On Her Blindness

Question 1

Who is the speaker in On Her Blindness?

Answer 1

First person perspective of a son remembering his mother becoming blind and eventually dying

Question 2

What are the key events of On Her Blindness?

Answer 2

Mother feels incapacitated being disabled e.g. at a special occasion in a restaurant in Paris

Speaker describes the conversations with his mother and the dark family humour surrounding her condition e.g. father making jokes and grandchildren trying to show her pictures

Speaker remembers her continuing to drive and being active, going to exhibitions and films

Speaker recalls her last week alive and ends feelings she is in heaven

Question 3

Quote for monosyllables + absence of figurative language in On Her Blindness

Answer 3

“its living hell, to be honest, Adam”
- repetition of “to be honest”
- connected with her struggle to eat in a Paris restaurant
- ironic: dinner should be indulgent and happy but his mother is struggling to get the food to stay on her fork

Question 4

Quote for colloquially affectionate in On Her Blindness

Answer 4

“like a dodgem”
- simile: dark humour

Question 5

Quote for blunt simile in On Her Blindness

Answer 5

“as blank as stone”
- objectifying unavoidable lifeless

Question 6

Quote(s) for colour imagery and hyperbole in On Her Blindness

Answer 6

“golden” “royal with leaf-fall”
- vibrant
- her last living week was a beautiful one
- tragic irony

Question 7

What is the structure of On Her Blindness?

Answer 7

Unrhymed couplets of tetrameter

Ends with a single final line

Short lines and stanzas to create blank space on the page

Question 8

Why is enjambment used in On Her Blindness?

Answer 8

Emphasises silence and unspoken words

Question 9

What is the use of dialogue in On Her Blindness?

Answer 9

Highlights what is and is not being said when dealing with illness and death

Question 10

Themes in On Her Blindness

Answer 10

Family

Identity

Loss

Illness and death