The Visitor Saul Williams Analysis

Saul Williams is one of a group of men exiled on Mars from Earth because he has a contagious blood disease called “ blood rust ” that causes death in a year. One especially lonely day for Saul, a new exile is brought on a rocket to Mars. The newcomer, Leonard Mark, shares his special telepathic abilities to conjure up lifelike images and experiences. This opens up endless possibilities to Saul, like asking Leonard if he can go swimming in a creek he knew as a child or travel the world and visit with old scholars like Plato and Aristotle. At first, Leonard Mark ’s arrival may seem to be good for the bored exiles, but actually turns out to be bad. Mark ’s powers cause Saul to be possessive of his new friend. Saul knocks Mark unconscious and takes him to a cave to hide
While the rusted ones are argueing over who should have him, Leonard Mark is accidentally shot and killed by a gun. This leaves everyone with no excitement and they spend the rest of their lives in boredom.The point of view in “The Visitor” is third person omniscient. The author, or narrator, is not a character in the story but knows everything about the characters’ thoughts and feelings. In this short story, the narrator repeatedly refers to Saul’s loneliness: “ So here he was, bleeding all the time, and lonely ” (193), and his feelings of isolation on Mars: “ I want Earth, thought Saul. I want it so bad it hurts ” (194).The setting in “ The Visitor ” is Mars, millions of miles from Earth, where sufferers of blood rust are exiled. It is clear that Mars is not a pleasant place. It is described as quiet, sunny and sandy, with caves and cliffs and a dead sea. It is especially boring on this desert-type planet because all of the other blood rust victims are too tired to talk. The exiled men live in tents with a ration of food. It seems very bland, especially in contrast to