CBSE Class 9 English – The Eyes Are Not Here

Chapter Overview

“The Eyes Are Not Here” by Ruskin Bond narrates a brief, touching encounter between a blind man and a young woman on a train. As they converse, both conceal their blindness, seeking a semblance of normalcy. At journey’s end the man learns she is also blind—highlighting themes of perception, identity, and mutual self–deception. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

Important Keywords

• Perception: How people interpret the world beyond vision. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
• Irony: Both are blind yet pretend they can see. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
• Identity: Concealing disability to appear 'normal.' :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
• Situational irony: The revelation that the girl is also blind. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
• Metaphor: “Eyes not here”—blindness as both literal and figurative. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}