Gaze And Counter-gaze In Lord Of The Flies

Lord of the Flies is one of William Golding's masterpieces and its theme of evil human nature has aroused widespread concern.Many critics have interpreted this work with various theories,including symbolism,psychoanalysis,feminism and so on.These reviewers have provided multiple viewpoints for the interpretation of this novel,yet few have analyzed the power relations in it from the perspective of gaze.As a key word in cultural studies,the concept of gaze has derived from visual culture and has been developed as well as enriched by Sartre,Lacan and Foucault.Later,it is adopted and assimilated by feminists to reveal the desire and power in gaze,and the impact on the subject and the object of gaze.This thesis intends to discuss the objectification of the weak under hegemonic gaze and the resistance of the "other" in Lord of the Flies from the perspective of gaze.The first part introduces the construction of a hierarchical society dominated by males and points out three main masculinities demonstrated by different males.Through the selective analysis of hegemonic masculinity and subordinated masculinity,the relations among three types of males and their connections with femininity have been disclosed,which give rise to unequal gaze relations in the social hierarchy.Then this paper analyzes two representations of hegemonic gaze-desire and discourse through which dominant males gaze at females and males with subordinated masculinities.and objectify them as the other under such gaze.Meanwhile,the influence of the objectification of the others,namely,self-objectification of them is analyzed in this paper.In the end,this thesis studies the others' struggle under the oppression of gaze,that is,the counter-gaze.The others try to obtain the subjectivity in gaze relations by hiding from gaze,adopting oppositional gaze and fighting for the right of speech.Eventually,the sacrifice of their lives results in the disintegration of the social hierarchy and oppressive gaze relations.It can be seen from the analysis that the oppressive gaze not only destroys others,but also brings down the gazers themselves.This thesis aims to offer several means of counter-gaze to the oppressed object of gaze.In order to achieve a harmonious relationship between the gazer and the gazed,however,the subject of the gaze,should gaze at the object with recognition and appreciation instead of power and desire;while the object of gaze should reject the temptation of being objectified and self-objectified,and construct their identities which are equal to the subject.