Blindness

by

José Saramago

The pharmacist’s assistant Character Analysis

The pharmacist’s assistant sells the girl with the dark glasses eye drops for her infection, clumsily hitting on her in the process, and later turns up blind in the hospital. During the middle portion of the novel, he enthusiastically supports the ward’s efforts to try and win power back from the thugs. After the doctor’s wife kills the thugs’ armed leader, the pharmacist’s assistant participates in the internees’ attempt to raid the thugs’ ward. However, the blind accountant fires indiscriminately and kills the pharmacist’s assistant in the process. His corpse is consumed in the fire that destroys the hospital.
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The pharmacist’s assistant Character Timeline in Blindness

The timeline below shows where the character The pharmacist’s assistant appears in Blindness. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
Good, Evil, and Moral Conscience Theme Icon
Narrative, Ideology, and Identity Theme Icon
...her own life. After her appointment, the girl buys eye drops at the pharmacy, where the pharmacist’s assistant hits on her. Then she takes a taxi to the hotel, where “an old acquaintance”... (full context)
Chapter 5
Good, Evil, and Moral Conscience Theme Icon
Biological Needs and Human Society Theme Icon
...blind man’s wife’s voice, and the narrator reveals that the other new patients are “ the pharmacist's assistant who sold eye-drops to the girl with dark glasses,” “the taxi-driver who took the first... (full context)
Existence, Uncertainty, and Autonomy Theme Icon
Good, Evil, and Moral Conscience Theme Icon
Biological Needs and Human Society Theme Icon
Narrative, Ideology, and Identity Theme Icon
At the pharmacist’s assistant ’s behest, the doctor explains what he researched just before going blind. After he finishes,... (full context)
Chapter 9
Good, Evil, and Moral Conscience Theme Icon
The doctor, the doctor’s wife, and the pharmacist’s assistant go out to try and negotiate with the thieves, who are armed themselves with sticks... (full context)
Good, Evil, and Moral Conscience Theme Icon
Biological Needs and Human Society Theme Icon
Everyone returns to the wards, and the doctor and pharmacist’s assistant agree that they must sacrifice their valuables and find a way to make weapons. Anyone... (full context)
Chapter 12
Existence, Uncertainty, and Autonomy Theme Icon
Good, Evil, and Moral Conscience Theme Icon
Biological Needs and Human Society Theme Icon
...of them agree to go—including the doctor and his wife, the girl with the glasses, the pharmacist’s assistant , a number of other men, and “that woman who had said, ‘Wherever you go,... (full context)
Existence, Uncertainty, and Autonomy Theme Icon
Good, Evil, and Moral Conscience Theme Icon
Narrative, Ideology, and Identity Theme Icon
In the moonlight, the doctor’s wife can see that the dead are the pharmacist’s assistant and “the fellow who said the blind hoodlums would shoot at random.” After announcing their... (full context)