OUGD401 - Ways of Seeing Chapter Summary

Berger, J, Blomberg, S, Fox, C, Dibb, M, Hollis, R, (1973) Ways of Seeing, Chapter 3, Page 45 - 51

This chapter addresses the issue of how both women and men are viewed by one another. A mans presence is governed by the promise of power which he embodies. This power could be moral, physical, sexual. A mans presence can suggest what he is capable of doing for you, where as a woman's presence is governed by her own attitude to herself. This presence can define what can and cannot be done to a woman. 
A few interesting examples were given in this chapter, such as:
"If a woman throws a glass on the floor, this is an example of how she treats her own emotion of anger and so of how she would like to be treated by others. If a man does the same, his action is only read as an expression of his anger". 
This chapter states that women are always conscious of how they appear. A woman's self being has been split into two. There is the surveyor and the surveyed. A woman can scarcely avoid imagining herself while she is walking down the street, or crying over her dead father.
"Men look at women. Women watch at themselves being looked at."
Men survey women before treating them. For a woman to take control of this, she must treat the surveyor side of her personality of that of a man, and ensure that the surveyed shows others how she would like to be treated.
The chapter then goes on to talk about historical paintings - nudes of women. These paintings were created by men, for men to enjoy and look at. They continuously chastise women and make them appear vain, when it is in fact the man who has portrayed her that way.
It also covers the religious aspects of this, where god condemns the woman to a life of serving man. Adam and Eve did not realise they were naked until they ate the apple, the nakedness was in the eye of the beholder. This image was painted a number of times, until it became a display.

Overall I feel that this chapter touches on a lot of important issues that face women, and as a woman I can relate to them. It explains that women are always aware of how they portray themselves, as if to please men, while a man is never questioned for how he acts or is portrayed. He has a presence of power, so he should not be challenged about the way he presents himself.