Study Task 2

Read Laura Mulvey’s text Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema (1975) once. 

Then read the text again and identify in a few words what each paragraph is addressing focussing on how the essay is structured and how she develops her argument.

Then read the text a third time and try to summarise what each section is discussing.

Read the other two texts and consider carefully how each relate to Laura Mulvey’s theory.

In groups:

For each text discuss:

In summary what is being discussed/argued?  

LAURA MULVEY - An Essay

• Men are portrayed as leaders as women are the inferior gender and are seen as servants to men and are only good at carrying children. 
• Hollywood was dominated by males who pushed their dominance upon others.
• Scopophilia (sexual pleasure derived chiefly from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity) 
• Despite being objectified women start to become a threat as new films flip gender roles such as wonder woman. 
• Infants are fascinated with their own reflection. 
• A woman's only importance is the reaction she has on the male hero and how it affects him. She needs his reassurance and approval. 

STOREY- Analysis

• analysis of the previous text.
• Aimed at students studying Mulvey's text in hope it will make it easier for them to understand.
• Allows you to get the general idea of Mulvey's text. 

DYER - Book

• The male body can also be seen as erotic, not just the female. 
• Men don't use their erotic potential to it's maximum, they reject this.
• Expands on and uses some of Mulvey's theories.