The Confident Gaze

“The Confident Gaze” written by Shekhar Deshpande is about National Geographic’s May 1997 special issue of the 50th Anniversary of India’s Independence. National Geographic is seen as an educational magazine to the western world. With the informative stories and memorable and unforgettable photographs we are not learning just about our own country and culture, but also about many other countries and cultures around the world.

India turning fifty is a very special celebration marking its independence from Great Britain. On the cover of the magazine is of a child’s face powdered with red Holi colors for the Ganesh Chaturthi Festival in Mumbai, India. Photographed by Steve McCurry, “It’s so beautiful, so culturally diverse. There’s always something you’ve never seen before. That’s the greatest thing for a photographer.”

Deshpande believes that the photographs hold something different for the “western eye” and that photos offer more than just beautiful imagery. “Human suffering becomes worth a good image,” (par.10) a photograph of someone suffering from some kind of tragedy brings out more common emotions, so more people can relate to them suffering more. Bad experiences often times stick out more than good experiences, mostly because from the bad we learn more. Some parts of India are not well off as the western world, they are not as “civilized” as us Americans. If it is not happening to you, you feel better about yourself. Deshpande claims that National Geographic is confirming the belief systems of the “western eye” so we feel more secure with ourselves with the fact that we are well off than India and other countries. “Constructions of self-identity comes through representation/images of the other. The “Third World,” with its iconic generality has represented the backwardness in time and accomplishment to the West,” (Deshpande, par. 15) National Geographic’s intentions may be true to informing the western culture of different culture around the world while providing breathtaking photos. However, Dehpande believes that instead the magazine is just reaffirming our security of being superior to other countries such as India as being inferior. Though we may empathize toward these images of “human suffering,” the “western eye” feels as if we have surpassed all other countries.