Essay On Ways Of Seeing By David Berger

The Eye of the Beholder
The ways images are interpreted are based on history and personal experiences. In Ways of Seeing, Berger explores the way we interpret art. The book discusses a lot about men and women and their social status and position in the world. As we began reading, he quickly starts to explain that seeing is the way we establish ourselves in the world. As humans, we explain the world we are surrounded by through words. Berger believes that our view is based on perception which becomes evident when he mentions, “yet, although every image embodies a way of seeing, our perception or appreciation of an image depends also upon our own way of seeing” (Berger, 11). An example of viewing images differently is the way women are perceived.

Although this is a men’s health magazine, women are bound to look at it. The magazine cover has phrases such as “design your body” and “your perfect shape.” Everyone says there is no such thing as perfect so what defines the perfect shape? How do we know for sure those people who are setting the criteria of a man with the perfect shape can actually have an opinion on it if they themselves don’t have a perfect body? Also, the magazine cover says, “EAT LIKE A MAN!” There are women in this world who read these magazines. The “EAT LIKE A MAN” phrase reiterates what I said earlier about the man being in power so he has to create an example. The phrase also points out that men are not eating like men anymore which makes them aware that they are not like the fit and glamourous men that appear on magazine covers or television commercials. The new found emphasis on the male body increases the amount of insecurities the man feels to be “perfect” or to be “man enough” when being “surveyed” by women. In this case, the roles have changed. Now, women are surveying while men are being surveyed. Although the roles have changed, women are still victims of being surveyed with or without their