Disempowerment

This is a major theme running throughout the novel, as we see evidence of Sammy's disempowerment on various levels and the impact that this has on his state of mind and his ability to deal with the circumstances that confront him. The sudden loss of Sammy's eyesight, his incarceration by the police, and the suspicious and patronizing attitudes of the welfare officials and the GP towards him are the most obvious manifestations of ways in which control over his own circumstances is taken away. More generally, his periods of past imprisonment, and his history of unemployment and poverty have served to wear him down, making it increasingly difficult for him to make a successful life for himself. According to Sammy himself, his intellect may also have been adversely affected by the head injury he sustained when a boulder was pushed onto him, with the result that he tends...