Question

The depiction of women from a patriarchal point of view in visual arts can be called as

• A. camera bias
• B. male gaze
• C. ideological erro
• D. natural depiction

Answer 1

Answer:

B. male gaze

Understanding the 'Male Gaze' in Visual Arts

• Definition: The 'male gaze' refers to the way visual arts (including literature, film, and painting) depict the world and women from a masculine, heterosexual perspective. It presents women as objects of male pleasure and contemplation.
• Origin: The term was popularized by film theorist Laura Mulvey in her 1975 essay "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema." Mulvey analyzed how classical Hollywood cinema constructs active male viewers and passive female spectators.
• Key Characteristics:
  • Objectification: Women are often portrayed with an emphasis on their physical appearance, reducing them to their bodies or parts of their bodies.
  • Passivity: Female characters are frequently depicted as passive, waiting to be looked at or acted upon by male characters.
  • Scopophilia: This refers to the pleasure derived from looking at another person as an erotic object. The male gaze exploits this by presenting women in ways that invite the viewer to sexually objectify them.
  • Control and Power: The concept is inherently linked to patriarchal structures where men hold power and control over women, both in society and in representation.
• In Literature: Authors, consciously or unconsciously, may adopt a male perspective when describing female characters, focusing on how they appear to men, their attractiveness, or their emotional responses to men, rather than exploring their internal lives or agency independently.
• Critical Analysis: Understanding the male gaze is crucial for:
  • Deconstructing media portrayals of women.
  • Recognizing power dynamics in representation.
  • Appreciating feminist critiques of art and culture.
• Exam Relevance: This concept is frequently tested in literary theory, film studies, and cultural studies exams, particularly in questions related to gender, representation, and post-structuralist thought. Be prepared to identify examples of the male gaze in texts and analyze their implications.