The Visual Culture of Gender and Violence - Literature review Example

 Topic: Consider the relationship between gender and violence in any two texts. Abstract: The books, The Collector by John Fowles and The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan, are one of male-female relationships, dominated by sex and marital mal-adjustments. If the readers expect that a happy married life can be envisaged by emulating examples from the lives of Fred and Miranda, Colin and Maria, and Robert and Caroline, it is wrong. Every relationship ends up in disaster for one reason or the other. Not much is known about the early part of lives of any of the above characters. Therefore, it is difficult to assume why they turned out to be what they were! Some backgrounder information about the social conditions has been provided. One thing can be assumed. None of the above characters were implanted with correct values of life, by their parents, by the society or by the educational institutions. These are the influencing areas during the formative years of life of the present-day combustible younger generation. The generation that is in a hurry to get the so-called comforts of the materialistic civilisation! Means do not matter for them, how to achieve it. How to end this historical war between the genders that has been continuing in one form or the other? The female has always been at the receiving end. The authors are able to provide the solution and they do not claim to provide one. As authors, as masters of the art of literature, they have produced two readable books; I won’t certainly call them good books, because there is nothing in them that would contribute to build a healthy society. Majority of the characters mock at the moral and ethical values that cement the people and contribute to the growth of the society. Introduction: This is the unending war raging since time immemorial! Between Him and Her! The noble souls mediated for ages, the wise-men wrote millions of pages, kings and politicians fought wars --to achieve this joy and happiness, which has eluded the mankind in the known history. What a profound mystery! Major wars like World War I and II, have hopefully ended. Not because those who control the destiny of humanity love peace, but because, they have no alternative. They know that this war of nuclear buttons means total annihilation! Expressing such sentiments, Sir Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of UK said at the time of II World War, “It is better to have a world united, than a world divided; but it is better to have a world divided, than a world destroyed!” The technological advances have impacted by the materialistic civilisation have deeply affected the lifestyles of man and woman. Many thousands of house to house wars are being fought within the families, especially between the wife and husband! This weapon-less war relentlessly destroys the inner world of individuals, and the process of reconstruction of the damaged psyche is extremely difficult. The wise saying goes, “God condemns for life, by giving those a broken heart!” Who broke, whose heart under what circumstances, is altogether a different issue! Can two walk together, except they are agreed? Just because they are walking together, let no one assume that they are in agreement with each step they put forward. It could be just like the mechanically controlled action of the modern day robots, devoid of emotions! Living together, an emotionally void life, with the unloved and uncared feeling, simmering in the hearts at all times, is the ultimate tragedy for a man and woman. Under such circumstances, an individual will turn cynical and frustrated. Let me now revert to the issue of man and woman from another perspective-the domination of men over women! You have, perhaps, never heard a discussion or symposium on the topic, “Men, their role in the society.” The discussion is always about women. Men have, perhaps no role! In reality, men can as well do some of the traditional roles being played by women. Today, the best chefs are men! The never-ending talk of giving equal rights to women goes on unabated. All the Acts of Parliaments in all countries of the world will not lead to equality for women. The change has to be achieved within-both by men and women! How can one give equal rights to women? God has created her, given her the status of more equal! Nobody can snatch that right away from her! It is the woman (mother) who gives protection for the initial nine months to the divine creative force of the future-male or female! But a female child is victimised at every step of life from the moment of birth, notwithstanding the fact that she sacrifices at every stage of her life. Legal equality is one thing; a woman needs to be the spiritual equal of men! Social, religious taboos should not hinder the growth of her personality. The Collector by John Fowles is a psychological thriller. Read the