"In order for the child to continue to "see" itself, it must continue to be (culturally) "seen.""
This quotation from Fragments of a Fashionable Discourse by Kaja Silverman was one of the most interesting quote from the chapter in my opinion. Basically, it references the Mirror Principle and means that people only see themselves by other people's perceptions of them. I feel that this line really makes a statement about how gender inequality is constructed. Since everything only exists because someone else sees it, the distinction between male and female is only apparent because humans differentiate between the two genders. So how does this clear separation come about? Silverman argues that "clothing and other kinds of ornamentation make the human body culturally visible." This point made me wonder about why people choose to dress the way they do. Do they really have control of the way they present themselves or are they merely mimicking what they see in order to gain approval and a sense of belonging? It almost seems that the need for verification of one's identity is instilled in everyone and can only be fulfilled once one is judged.
What is even more fascinating is when Silverman asserts that, "Even our visual access to the undressed body is mediated by the prevailing vestimentary codes." While it may be true that clothing has a strong influence on how humans see each other, even without fashion and material things, the bare "nature" of humans is still shaped by the definition of gender. The separation between the two genders has become so interwoven into society that nothing can be really be "gender neutral" anymore. Like Silverman expresses, the "wearer's identity has been shaped by decades of representational activity." Everything must have a label, everything must be categorized, everything must be judged in order to fully exist.
I agree with what you got from the article. People mimic what they see as acceptable so that they too can be accepted. Take girls for instance. Girls look through magazines to find out what is "in" and what's trendy, which is generally accepted and approved by society. And in the end, most girls buy clothes, shoes, and accessories based on what they see in the magazine or on TV. Because they know what they find in media is generally accepted by the public, they can be assured that by copying what they see, they too will be accepted.
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