Planet Of The Blind Analysis

People want to feel unique, but at the same time they do not want their differences to call negative attention to themselves. People can be made to feel isolated from others if they feel that they are different in a hindering way, such as having a disability. In Stephen Kuusisto’s Planet of the Blind, he uses allusions to convey to sighted readers the challenges and joys of being blind. In order to blend in with the crowd, Kuusisto attempts to hide his blindness. In doing this, he denies accepting himself and becomes lonely. Those who do know him cannot truly understand him because he does not express his vulnerability in being blind. Throughout his memoir, Kuusisto alludes to outcast characters, such as the creature in Frankenstein and Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, because his “disability” often leads him to feel as an outsider. In his attempt to fit in with friends by hiding his blindness, he is instead left feeling isolated and conveys this through his passion for literature. Throughout his memoir, Kuusisto describes how his disability makes him feel alone. The disability itself is not what is causing him to feel isolated, but rather his refusal to accept his

Kuusisto’s belief that his blindness is a weakness is confirmed by bullies at school. In the hallways, Kuusisto explains that bullies would jeer, “Blindo! You gross fucker!” and “He fucks his sister!” (33). Kuusisto feels he cannot fit in with his peers and instead isolates himself in his attic where he uses food as his comfort. Kuusisto binges on food as a way to mask his pain. Eventually, the bullies labeled Kuusisto “Crisco” and “fat in a can” (33). These remarks, coupled with his parent’s inability to talk about his blindness, destroyed Kuusisto’s sense of self-worth. It is then that Kuusisto alludes to the creature in Mary Shelley’s