contents of this book, to understand what obsession leads to. How two protagonists, with contrasting viewpoints, try to share an event? The story begins with an improbability-A clerk financing the global jaunt of his odd relatives! He must be having a hidden agenda. Does he do that to secure absolute privacy? His subsequent action indicates such possibilities. He buys a lonely cottage with a cellar. He has been stalking Miranda, a beauty he admired secretly, and his weird plan is to imprison her in the cellar. This simple-looking British middle class man is neatly plotting to capture Miranda, and he had kept his thoughts about her suppressed to bid his time to strike at the opportune moment. The windfall of lottery is a God-sent opportunity for him. Money is the harbinger of many evils, and Clegg has proved this right, by his highly improper action. He expresses his helplessness about his infatuation with Miranda, when he says, “Seeing her, always made me feel like I was caching a rarity, going up to it very careful, heart-in-mouth they say.”(Fowles, 1997, p, 3) He again says it emphatically, “I can’t say what it was, the very first time I saw her, and I knew she was the only one. Of course, I am not mad; I knew I was just a dream…” (Fowles, 1997, p, 4) Consider the relationship between gender and violence in any two texts: Clegg is dull but he has the money-power now. By nature Miranda and Clegg are poles apart. Miranda is romantic, she had been caught up in the life of an artist, and she had relations with a teacher-type paramour before being forcibly admitted into this cell. .With her capture, everything dear to her came to a dead halt. She feared about the uncertainties of her position. But in the given situation she had to study Fred, come to terms with his attitudes, and seek her freedom with the trust gained by outsmarting him. She is shattered by her captivity, like a bird desperately flapping the wings in an effort to fly free. She becomes cynical; her faith in God is in question, with the ignobility of the world around her. The level of her frustration is revealed, when she says, "He's not human; he's an empty space disguised as a human." Assume that Fred is mad, but is he so really? He is intelligent enough to estimate that in the normal course, he doesn’t have a chance with girls of Miranda’s type and therefore he executes the kidnap plan. In captivity, their relationship becomes like that of a jailor and prisoner, the tormentor and victim. She is like yet another butterfly for him, pinned to his display trays. Physical torture of a woman is bad; mental torture is worst. Both of these combined together are the ultimate calamity for a woman and may lead her to take desperate actions. Take someone’s life or end one’s own life! The perverted mind is showing in the choice of Fred’s hobby. Pinning down and killing the colorful butterflies! Butterflies are enemies of none, they fly free from flower to flower develop friendship with them and collect honey. Fred is the enemy of this innocent creature, and his latest butterfly is Miranda, whom he has pinned down, denying her the freedom. He believes that the daily interactions over a period, with no other human being around her, will make her love him! Now this is the height of insanity! Can a girl like Miranda love such an individual? Her passion for life is entirely different from the rigidity and selfishness of Fred. He wishes to own or kill everything, which is nothing but a demonic tendency. Miranda is going through a period of worst type of gender exploitation, and her physical charm is her undoing! Whether Miranda is entirely perfect human being or not-it is no business of Fred. In the end, gender violence of the worst type happens. The reader realises that she “is gone” for ever. But that is not the end of the story. The ruthless Fred is at his game again. He has disconnected what he has done to Miranda, and moves to the next adventure by slaking another young girl named Marian. The cycle of oppression and gender violence continues and that is blood-chilling stuff, not acceptable to any man or woman! The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan does not provide any comfort to the readers. It teases and torments one’s mind from the beginning. Its contents are like the mini-French Revolution, related to domestic life. The mood and relationship between two individuals, who find it difficult to love each other and yet remain together, due to compelling circumstances! Wars are difficult to fight and leave disastrous consequences for the parties that engage each other. Mental wars are even more horrible, if they are between the life partners. The traditional meaning of the word marriage is highly profound, though in the modern materialistic civilisation, such colorful connotations have lost much of the meaning. Marriage means—to distinct personalities, two separate individuals born, bred and brought up in