The Blind Woman Effect

Something I've been hearing more and more recently has disturbed me greatly -- I'm going to 
call it "the Blind Woman Effect."

This probably stems from the tale of the Elephant Man, to whom I'm sure Erik has been compared 
countless times.  Both disdained and exploited because of their appearances, each was hardly 
able to function normally in society.  However, there is one great difference here.  The 
Elephant Man said something to the effect that all he wanted was to be loved by a blind woman, 
who could and would not need to recoil at his ugliness and therefore could truly know his soul.

A very noble wish, on many levels.  But this was the Elephant Man's statement -- not Erik's.  
Yet recently, I've begun to hear this idea more and more, especially in fan fiction.  Erik, 
jilted by Christine, finds consolation in the arms of a woman who happens to be visually 
impaired . . .

How many of us really think that Erik would want that?

Think about it.  In order to heal the psychological wounds he recieved as a child, Erik would 
have to be loved by a woman -- and for himself.  These are words he often uses in Leroux -- "I 
am loved for myself!" he frantically exclaims at the Persian.  

Now, some people think that loving someone based on their physical appearance is shallow and 
superficial.  Just for the sake of argument, let's agree that "shallow and superficial" (when 
applied to love) is loving someone for something LESS than the entirety of himself.  So, if 
loving someone's beauty qualifies -- wouldn't ALSO loving someone only for their soul?

Let's take a step back and look at this from a real-world point of view.  Remember that Erik 
was only a man, not some superhuman god-like fictional character.  And in practical application, 
true love has to consist of a happy medium -- there is no true love where one is repulsed by 
their beautiful partner's horrible true self, nor where one can't stand to look at their sweet 
and caring mate's hideous face.  (This was, as unfair to Erik as it may be, Christine's 
downfall.  In order to truly love Erik, she would have to get over the face.  There's no 
sidestepping this issue.)  And I personally don't think that Erik would ever have settled for 
anything less than true love.  He released Christine because he couldn't fathom her actually 
getting over his ugliness.

And so I arrive at my point.  Wouldn't taking a blind wife also be settling?  He would have to 
love her for her blindness, the thing which prevents her from experiencing his ugliness -- and 
she would love him because of his ugliness, the thing which forces him to need her blindness.  
This mutually shallow and superficial arrangement would not be true love.

And I personally would rather see Erik alone than not with a woman he truly loves!  And I think 
he would have felt the same.

Of course if a woman Erik really loved just happened to be blind, then I suppose it wouldn't be 
shallow.  However, I would require some real convincing on this point.  Frankly, I really 
believe he would have to not know she was blind until after he was in love with her.  And how 
do you hide blindness?

About as easily as you hide a "hideous . . . abhorrent face."

Heather (h_sullivan@bigfoot.com)
12:51 AM 7/2/98