Eyes in Steinbeck’s The Snake Essay -- Essays Papers

Eyes in Steinbecks The Snake Eyes, both human and animal, appear as a predominant motif in whoremaster Steinbecks The Snake. Eyes serve not only a descriptive function, but signify two different systems of looking. One mode, embodied by desex Phillips, is scientific the other, embodied by his female visitor, is bestial. Doctor Phillips uses sight to exert control over his environment the adult females way of looking proves more powerful, however, by achieving a truer understanding of the ridiculous impulses that govern the natural world. The description of Dr. Phillips eyes and the eyes of the woman qualify the two opposing worlds they represent. Dr. Phillips, who represents the scientific world, has buggy eyes (74). The adjective mild suggests a lack of emotion the scientific point of view employed by the doctor is wholly rational, and thus negates irrational emotion. Dr. Phillips refusal to acknowledge his emotions is evident in the phrase, he could not kill an insect for pleasure (80). If the doctors mild eyes connote a lack of emotion, then the glow in the womans eyes suggest excitement, arousal, and an embrace of the irrational emotions that the doctor denies (75). The description of the womans eyes also indicates the doctors inability to comprehend the womans mode of looking. The story, though written from a third person perspective, is limited to what the doctor sees, thinks, and feels thus, the description of the womans eyes arise from his interpretations. Words such as dark, veiled, and dusty (78) are attached to the womans eyes in order to suggest mystery. The womans eyes seem mysterious to Dr. Phillips because her mode of looking is alien to him.In his first interaction... ...heir eyes and body movements the doctor is likened to the rat through his unconvincing build and fair hair (74). The rat sees the snake, but remains unconcerned (83). Just as the rat fails to recognize the danger of the snake, Dr. Phillips initially fail s to recognize the danger of the woman. He presumes, incorrectly, that she is just like his other visitors. Only too late does he realize that he can neither determine how she sees, nor exert his own mode of looking over her. She forces him to acknowledge a point of view not only different from his own, but more attuned to the essential disposal of the natural world. This temperament is defined by the irrational urges that exist in every living thing, including the doctor himself. Note1. All references to The Snake are from John Steinbeck, The Long valley (New York, NY Viking, 1938) 73-86.