Gendered Vision

The Optical Tiresias. An Entirely True Story (these are my corneas we're talking about)

The play is set in the office of ophthalmologist, Dr. U. Will Seewell , who has recently performed a cornea transplant upon his patient, Ichabod. C. Fine.

Dr. Seewell: Now tell me, Ichabod, how is your vision since the transplant?

Ichabod: Okay I guess. About the same as before.

Dr. Seewell: But no better?

Ichabod: Not really.

Dr. Seewell: But no worse, surely?

Ichabod: No. I do have a question, though.

Dr. Seewell: Of course

Ichabod: The replacement cornea you gave me—was it from a male donor or a female one?

Dr. Seewell (looking through Ichabod’s file): Female, I believe [checks again]. Yes, female.

Ichabod: I see.

Dr. Seewell: Why do you ask? After all, a cornea is a cornea.

Ichabod: But is it really true? I mean nothing else about a woman is anything like a man. Apart from the obvious reproductive differences, look at a woman’s hands. Her feet. Her nose. Her cheekbones. Her ankles. Throat. Back. Hair. Shoulders. Her wrists…

Dr. Seewell (quietly): And her eyes.

Ichabod: Yes.

Dr. Seewell: Why exactly do you care?

Ichabod: Well, I was just thinking about how, if I close my left eye, I now see the world only through a woman’s cornea. And if I close my right eye, I see everything with my own cornea the way I used to—a man’s view of things.

Dr. Seewell: I never thought of it that way. So can you detect any real differences between what you see with each eye?

Ichabod: Not that I’ve noticed so far.

Dr. Seewell (amiably): So you’re suspending judgement for a while?

Ichabod (chuckling): I’m keeping both my eyes open!

Dr. Seewell (smiling): Blended vision!

Ichabod (smiling back): I’m an equal-opportunity seer!

(curtain)