The Look as an Act of Choice in Berger

A detailed Summary of The Look as an Act of Choice in Berger

John Berger (1999) wrote that, "to look is an act of choice" (p.106). That Berger's thought certainly sounds optimistic, but after further examination one can realize that in many situations there is not much choice in looking at something or not. More often one encounters not choices, but alternatives to look at. Basically, there are two things one can do if he or she does not want to look. The first thing one can do is to close his or hers eyes.

If one is watching a television show, and suddenly the particularly disgusting scene is shown, one would very probably close his or her eyes for a moment. This reaction of closing eyes shows that one's alternative was not to see that disgusting scene. The second thing one can do if he or she does not want to look at something is to select another object to look at. For instance, if one is watching a movie, and in the middle of it some annoying detergent commercial is broadcasted, one would probably change the channel or even turn the television set off. These alternatives of changing the channel or turning the television off depend on how annoying one found the detergent commercial.

Both of these examples show that there are alternatives among which one can select when he or she does

One of those for whom the act of looking was not the choice was Frans Hals. In fact, he was forced to paint the Regents. Hals, the old pauper, did not have any other alternative but to look at them for hours, and to paint. In return, Hals received three loads of peat. Otherwise he would freeze to death during the winter. Therefore, Hals had two alternatives, to look at the Regents or to die. Neither of these two alternatives was his choice. Hals' choice was not to look at the Regents. He was forced to look at them. To look was not the act of choice for Hals.

In both cases, believing or hoping that the Virgin of the Rocks one is looking at is the original, proves that to look is not exactly an act of choice. One's choice was to go to museum and to see the original Leonardo's Virgin of the Rocks. Again one's choice to see exactly what he or she wanted failed, and they were not looking at something they have chosen. To look at the replica was not the public's choice. This time the failure to see what one has chosen, and what was one's choice derives from the following reasons.

Furthermore, Berger (1999) wrote that, "the way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe" (p.106). Relaying on that, one could say that many people go to museums because of what they know or what they believe. For instance, many people go to the National Gallery in London or to the Louvre Museum in France to see the Virgin of the Rocks by Leonardo da Vinci.

not want to look at something. Unfortunately, those alternatives a

Some common words found in the essay are:
Virgin Rocks, John Berger, Regents Hals, England France, Furthermore Berger, Rocks Uninformed, act choice, virgin rocks, berger 1999, one's choice, Frans Hals, Vinci Obviously, Leonardo's Virgin, Rocks Leonardo, leonardo's virgin rocks, choice berger, 1999 p106, leonardo's virgin, act choice berger, choice berger 1999, berger 1999 p106, uninformed public, original leonardo's, people national gallery, disgusting scene,

Approximate Word count = 1030
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English