THE CATEGORY OF BLINDNESS IN THE RECEPTIVE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE (BASED ON ELEONOR PORTER’S NOVEL “DAWN”)

Research task. Given the lacunar status of blindness within receptive research paradigms, the primary objective of this study is to develop new interpretative strategies for understanding blindness not merely as a metaphor, but as a distinct mode of otherness. The article proposes to examine this category through anthropological, sociocultural, emotional, and moral lenses. Main material presentation. At the core of the study is the conceptual field of blindness as an interdisciplinary category that functions not only as an aesthetic image but also as a socio-cultural, ethical, and philosophical marker of its time. In this context, blindness is interpreted as a unique epistemological modality that challenges the dominant visuality of Western thought. Through narrative, historical-comparative, psychological, and hermeneutic analysis, the study examines prevailing models for representing blindness in literature, focusing specifically on Eleanor Porter’s novel “Dawn”. In analyzing the novel, the author highlights the symbolic function of the protagonist’s vision loss as an existential turning point. This loss is not portrayed merely as a physical impairment, but as the beginning of a transformative process through which the character gains a new mode of perceiving the self, others, and the world. In “Dawn”, blindness is not framed solely as a tragedy; rather, it becomes a medium for self-reflection, inner growth, and the reconfiguration of personal and social vision. Key motifs in the novel include escapism (manifested as retreat into the self, isolation, or withdrawal from the public gaze), the overcoming of social marginalization, and the internal struggle for identity reconstruction. These thematic elements allow us to view the blind character not simply as “the other,” but as a bearer of an alternative form of experience – an individual cast into a space of misunderstanding, who ultimately overcomes alienation through the acceptance of a new identity. Conclusions. The study emphasizes the necessity of rethinking receptive approaches to blindness in literature. It calls for a revision of traditional representational canons and advocates for scholarly attention to works that have been historically excluded from academic discourse, such as “Dawn”. The article demonstrates the potential of blindness to function as a conceptually rich category, capable of opening new semantic horizons within the humanities.