Blindness
The physical blindness that afflicts the world’s population is a literal application of the metaphorical blindness of people to the dangers that the triffids posed as well as the blindness to the reliance on one’s sight. Triffids were farmed for the many uses of the oils extracted from the plants and over time, people had learned to nullify the danger of posed by these creatures. This lulls humanity into a false sense of safety that is promptly shattered by these lethal creatures once they realize that humanity itself is in a whole heap of trouble.
Radios
In a world that has all but gone blind the radio has become an indispensable tool and a symbol of hope for many as it becomes both a means of communication and a rallying tool for the blind and sighted.
Triffids
These walking carnivorous plants are symbolic of humanity’s fears and its collective inability to see obvious danger. Triffids may also symbolize the dangers of corporate greed as triffid farms turned a blind eye to the obvious danger posed by triffids as these companies are blinded by the profits and benefits gained from harvest of triffids.
Ruins of Ancient Civilizations
The ruins of cities and mass transport systems now become a painful reminder of what was man’s position on web of life once: apex predator and dominant sapient species. Now, much like the ruins, man is but a ghost of it’s former self, ousted by a walking, flesh-eating plant.
Cold War Linkages/Cold War Paranoia
Throughout the novel there are mentions of what and were these global threats came from but it is interesting to note that the Narrator/Bill Masen constantly comments that the Triffids, the green meteor shower, and the disease aren’t natural occurrences but rather highly advanced weapons developed by the Soviets.
