From the outset, I believe that it is important to refine our understanding of the film theory ‘male’ and ‘female’ gaze in and of themselves. To quote the feminist film critic Laura Mulvey “the paradox of phallocentrism in all its manifestations is that it depends on the image of the castrated women to give order and meaning to its world.” Mulvey’s criticism often resonates with me in her thoughtful exposure of long-standing patriarchal confines in an art world that has had to be broken down to be built up again. However, to simply look at female awareness of the ‘male gaze’ to be “phallocentrism” would be to unfairly villanise the conventional concept of a woman loving a man and take Mulvey out of context of her nuanced personal view.
One famous example of the male gaze is demonstrated in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where the protagonist reduces his love interest Ophelia to a symbol of innocence as he raves at his mother Gertrude, condemning her supposed lust. This engages with the Madonna-Whore dichotomy that can cause the ‘male gaze’ to be something destructive, as Hamlet cannot reconcile his beliefs in time to save either of the women. Despite the implications of its use, Hamlet’s ‘male gaze’ lends for an interesting dramatic experience as actors get to make the choice of whether to lean into Ophelia’s outward weakness or – as shown by Kate Winslet’s “shrew like performance” in the 1981 production – can exhibit how Ophelia can become a wild and untameable character, stripping her madness of the romantic lens. Comparably, Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel Wuthering Heights explores madness with the presentation of the ‘female gaze’ engaging with the female gothic tradition which focalises Catherine Earnshaw and her relationship with Heathcliff. Within this interpretation of the rural Victorian world, Catherine’s desire is limited by patriarchal confines that attempt to contain her love within the social hierarchy. Therefore, through Catherine, we can see both the power and the danger of the ‘female gaze’ exhibiting how love comes with the risk of destruction.
The implications of this assertion must be made carefully, ensuring that one does not simply interpret Catherine as a symbol of complete volatility, but one who was driven to madness by a failure to reconcile her desires. By contrast, the ‘female gaze’ is utilised in a differing manner by Margaret Atwood in The Handmaid’s Tale, as performance of desire becomes women’s only means of survival. This complicates the meaning of the ‘female gaze’ itself as it becomes unclear what characters necessarily want, compared to what they need in a society where women are completely stripped of autonomy. Within the novel, the story is told by the first-person perspective of Jude Osborne, offering both the internal and external view of the ‘female gaze’ through her intimate and sensory narration.I believe that this is an important feminist interpretation of the ‘female gaze’ exploring how generally throughout history many male authors have utilised the ‘female gaze’ to be one purely of danger and mystery, reinforcing the sexist stereotype of women being manipulative and untrustworthy; instead in The Handmaid’s Tale, Jude demonstrates how women are forced to be self-aware of the ‘female gaze’ in order to ensure their survival.
Similarly, the ‘male gaze’ can also be viewed in this inward versus outward format. For example, in Jack Kerouac’s autobiographical novel Desolation Angels, the protagonist Jack Duluoz struggles with these conflicting desires. Externally, Duluoz’s actions reflect those of the classic ‘male gaze,’ looking at attractive female figures with lust and treating them with degradation. By contrast, internally he experiences confusing homoerotic desires for several of his friends within the Beat Generation, reflecting Kerouac’s own increasing disillusionment to his wants.
Furthermore, both the ‘male gaze’ and the female gaze’ are important literary concepts to explore when engaging with the different ways that people look at relationships. However, it is important to not look at these two ideas as a completely binary explanation for desire as each ‘gaze’ differs from character to character, demonstrating why it is problematic to oversimplify the theory. Therefore, as much as the ‘female gaze’ is associated with objectification of men in return for the reduction that the ‘male gaze’ can present, overall it is about the embracing of all human desire, and the nuance that this comes with.
“Jack Kerouac (#2)” by Devin_Smith is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
