Is Sammy Lazy or . . .

I had initially believed that Sammy's underachieving was caused by learned helplessness stemming from his socio-economic environment and other such psyho-babble rationalities.  Now I have other thoughts. 


Sammy is totally ineffectual as a human being. 


We don't know much about his work history other than there is not much to it.  Does he not get called out for jobs because he is not very good at what he does? 


He wants to paint his own cane.  Boab offers to do it for him.  Sammy says that he can do it himself but then gives in and Boab does paint if for him, Boab pointing out that Sammy would not have been able to do a proper job.


Ally wants to represent him.  Sammy is adamant that he can represent himself in dealing with the DSS.  But again, Sammy is made to realize by Ally that he does indeed need his help; Sammy can not effectively represent himself and gives in to Ally.


Ally offers to do Sammy's washing up.  Sammy says he can do it but Ally does it after all--it is easier for Ally--Ally can see what he is doing and is able to do a better job than Sammy would have done.


Sammy has the stolen shirts.  Did he steal them himself or was there help?  But he can't seem to be thief enough to go the next step, actually flogging them.


Sammy confides to Helen a secret that he has never shared with her before, he does not have a driving license.  It is not as if they owned a car or were likely to acquire one.  Helen is aware of what she has in Sammy and who knows why she keeps him around.  But this admission that he can not even drive a car infuriates Helen--yet one more example of Sammy's failure function as a normal adult.  For Helen this is it--enough is enough.


And then the interaction with his son, Peter, and Peter's friend.  Sammy gives lame advice to the lads--he can not be a good father in this, let alone providing financial support to Peter and the boy's mother. In fact Peter assumes the "father" role by giving Sammy money.


Rather than thinking of Sammy as underachieving (the pc term), I believe that the more accurate term would be pathetic loser.


And is this the reason for his blindness?  It seems that he couldn't do anything right to begin with--now blind he is even more dependent on others and incapable of doing for himself.