This BBC radio segment was inspired by an Indian folktale about perspective. The story consists of 6 old men who were all born blind, they are very curious about the world and get their information from passing travellers. They have a specific curiosity with elephants, they are told wondrous stories about how they could trample forests, carry huge burdens and frighten people with their trumpet calls. Contrast to this image, they also knew that the Raj’s daughter rode an elephant when she travelled across her fathers land. They argue day and night about whether an elephant is a giant dangerous creature capable of killing men, or a graceful gentle giant. The men arrange to go touch the elephant in the Raj’s palace. When they get there, they all touch different parts of the elephant and declare the animal to be different things. One touching the trunk declares it to be a giant snake like creature, another touches the side of the elephant and declares it to be smooth and solid like a wall. They have a noisy argument which awakens the Raj from a nap, he asks “how can each of you be so certain you are right?” He then says “The elephant is a very large animal, each man touched only one part. Perhaps if you put the parts together, you will see the truth.”
The BBC recreated this story. A group of blind people describe what they believe an elephant to be, their descriptions are based on very little evidence. They then are given the opportunity to touch an elephant, they can then talk about their misconceptions.
I think this piece is really interesting as it highlights elements of the blind experience sighted people would not normally know about, it is also a very effective lesson in perspective. Listening to the blind people feeling each part of the elephant expresses the fragmented nature of their experience, having to perceive the animal in small parts, and attempt to stitch it together in their mind for a complete ‘picture’. To equate the piece to radio itself, the blind people are listeners of radio, and sighted people are viewers of visual media ie. Films. There is a certain creative licence afforded to listeners, without the definitive visual to cement the subject in context, the mind can create its own visual accompaniment and the subject is not so rigidly defined.