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Ravens tend to set an eerie tone. Reasons for which they could have been included in the background of this painting are to show death and fear. They represent death because the blind girl is unable to see her surroundings and anything could happen to her without her seeing it coming. There is a chance Millais added the ravens to the painting because  they are “generally thought to be a symbol of freedom (signology.org, n.d.).” They are symbolic of freedom because they have the ability to live on land but they can also soar through the sky. The addition of the ravens to this painting adds to the beauty of nature but the blind girl has no clue that they are present. There are multiple reasons as to why the ravens are included in this painting because Millais wants every viewer to find a different meaning in the painting.

The main character in the painting, the blind girl, has no conception of what is around her. The sheer beauty of the setting and the colors mean so much to the viewer of the painting, but not as much to the blind girl. Since the two characters are sitting on the outskirts of the town, the symbol of loneliness is present. The older figure who happens to be the blind girl, doesn’t have the ability to take care of the younger person who is sitting on her lap. The younger figure is admiring the beauty of the setting around her but can’t share that beauty with the blind girl because she has no way of knowing what it looks like. “Loneliness leads to poorer physical and mental health (Times, 2009).” Perhaps the figures in the painting do not live a happy life and that is why they are located where they are. They have fairly distanced themselves from the rest of the town which could lead to lonesome and sadness. All of the beauty added into this painting, however the blind girl has no conception of what is around her at all. 

The inclusion of the two rainbows in the background add to the effect of the beauty of nature. They also represent the calming of a storm. They are located over the town and that is where all of the “light” is.  The life in the town is full of cheerful people but the two figures in this painting have remotely dislocated themselves from the town. They have no chance of finding happiness on the outskirts, as to if they moved into the town they would be much happier. Even though the blind girl obviously can’t see, she could still interact with the people in the town and not feel so lonely. Millais likely includes the two rainbows over the town to show that there still is a chance for the two figures to find their way, but not by what they are doing in the painting. They have to find their way into a cheerful life. 

The most important symbol displayed in this painting is the beauty of nature. The addition of all the animals shows that there is life located near the two girls in the painting but they have isolated themselves from the interaction of these other humans. There must be other humans located nearby because they have to take care of all the animals. Ravens, goats, cows, and sheep are all present in the painting and they are there for a reason. They were placed here by Millais for the viewer to come up with their own assumption and meaning as to why he put them where they are. 

The relationship of the two girls is also a symbol used in the painting. One would think that since the older girl is blind, the younger girl would look after the blind girl to help her out and show her around. However, this is not the case in this painting. The younger girl seems to be sitting in the blind girl’s lap admiring the beauty of the scenery. The blind girl is comforting the younger one because she was scared from the storm that just passed. Another possibility is the younger child is peeking over the blind girl’s shoulder because she had just heard thunder in the distance and got frightened by it. The blind girl seems to be facing toward the sun and soaking it all up. In one hand she is gripping the younger girl and holding her close, but in the other hand she is holding a single blade of grass. The blind girl is too admiring the beauty of nature, even though she can’t see it. All of these could be possibilities as to why the girls are positioned how they are, but each viewer has a different takeaway. 

There are multiple elements which could alter the way a reader takes in information from a picture. These elements include the color of the picture, the objects in the background, how the characters in the picture are presented, and the title of the picture. The most important of these elements are the objects placed in the background of the picture. In the painting of “The Blind Girl” by J E Millais, the ravens, rainbows, relationship of the two characters, and simply the beauty of nature effect what the reader takes away from the painting. 