Chapter 8 Summary

One of the new blind people to arrive is the man with the black eye-patch. He has brought with him a small hand-held radio that operates on batteries. By chance, he ends up in the same ward of the hospital as the doctor, the doctor's wife, and the other principle characters of the novel. This ward retains some semblance of cleanliness and order while the other five wards become progressively more filthy and disorganized. The various characters sit around the radio and listen to music and news. When the doctor's wife hears the time announced, she winds and sets her watch. The news also announces that a new government is being formed.

The man with the black eye-patch then recounts his experiences of the past several days, noting that hundreds of cases of blindness have arisen every day. Social chaos has erupted. Bus...