The Day of the Triffids

“When a day that you happen to know is Wednesday starts off by sounding like Sunday, there is something seriously wrong somewhere.”

The Day of the Triffids begins with a confusion that hides a deeper fear that things in the world are not as they should be. Protagonist Bill Masen’s instincts tell him that the world’s usual order has somehow been interrupted. His fear is heightened because he is wearing bandages over his eyes and cannot see anything that might calm his nerves.

“There was a feeling that I ought to do something about it. Lead them out into the street, perhaps, and at least put an end to that dreadful slow milling. […] if I were to, if I did get them outside—what then?”

When Bill realizes the hospital is filled with blind people, he struggles with the thought of helping them find a way out. There is no precedent for such a widescale catastrophe, so he is unsure what civility dictates. He knows he cannot help everyone and that he would possibly be forced to help to his own detriment. He decides it is better to help himself instead.

“It was the appearance of the triffids which really decided the matter for us. Indeed, they did a lot more than that for me.”

Growing up, Bill did not have a purpose in life. His father assumed Bill would share his predisposition for numbers, but Bill had no talent for them. As such, it was unclear how he would become a successful adult—until the triffids arrived. Bill was obsessed with them as a teenager and as an adult, he made a career of studying them. This was somewhat serendipitous, as getting stung by one of his subjects keeps Bill from being blinded by