ABSTRACT
In the journey of our life, all stations are important; however, the earliest ones seem to be the most formative. The main purpose of this chapter is to reflect on two required readings featuring blind characters: ‘Katarynka’ (‘The Barrel Organ’) by Bolesław Prus and Spotkanie nad morzem (A Meeting by the Sea) by Jadwiga Korczakowska. I explore what significance these literary images of blindness, encountered on the early stage of my school education, had for my journey in search of a personal understanding of blindness, and also what it means to be blind in Poland. Using a disability studies perspective, I analyze and compare how two blind characters are depicted by their authors, how they are interpreted in the classroom by the teachers, and how they are received by the students. I argue that the works deliver totally different messages for students with and without disabilities. I indicate that in both works blind protagonists are presented in compliance with the medical and the charity model of disability and that the perspective of non-disabled characters is always privileged. I conclude that although the appearance of blind protagonist seems to sensitize children for diversity, in fact it only strengthens already existing relations of power and deepen the social oppression of people with disabilities.
