark sides of the (de)colonized nations. Furthermore, novelists tried to shed light on the subaltern and give them space to speak about their stories; the stories that could not find a place in the official history. Indeed, post-colonial novelists tried to narrate the nation through the voices of ordinary people in order to elucidate their suffering and their struggle whether physical, mental or emotional.
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Papers by Hayfa Cheneni