Response to Chapter 2

Saramago is philosophically foreshadowing that the car thief is about to suffer some consequences, in the way he speaks about a “prevaricator” being punished. He gives the thief’s thoughts and says that he would be more remorseful if the blind man wanted him to keep him company until his wife came. The thief is also shown to have prior experience with grand theft auto, as he avoiding attracting officers and pulled into a zone with no traffic lights, without any difficulty. His easiness and calmness during such a stressful situation shows his experience, as it would most likely give some people more of a “rush” feeling. He then gets a headache, which leads to him acquiring the “white” blindness.