Create a New Forum Owner Login Contribute & Create Your Member account VoyUser Login (see contribute) VoyForums Directory/Categories No-ads: Completely remove ads from your forum VoyForums Homepage VoyForums News Help Desk VoyForums Exchange FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions Search VoyForums

[ VoyUser Login optional ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, [4], 5, 6, 7, 8 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 18:26:35 03/02/09 Mon
Author: Carol P
Subject: And I thought it was a simple situation! Thanks for bringing in the symbol of justice. In human history, the lack of blindness has led to major injustices. But beyond Jocasta's blindness allowing her to see Ulysses' face as "light" (and there's another double meaning), does her blindness give her other insight or understanding?
In reply to: CatherineM. 's message, "Kathleen and CarolP -- this blindness motif interests me! Sophocles's Jocasta (in Oedipus the King) is blind to the true nature of what she has done and when she sees the truth, commits suicide. Oedipus blinds himself (and banishes himself to a life of exile) as a sort of reparation, and the physical blinding is to be a permanent reminder of his own lack of spiritual insight earlier. But we also have a powerful symbol in western tradition of Justice being blind . . . I am wondering if DG is doing two different things here simultaneously: 1) Jocasta's blindness is an area of vulnerability through which she requires male aid (Ulysses, then Duncan, both men over whom and through whom she exercises power), but also 2) that justice, equality etc. require, in the larger American experience, a sort of color-blindness? As long as people gaze on Ulysses and see a black man, they are not seeing . . . a man." on 07:11:41 03/02/09 Mon


[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]