two different families, in two different set of circumstances, try to come together from the day of marriage, to find a common identity, a common goal and to be precise, a common all! When both the partners exercise a steely coolness in their day to day disposition with each other, each day turns out to be tortuous and prolonging. Colin and Maria have reached a similar stage in the journey of their life. The seeming intimate relationship by external standards has proved to be hollow within. In her book, The Emotionally Destructive Relationship: Seeing It, Stopping It, Surviving It, Leslie Vernick observes thus: “….something inside you is dying, even if you can’t name it or explain why. You might have difficulty talking about it. May be people can’t see the signs of the damage you feel and don’t understand what you are trying to say.” (Vernick, 2007, p.13) Is Colin, a psychic patient? One can’t say for sure! But his beautiful dreams are shattered. The small moment to moment pleasure that one expects from a life partner are not there for him. No one knows the reality, why the issues have come to such a sad pass! He has strange dreams and fantasises about the intangibles! “Colin’s dreams were those that psychoanalysts recommend, of flying, he said, of crumbling teeth, of appearing naked before a seated stranger.”(McEwan, 1994, p.10) In this book, the relationships between Mary and Colin have been shown not exquisite; they have come to spend the holidays together though! They live together, exist together, but without loving each other. During the holidays, one naturally expects some adventurous relationship. And they have been married just for 7 years! The sapling of love had grown for seven years, but at present there are no fragrant flowers in it. Thank, God, one of them did not think of cutting the sapling of married life and throw it by the wayside! "For reasons they could no longer define clearly, Colin and Mary were not on speaking terms."(McEwan, p. 9) Who was reluctant to cement the relationship in to a loving one? Ian describes a scene in the hotel bedroom- their togetherness yet mental separation. "She loved him, though not at that particular moment."(McEwan, p 13) The disinterestedness! McEwan further describes it. “…..because she sensed his reluctance to stay and was already offended...but was he reluctant? Miserably, he ran his finger along the line of Mary’s spine. She now held the handle of the brush in one hand and rested the bristles in the open palm of the other and continued to stare ahead. Colin leaned forward and kissed her nape, and when she still did not acknowledge him, he crossed the room with a noisy sigh and returned to the balcony.”(McEwan, p, 14) What is the basis of the true relationship between male and female, rather husband and wife? It can not be achieved by rubbing the flesh against the flesh! The ideal and everlasting relationship is built by the bricks of sacrifice. Firstly, there must be the cause for the sacrifice. Secondly, there must be the heart for the sacrifice. Thirdly, there must be the grit and heroism to live the life of sacrifice, to live together, to leave for each other. To care for each other! Finally, to receive the rewards or punishments of the sacrifice with a balanced mental attitude! The relationship can never be a purely mathematical, 50-50 relationship. What is important is the willingness to live for the sake of the other. The poets call such a relationship, “Made for each other!” Only then one can understand the true import of the wise saying, “Marriages are made in heaven!” Ian’s characters, both male and female are intellectual but emotionless. Their inner world is hollow and unprincipled. The story is not only male v. female, but female vs. female and male vs. male! To what extent, a woman is willing to go to destroy the family life another woman! Mary and Colin do not deserve the friendship of Robert and Caroline. Being handsome proved to be a liability for Colin. He was an attractive personality. His fair skin, supple child-like body, dark angelic curls could fascinate anyone. He was a kind individual and he was an easy prey to the demonic character like Robert. He was unable to get love from Mary to the extent he craved, and Robert cunningly and intelligently filled the vacuum, by playing upon this weak point. Robert pressurised Colin and Mary to accept his hospitality. "It is my responsibility. I shall make up for everything; you will accept my hospitality." (McEwen. p, 52) Colin loses his sense of judgement, and toes the line indicated to him by Robert. He goes to the extent of telling Mary," 'Look...Here is the next head of the family. You must remember to keep on the good side of Robert!' Then he made me settle the arguments." (McEwen, p. 32) It is too late by the time he tries to redeem his weakness and the ultimate damage is done, and he sacrifices his own life to save Mary. The real love comes to the fore