“Ways Of Seeing” By John Berger

Every image has its own meaning but the way one chooses to perceive the image relies on their own way of seeing. Many times we don\'t see things the way they are which does not necessarily have to align with reality. Everything we believe is based on our own opinions or lived experiences because a lot of information that is put in our head can sometimes be completely different from reality. As humans the way we identify an image is driven by our realizations, knowledge and appreciation of things.

This was portrayed in the book “ways of seeing” by John Berger. In his book he not only talks about how our minds trick us into believing certain things about the world but he emphasises on that fact that our beliefs have an impact on how we view the world. We perceive things and give it meaning before even giving it a name so therefore it makes words inadequate.

Haven't Found an Essay You Want? Get Your Custom Essay Sample
For Only $13.90/page
Place An Order

Every image has a story or a more intensive meaning than what you many see on the outside because the creator saw the world differently. Actuality becomes meaningless at that point and as the human mind evolves an individual today has  a completely different explanation of what an image may mean from someone from one thousand years ago or even someone from one hundred years ago. Berger explores how different people can perceive an image in their own way depending on their own personal experiences and understandings of life. 

Berger begins the book by explaining how many times we see things that are not actually there. For example he states “In the middle ages when men believed physical existence of hell the site of fire must have meant something different from what it means today (Berger pg8).” Their perception of hell and other people\'s perspective now may be different because of what they learned and experienced versus what we learned and experience.

As a child I not only learned these things from my parents but the mosque I started attending from a very young age. I grew up believing in the same idea that there is a heaven and hell and that one day were all going to die and wake up to be judged by god. This is what I was taught and it is what I remembered, its what I live my life based off of till this very day.

He gives another example when he states “When in love, the sight of the beloved has a completeness which no words and no embrace can match : a completeness which only the act of making love can temporarily accommodate(Berger pg 8).” It\'s amazing to me how being in love can be another type art, it can either make you or break you. Some people view love as happiness and joy while others see it as hurt and betrayal.

The second chapter of the book has no words, only images of woman. He aligns so many images of woman in different time periods and settings such as photos of modern women artwork and oil paintings of women which were “Nudes”.  He later describes in chapter 3 the correlation between men and women explaining how not only society but images have always viewed men and women differently. It is what are minds are trained to think, that men have all the power and the woman are weak following behind a man.



Haven't Found an Essay You Want? Get Your Custom Essay Sample
For Only $13.90/page
Place An Order