Abstract This paper critically analyzes "Eating a Banana," "The Human Toilet II," and "Pauline Bunny" by Sarah Lucas. The writer compares the beliefs contained in these writings to those of Laura Mulvey in her theory of the male gaze. The writer discusses that Mulvey posited that men perceive women as sexually objectified objects to be oppressed and controlled. In response to hegemonic discourse on the sexual objectification of women, the writer challenges gender stereotypes and sexism in the works.
From the Paper "This paper analyzes the work of Sarah Lucas specifically "Eating a Banana", "The Human Toilet II" and "Pauline Bunny" and analyzes it in relation to Laura Mulvey's theory of the male gaze. Mulvey postulates that men objectify women by their gaze that render them to be mere objects affording men pleasure and control. Lucas subverts this sexist and oppressive paradigm by presenting images ... "
Tags: Sarah Lucas, photography, mixed media, feminism, sexism, female representations, male gaze, Laura Mulvey
Abstract The paper discusses the term "gaze" and relates the many forms in which it can be interpreted and applied in movies, television and everyday life.
From the Paper " "In her discussion of the way women "look" at war and interpret that act of looking through language and image, The World Wars through the Female Gaze, Jean Gallagher asserts that "Vision has ... played an important role in the development and gendering of cultural discourses about war" (Acton, 2004, p.53). Acton goes on to explain that the gaze is important if it can be interpreted through the eyes of the person who is beholding the event, whether that event is a movie or a war battle. Today's woman seem to know of what they gaze upon which they may not have known before, or at least they did not have the courage enough to say so. "
This paper explores the portrayal of female figures in art and myth, focusing on the Medusa myth and the castrating power of the female gaze and their effect of the female self-image.
Abstract The paper reviews in detail the image of Medusa that pits femininity and masculinity against each other and allowing masculinity to triumph. The paper continues by stating that the gaze of the painted female subject often is depicted with her eyes either diverted from the viewer, or coyly regarding him. The author states that myths like the Medusa myth and the female gaze instruct women that their sexuality is something to be suppressed, that a powerful woman is a dangerous woman, and that the male will triumph in the end.
From the Paper "Though the familiar image of Medusa as a serpent-haired monster is attributed to the Greeks, the myth of Medusa actually has its roots in pre-classical Mediterranean culture. In the matriarchal societies that existed before Greek civilization, Medusa was far from reviled as she was by the Greeks; instead, she was worshipped as a beautiful mother deity who symbolized wisdom, fertility, and female power. With the advent of Greek civilization, the existing gynocentric religion and mythology were compelled to adapt to the new patriarchal value system."
Abstract The gendered "eye" will be the subject of this essay. It will be argued that contemporary mass media, and in particular mass media advertising, privilege the male gaze, thereby defining "seeing" as a manifestation of contemporary gendered power structures.
Abstract This paper examines how the gaze and the fetishism are both strongly related to the viewer's misrecognition of what he or she sees. It analyzes how fetishistic viewing gives a sexual value to a material object and makes the viewer experience sexual gratification through the gaze. It also evaluates howthe relation between sexuality and the object is arbitrary and how the viewer's interpretation makes the object a stimulus for sexual arousal. It shows how all stereotypes are fetishes in the sense that they reveal a double play between the archaic affirmation of wholeness and similarity and how in racial terms stereotypes of the other, i.e. characteristics of the non-Western that are fabricated by the Western, are used to form a fetishized image of the other through the gaze.
From the Paper "Erotic representations of the Other, the black or the bronze skinned people, are acceptable while it is interpreted as irritation to demonstrate White people's sexuality (Hyndman 2000, 9). Lutz and Collins show a remarkable example for this statement by saying that display of white breasts in National Geographic can become less irritating by darkening the skin tone (1993, 82). Despite its attractiveness, the sexuality of the Other is interpreted as a sign of immorality by the Western gaze (Mirzoeff 1999, 159). This lack of morality is understood as an opposition to Western domestic bourgeoisie values of nuclear family and justification and indication of their need to be "civilized" by the West (Hyndman 2000, 9)."
