Read the passages and answer the items based on them. You are required to select your answers based on the content of the passage and opinion of the author only. Post colonial cultural analysis has been concerned with the elaboration of theoretical structures that contest the previous dominant western ways of seeing things. A simple analogy would be with feminism, which has involved a comparable kind of project : there was a time when any book you might read, any speech you might hear, any film that you saw, was always told from the point of view of male. The woman was there, but she was always an object, never a subject. From what you would read, or the films you would see, the woman was always the one who was looked at. She was never the observing eye. For centuries it was assumed that women were less intelligent than men and that they did not merit the same degree of education. They were not allowed a vote in the political system. By the same token, any kind of knowledge developed by women was regarded as non-serious, trivial, gossip or alternatively as knowledge that had been discredited by science, such as superstition or traditional practices of childbirth or healing. All these attitudes were part of a larger system in which women were dominated, exploited, and physically abused by men. Slowly, but increasingly, from the end of 18thcentury, feminists began to contest this situation. The more they contested it, the more it became increasingly obvious that these attitudes extended into the whole of the culture; social relations, politics, law, medicine, the arts, popular and academic knowledge.
Why was 'she never the observing eye' ?
Women were assumed to be less intelligent than men
Understanding the Passage: Why Women Were Not the Observing Eye
The passage discusses post-colonial cultural analysis and uses feminism as an analogy to explain how previously marginalized perspectives challenge dominant ways of seeing the world. It highlights a time when cultural outputs like books, speeches, and films were presented solely from a male viewpoint.
According to the passage, during this historical period, women were present but were always treated as objects to be looked at, not as subjects who looked or observed. The question asks why this was the case – why was 'she never the observing eye'?
Analyzing the Options Based on the Passage Content
We need to evaluate each option against the specific reasons given in the passage for women's historical lack of representation as the 'observing eye'.
- Option 1: She was beautiful, so she was observed by men.
The passage states women were "looked at," but it does not attribute this to their beauty. The reason provided in the text is related to their societal position and perceived capabilities, not physical appearance. Therefore, this option is not supported by the passage. - Option 2: She liked to be observed by men.
The passage describes the historical situation from the perspective of how women were represented and treated within the dominant culture. It does not discuss women's personal preferences regarding being observed. This option is not mentioned or implied in the text. - Option 3: Women were assumed to be less intelligent than men.
The passage explicitly states, "For centuries it was assumed that women were less intelligent than men and that they did not merit the same degree of education." It further notes that "any kind of knowledge developed by women was regarded as non-serious, trivial, gossip or alternatively as knowledge that had been discredited by science." This assumption of lower intelligence and the devaluing of women's knowledge directly supports the idea that their perspective, their 'observing eye', was not considered valid or important enough to be the dominant viewpoint in cultural representations. - Option 4: Women were assumed to be more intelligent than men.
This option directly contradicts the statement in the passage that women were "assumed to be less intelligent than men."
Based on the analysis, the passage clearly links the historical lack of the woman's 'observing eye' in cultural representations to the societal assumption that women were less intelligent and their knowledge less valuable than men's.
Conclusion: Why Women Were Not the Observing Eye
The passage states that for centuries, cultural narratives were told from a male point of view, with women being the object of observation rather than the observer. The reason provided for this situation is the pervasive societal belief that women were less intelligent than men. This assumption led to women being denied equal education and their knowledge being devalued, effectively silencing their perspective and preventing their 'observing eye' from shaping cultural representations.
Therefore, the reason 'she was never the observing eye' according to the passage is that women were assumed to be less intelligent than men.
Revision Table: Key Concepts
| Concept | Description from Passage | Relation to Question |
|---|---|---|
| Post-colonial cultural analysis | Challenges dominant Western views. | Analogy framework for understanding feminism. |
| Feminism (as analogy) | Comparable project contesting male-dominated views. | Main focus for explaining the 'observing eye' issue. |
| Woman as object | Always "looked at," never the subject or "observing eye." | The situation the question asks to explain. |
| Assumption of lower intelligence | Women assumed less intelligent than men for centuries. | Direct reason given for denying education and devaluing knowledge. |
| Devaluing women's knowledge | Regarded as non-serious, trivial, or discredited. | Consequence of assumed lower intelligence, contributing to silencing their perspective. |
Additional Information: Feminism and Representation
The passage uses the historical struggle of feminism to illustrate how challenging dominant narratives works. Early feminism focused on gaining basic rights like education and voting, directly addressed in the passage. The later understanding, as mentioned in the passage's broader point about culture, recognized that biases extended beyond legal or political spheres into all aspects of culture, including how women were represented (or not represented) as active participants or observers in narratives.
The concept of the 'observing eye' relates to who has the power to define reality and tell stories. When one group is always the observed and never the observer, their perspective, experiences, and knowledge are excluded from the dominant cultural understanding.
The passage argues that the assumption of women's lower intelligence was a fundamental reason for their exclusion from the role of the 'observing eye'. Challenging this assumption and advocating for equal education and validation of women's knowledge were crucial steps in enabling women to become subjects, not just objects, and to contribute their 'observing eye' to cultural production and understanding.
Important Questions from Reading Comprehension
Why, according to the writer can't people be motivated to use a resource prudently?
1. They feel that others may overuse the resource
2. It is possible to substitute the resource
3. Abundance of the resource availability
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
When do people use resources exhaustively?
The self-interest of people affects the use of renewable resources
People rooted in a locality
Which among the following is closest in meaning with the word 'deplete'?