again. Mary sits in the morgue, looks at the corpse of Colin, her man who has laid down his life, so that she may live! She begins to think about violence inherent in male/female relationships. She concludes that men are born with a desire to hurt women, and women accept the position of being hurt. She has the relationship of Robert and Caroline to prove her point. Robert’s guiding principle is the theory of the natural oppressor and the naturally oppressed. Mary is too overwhelmed and she can not speak. A day before the death of her Colin, she was an aggressive feminist. She would have voted for Robert until yesterday. But she faced the truth of Colin’s death and this direct experiencing of the personal tragedy, changed her perception. Force and violence can not establish permanent relationships. Adolph Hitler, who was responsible for killing 6 million Jews at the time of II World War, said before he committed suicide, “Brutal force has not won anything durable!” One can never arrive at the cut and dry solution for gender based violence. The reasons for such acts are innumerable, and the man/woman behind each violent act is a subject matter for research. This violence is not going to end unless an individual is ‘treated’ from within. Legal provisions, though necessary to exercise control and award punishments to the perpetrators of the crime, when one thinks of initiating the transformation process within that individual, the modalities to be followed need to be entirely different. Only when the thoughts process of an individual changes, the action process will also change. When the thoughts are changed, the mind is changed; when the mind is changed, the man is changed; when the man is changed, the society is changed. Such a changed society will be violence-free. Meditation and efforts to transcend the borders of the mind, where bliss reigns, where all dualities come to an end, is the permanent solution. Annette Burfoot in her book Killing Women: The Visual Culture of Gender and Violence says, “Historically, the criminal justice system’s treatment of women who have killed violent husbands has been harsh. The violence endured by these women and by women in general was, in fact, condoned by society, as is suggested by the so-called “rule of thumb.” This alluded to the fact that it was legal for a man to beat his wife with a stick so long as it was not thicker than his thumb.”(Burfoot, 2007, p.5) Fred’s violent disposition towards Miranda has to be understood in the historical context. This apart, Fred’s conduct has the inherent grudge that he has against the upper class society. Why the basic conditions were not created by the upper class so that the people at the lower rungs of the society may come up in life. When there was a windfall of wealth, Fred wished to settle scores with that section of the society. Miranda or Mariana were just excuses, to fulfill his cravings. “Violence, in the service of the modern self, preserves individuality and forestalls the possibility of fusion with the dangerous not-self. Violence, as a modern strategy, guarantees both individual and social control, while maintaining and perpetuating hierarchy and inequality.” This statement by Suzanne E. Hatty, is confusing and does not provide any solution to the problem of violence. Control through violence and suppressive measures are not controls at all. Turn the blood-soaked pages of human history. You will get enough examples. Every violent act takes shape within the mind of an individual first, and the treatment also needs to be at that level. Sexual violence has a battery of supporters of negativities waiting in the wings, to find manifestation. It is not an isolated act. Conclusion: In both the books, the authors attack the reader’s heart, without causing heart-attacks! The writing is good, may be extraordinary, and the macabre plots demand the attention of the readers. These stories are just additions to the existing achieves of crime-files of the society. Have the books served the cause of the male-female relationships? Eradicating the gender-violence? The answer is a big NO! Works Cited: Burfoot, Annette (Editor) Lord Susan (Editor): Killing Women: The Visual Culture of Gender and Violence. Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (August 15, 2007) Language: English ISBN-10: 0736918973 ISBN-13: 978-0736918978 Fowles, John: The Collector Publisher: Back Bay Books (August 4, 1997) Language: English ISBN-10: 0316290238 ISBN-13: 978-0316290234 McEwan, Ian: The Comfort of Strangers Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Anchor; 1st Vintage International ed edition (November 1, 1994) Language: English ISBN-10: 0679749845 ISBN-13: 978-0679749844 Vernick, Leslie: The Emotionally Destructive Relationship: Seeing It, Stopping It, Surviving It. Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (August 15, 2007) Language: English ISBN-10: 0736918973 ISBN-13: 978-0736918978 Read More