Abstract This paper explains that the film "American Beauty" is an excellent example of how the male gaze not only configures looking at women as power but also how this gaze, through the film's use of multiple camera lenses, can shape the geography of space and gender relations. The author argues that the film represents women in visually constricted space in contrast with the representation of men in open space. The paper relates that this distinction mirrors the dominance of the male gaze as defining both geography and gender relations in the film.
From the Paper "The film "American Beauty" is an excellent example of how the male gaze not only configures looking at women as power, but also how this gaze - through the film's use of multiple camera lenses - can shape the geography of space and gender relations. As this essay will argue, the film represents women in visually constricted space in contrast with the representation of men in open space. This distinction mirrors the dominance of the male gaze as defining both geography and gender relations in the film."
Abstract This paper discusses Brian De Palma's 2006 film, "The Black Dahlia". The paper also discusses Laura Mulvey's theory of the gaze and the application of her theory to classical Hollywood cinema. The paper then discusses the application of the same theoretical apparatus to a contemporary Hollywood retro-noir (a contemporary film that references classical Hollywood film noir texts within a modern context), particularly "The Black Dahlia", and shows how it opens new avenues for understanding the operation of the gaze in film.
From the Paper "In conclusion, our application of Laura Mulvey's theory of the gaze to De Palma's The Black Dahlia reveals not only gaps in the theoretical model - notably its insufficient exploration of the castrating feminine power of the film noir femme fatale - but also how a modern film can compel us to open the theory to encompass homoerotic and lesbian aspects. While De Palma's use of "screen tests" in the movie represents an almost perfect example of the male gaze in operation - it may be speculated whether De Palma has read Mulvey, and deliberately crafts the scene with this theoretical model in mind? - in its broader frame the film compels us to open the heterosexual male/female binary implied by the model to take into consideration differently gendered approaches to the representation of sexuality, power and domination in cinema."
This paper compares the articles "Mediating India" by Deborah Bhattacharyya, "The Tourist Gaze 'Revisited'" by John Urry and "Tourist Agency" by MacCannell.
Abstract The paper discusses Bhattacharyya's belief that the "Lonely Planet" guidebook shapes how westerners see India and how they interact with their Indian hosts. The paper explains how she posits that the text reflects western biases and that tourists tend to interact with Indians through the distorting lens of their own cultural paradigms. The paper then looks at John Urry's idea that the "tourist gaze" is sub-consciously shaped by the tourist books and examines MacCannell's partly similar beliefs.
From the Paper "At the core of her paper, Bhattacharyya appears to be insisting that tourists books - like the western travelers they inform - reduce the Orient to something akin to spectacle and that they "leave out" things which might seem mundane or insignificant to western eyes (387). For his part, John Urry does not seem to dispute this. Particularly, he writes that the "tourist gaze" is sub-consciously shaped by the tourist books that provide so much of his or her information; he also writes that western society is notably "ocular-centric" and that it places special emphasis upon what is seen rather than what is heard or smelled or even touched (Urry, 174-178)."
Abstract The paper describes and analyzes two portraits from different eras and movements; Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez's "Juan de Pareja" from 1650 and Mary Cassatt's "Lady at the Tea Table" from 1885. The paper identifies how these artists have utilized the same factors of artificial symmetry and contrast and gaze of the subject in order to reach different goals.
From the Paper "The first painting to be studied is Velazquez's Juan de Pareja. The first thing that is striking upon viewing this portrait is its two-dimensional composition. The figure, Pareja, is composed in the space asymmetrically. The man is aligned to the left side of the portrait, his head and body filling the space to the left of center. Yet, his chest/torso, cloak, and arm fill the right side of the space rather well. While Velazquez does not exhibit symmetry in his two-dimensional composition by doing this, he achieves what this writer feels is a rather nice effect. The proudly displayed chest and body of Pareja give a sense of regality and pride to the portrait."
