Going Blind by Henry Lawson (1902)
The story revolves around a young man who returns to his rural home after being injured in the city. He struggles with his physical and emotional trauma, feeling disconnected from his family and community. The narrative explores themes of isolation, identity, and the complexities of human relationships.
By Henry Lawson · First published 1902 · Genre: Realism, Drama, Social Commentary · 2,590 words
First lines
I met him in the Full-and-Plenty Dining Rooms. It was a cheap place in the city, with good beds upstairs let at one shilling per night -- "Board and residence for respectable single men, fifteen shillings per week. " I was a respectable single man then. I boarded and resided there. I boarded at a greasy little table in the greasy little corner under the fluffy little staircase in the hot and greasy little dining-room or restaurant downstairs. They called it dining-rooms, but it was only one room, and them wasn't half enough room in it to work your elbows when the seven little tables and forty-nine chairs were occupied. There was not room for an ordinary-sized steward to pass up and down between the tables; but our waiter was not an ordinary-sized man -- he was a living skeleton in miniature.
What this Textopian page supports
Going Blind is listed on Textopian as a short story by Henry Lawson, dated 1902 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Henry Lawson
- Date: 1902 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Realism, Drama, Social Commentary, Australian Literature, Psychological Fiction
- Length: 2,590 words
- Structure: 1 section, 23 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Going Blind by Henry Lawson
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Going Blind?
- How does this short story by Henry Lawson fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Realism first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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Genres
- Realism — The narrative focuses on the everyday life and struggles of ordinary people, depicted in a straightforward and unembellished manner.
- Drama — The story explores emotional and personal challenges, particularly the protagonist's struggle with blindness and its impact on his life.
- Social Commentary — The text provides insight into societal conditions and the lives of working-class individuals, highlighting issues such as poverty and healthcare.
- Australian Literature — The setting and characters are distinctly Australian, reflecting the culture and environment of the country during the time period.
Tags
Australian Literature · Short Story Collection · Literary Fiction · Realism · Social Commentary · Poverty · Suffering · Human Condition · Existential Crisis · Mental Health · Isolation · Loneliness