I Have Eyes but I Should (Not) Gaze
"Seeing is believing, but is it truth?"
—Thaddeus Bradley, Now You See Me
Eyes by Indian playwright K.T. Mohammed is a story about an ugly widower named Abdulla and his marriage with his late blind wife, Leela. In this story, Mohammed shows the state of relationships at the time and how patriarchal norms reduce women to objects of male desire, denying women their freedoms and individuality in order to conform to the patriarchy, ultimately exploiting them.
It's All About the Man
Notice how the characters fulfill their gender roles in the story. Indian marriage norms and pressures are very emphasized early on in the story. Abdulla's mother asks,
"Son, mustn't you bring home a bride?"
He tries and fails, even with his mother's intervention. When he finally did meet and propose to Leela, everyone laughed at them at the altar, and society still mocked them for being different in terms of physical characteristics and religious differences. The story is also written in such a way that it focuses entirely on Abdulla's thought processes and narration, with no insight into how Leela thinks and truly feels, only mentioning things from his perspective. Leela's perspective is denied from us, because in the story, it's all about the man and what he thinks.
Wanting Her So Bad
Another thing to note is that physical details about people in the story can go on at length. Being a story titled Eyes, it makes sense, but Abdulla's descriptions and interactions of the supposed love of his life are, to put it lightly, lustful. In the narration, he says:
She was not good-looking, but her well-proportioned body had the charm of youth.
This suggests he loves her primarily for her body, rather than other, deeper reasons. The lack of elaboration about his love for Leela, putting aside physical attraction, reflects the male-centric society K.T. Mohammed wishes to describe to the readers.
His To Use and Abuse
It's apparent that women in the story are seen as little more than sources of pleasure and outlets for lust. As Leela deliberates with Abdulla about getting married, she reveals that she lost her virginity by being raped in an alley. She says to him,
"I have no untainted womanhood to offer you. [...] I had to yield to creatures of lust approaching through the horror of night.”
This is the most raw piece of evidence in the text that suggests women's humanity is seen as less-than men in this story and the time it was written in at large. All that mattered about being a woman was being "pure" and "a good wife", however society defines what that means.
Conclusion
Eyes by K.T. Mohammed is a story about the male gaze and how it's a result of the patriarchy allowing deep-rooted misbehavior to shape and influence what's considered normal. In the society the author's described for us, traditions and social expectations matter above all else, above even true, deep love for another human being. Ultimately, the story reminds us that it's often the case that there is more than meets the eye. Women are not merely objects to be gazed upon, but individuals with stories to be seen.