Abstract This paper discusses the tourist gaze through examples of photos of Hollywood. The thesis is underlined. The tourist gaze is a matter of consumption, and taking photos is a form of consumption.
Abstract This paper first asserts that Maggie de Vries' "Missing Sarah" is a moving memoir of the author's relationship with her adopted sister. The paper also relates that the book was written in the shadow of the author's awareness of her sister's murder at the hands of a notorious Canadian mass murderer. The paper goes focuses on the narrative roles of the created characters of "Maggie" and "Sarah" in the text and argues the thesis that the disparity in our knowledge of the two characters - with the figure of the author being represented far more elusively than that of her sister - is a result of the different manifestations of narrative gaze within the text. The paper maintains that these gazes have narrative power to shape the spectator's perspective and understanding of the complex issues of identity, race, and familial interactions that define the text.
From the Paper "It may be argued that one reason we know so little about "Maggie" in the text as opposed to "Sarah" - a fact that is extraordinary given that "Maggie" is "Sarah's" sister - is the possibility that the relationship between the siblings was defined by tensions that the author does not wish to revisit. Thus, the author - through the vehicle of the "unreliable narrator" - obscures the figure of "Maggie" in the text, and thereby avoids having to publicly discuss issues that may be emotionally unsettling to her. Thus, it is only at moments that the reader seems to catch glimpses of this tension; moments that seem to be revealed almost unconsciously by the author. "
A thesis paper analyzing the female characters in Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" and "Jude the Obscure" in the light of feminist criticism.
Abstract The novels of Thomas Hardy have created intense critical debate and discussion in recent years, especially in terms of post-structuralist and feminist readings and interpretations of the texts. A central focus of this critical and theoretical literary discourse is the apparent ambivalence and ambiguity that many scholars perceive in the works with regard to his attitude towards women and their place in society. This apparent ambiguity in Hardy's presentation of women forms the underlying and central trajectory of thought in this paper and an attempt is made to relate these critical views to the two main texts under discussion; as well as presenting an overall view of the feminist stance as it pertains to the interpretation of the selected texts. A further and equally important dimension of this study is the exploration of the view that Hardy's perception towards women was influenced by the conservative society and times in which he lived. This paper also explores to what extent the writer questioned and opposed the patriarchal views that were dominant in Victorian society at the time. The central core of the present analysis of Hardy's novels is therefore focused on feminist interpretations and critiques of the works in question. More specifically, the feminist critique is involved with the post structuralist and postmodern deconstruction of western society and the interrogation of the constructs and master narratives that inform or create various social attitudes and perceptions of gender. This is an aspect that is developed in the theory section of the present study and is expanded on further in the analysis of the novels. A central fulcrum around which the discussion in this paper revolves is the apparent ambiguities and contradictions in Hardy's works, when seen from a feminist perspective. This paper also attempts to reconcile these two seemingly opposing views of the works to some extent. Another central element in this analysis of Hardy's novels is the focus on the politics of sex and the cultural and social norms and values that played an important part in the view of women and gender discrimination in Victorian society. There is little doubt that Victorian society had a very narrow view of the potential and individuality of women. There are many feminist views, concepts and theoretical constructs that are also incorporated into the analysis of the texts. For example, the importance of the theory that society "politicizes" the female body and the way that the female body is objectified and becomes an "object of desire" rather then a living person. However, throughout this analysis a balance is maintained between the theoretical views and analytical tools that are used by feminist critics and an analysis of the text itself. In other words, the theoretical views are measured against the actual text.
