Male Gaze besides Patriachy

Cindy Guzman
Spring 2020


When it comes to a woman's role in art history, many only remember those who were painted rather than those who painted. In many cases, women were remembered by nudity and the objectified appeal rather than who they were or what they did. In "Ways of Seeing" by John Berger, he alludes to how the male gaze towards a painting of a women pertains to how women are perceived in society. In renaissance paintings, nudes of a woman became part of the European tradition. John Berger successfully differentiates the two meanings between nudity and nakedness. He states, "to be naked is to be one self, [but] to be nude is to be seen naked by others and yet not recognized for oneself" (Berger 54). As humans it's quite clear that to be seen naked by others comes nearly adjunct to the sexuality of the spectators. According to art history, we see many cases where society begins to shape the role of a woman alongside her surveyor- the owner of the painting. We start to notice how the women painted are particularly painted in a way to please the owner. In almost all the paintings you see the woman being the subject, but even then we see the woman being her own surveyor. When she is influenced to not only respond to how society is viewing her, and also has to question herself as an object, her role then easily shifts into becoming an object of vision; a sight. As a woman's role in paintings shift into becoming more of an objectified subject, as a society we see the correlation to gender roles during that time period. Women at the time were not allowed to own property, which made men the only spectators to paintings. The sexualization of a woman's nude body was consistently used for marketing purposes. This unequal relationship became so embedded into our culture that it forces women to fall into a vicious cycle of surveying their own femininity, as if when men did it, it wasn't enough.

In terms of patriarchy, there would be no male gaze if it weren't for the preconceived gender roles. The segregation of gender roles originates from the early on hierarchy of the male and his superiority. This idea that men should be strong and not vulnerable to others unlike women. Women were not to respond with rage because it was not a feminine feeling, in fact rage was to be no where near a women's actions. Keeping families from this gender equality truth continues to be passed on by generations and generations. Sometimes patriarchy is so subconsciously taught that we forget that even in domestic households the oppressor became the female. Mothers would condone the violent and aggressive behavior of their sons as apposed to their daughters because of their son's "role" as a male in the house. Silencing the questioning that their daughters would have, again entering this vicious cycle of being surveyed and becoming the surveyor. Bells hooks does a great job at using examples of even from her childhood where she too had to conform to society norms. How "when [she] responded with rage at being denied a toy, [she] was taught... that rage was not an appropriate feminine feeling" (Hooks 19). It was engraved through out history than men and women had segregated roles in society, and were to be followed in accordance in order to honor themselves or their families. 

After have understanding that patriarchy not only affects women, but as well as our men, it's safe to say that my role as a women has changed for the better. Being able to acknowledge the paths of others who seek mutual liberation allows me to understand their perspectives in life and how intersectionality plays its part through out the shaping a inclusive society. In light, we are able to acknowledge those works that have shaped the female gaze to be in opposition of the male gaze and patriarchy's influence on women. For example, today we have the strongest super hero in marvel to be Captain Marvel. A heroine who over the years has been seen as other characters such as Wonder Woman and how her look has changed. Captain Marvel could be considered a conservative, powerful woman who exceeds the hero view we've been used to seeing. Going back to how John Berger says in "Ways of Seeing," we can argue how Captain Marvel is a great example to give women the representation of grasping this societal view in a way that the only surveyor that is important is herself. She is no longer a vision, or a sight to others but she is a role model as well as someone who holds great power. Giving others to see a woman figure in this position in contrast to the male gaze and patriarchal norms, allows oneself as a woman to view her self in those shoes creating this initiative to challenge gender role segregation. 

All hail Captain Marvel for she is not nude, but she is of great value.

photo credits


Work Cited:

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. British Broadcasting Corporation, 1972.

Hooks, Bell. Understanding Patriarchy. Louisville Anarchist Federation Federation, 2010.