Outline:
1. Introduction
1.2. Thomas hardy and Victorian society: a brief background.
2. Feminist theory and Hardy
2.1. Modern theoretical trajectories and feminism
2.1. 1. A note on post - structuralism and postmodernism
2.2. Feminist theory and literary criticism
2.3. The Social and cultural context
2. 4. The Male Gaze 3. Tess of the d'Urbervilles
3.1. The problem of Hardy as a feminist novel
3.2. Overview
3.3. Tess and traditional feminist interpretations
3.4. Tess of the D'Urbervilles and sexual politics
3.5. Sexual construction
3.6. The development of Tess and the fight against the 'male gaze'
4. Jude the Obscure
4.1. Introduction and overview
4.2. Brief summary of the novel
4.3. The male world divided from nature
4.4. Arabella
4.5. Sue
5. Conclusion and Assessment
6. Bibliography
From the Paper "The most imperative aspect that Mitchell notes is that feminist interpretations are extremely important in an understanding of these works due to the fact that female characters and issues surrounding sexuality and gender form such an important part of almost all of Hardy's novels and cannot be ignored in terms of modern analysis. This may seem like a rather obvious point but in many of Hardy's works the focus is on the female characters as a reflection of and comment on society and the cultural milieu of the novels.
"Sexuality and its ramifications in terms of characters like Tess in Tess of the D'Urbervilles is also an important aspect of contemporary feminist critique that applies to the novels. This is an aspect that is especially important in an analysis of the novels.
"One of the most important early feminist critics of the work of Thomas Hardy is Mary Jacobus (1975). Her work has been focused on the psychological dimensions and representations of Sue Bridehead and the nature of her emancipation, in Jude the Obscure. (Harvey 183)."
Abstract A paper which shows how the image of windows serves as a divide between the innocent and the not so innocent William Faulkner's "A Light in August". It shows that those who dare to go outside the windows through which they gaze, are subject to the gossip and hypocrisy of society and those who remain inside are subject to this same torture as well. It discusses the character Gail Hightower chooses to stay inside, while Lena Grove chooses to venture outside. Lena is innocent because she has not experienced the falsehood of society while Hightower is not.
From the Paper "Windows play a major role in the first seventy- six pages of William Faulkner's novel, A Light in August. Faulkner first mentions a window on page five. It is through this window that the young Lena Grove climbs through during the night in order to see her boyfriend, Lucas Burch. Faulkner again mentions a window on page fifty-seven, while describing the daily life of former minister, Gail Hightower. According to Faulkner, by staying inside windows people are just as likely to be victimized by society as those who venture outside. The only thing that separates those who stay inside or go outside, is experience."
Abstract Nonverbal communication takes place in every social setting, though often it is not recognized for what it is or for what it means. Much research has been undertaken in recent years to analyze different kinds of nonverbal communication, and much of this research has addressed issues of interpersonal and inter-gender communication, addressing questions of interpersonal attraction, flirting, interactions in business situations, comparisons of male versus female interpretations of nonverbal behavior, and so on.
From the Paper "I. INTRODUCTION
Nonverbal communication takes place in every social setting, though often it is not recognized for what it is or for what it means. Much research has been undertaken in recent years to analyze different kinds of nonverbal communication, and much of this research has addressed issues of interpersonal and inter-gender communication, addressing questions of interpersonal attraction, flirting, interactions in business situations, comparisons of male versus female interpretations of nonverbal behavior, and so on. An examination of the literature shows some of the parameters of this research and suggests ways of interpreting the findings and applying them to different situations."
Abstract Pablo Picasso's painting Mother and Child (1921) at the Art Institute of Chicago represents a woman seated on the seashore holding a baby in her lap. The naked child leans backward, reaching his hand up toward the mother and she gazes down and into his eyes. The woman is dressed in a simple white gown reminiscent of the clothing of the ancient Romans or Greeks.
From the Paper "Pablo Picasso's painting Mother and Child (1921) at the Art Institute of Chicago represents a woman seated on the seashore holding a baby in her lap. The naked child leans backward, reaching his hand up toward the mother and she gazes down and into his eyes. The woman is dressed in a simple white gown reminiscent of the clothing of the ancient Romans or Greeks. This work, which is oil on canvas and measures 143.6 x 162.6 cm, features soft colors with pinks, pale blues, and browns dominating. The colors of the mother and child are skin tones heightened with a great deal of pink. The composition is extremely simple, with the figures occupying the lower half of a diagonal line that runs from the lower left corner of the canvas to the upper right and is carried through by the line of the woman's arm. The space is extremely shallow even though a great..."
