The concept of desire is one that grants us individuality, yet at the same time makes us uniquely similar to everyone else. The most profound conclusion that we have come to in this class is that desire is socially constructed, that it is created by
The concept of desire is one that grants us individuality, yet at the same time makes us uniquely similar to everyone else. The most profound conclusion that we have come to in this class is that desire is socially constructed, that it is created by our society, not by each individual. And if that is the case, what makes desire so special? Our desires drive our wants and fuel our attraction towards others. Yet, if our desires are so similar then that must mean that the majority our society wants and is attracted to the exact same things. But what is possibly the most interesting idea is that these socially constructed desires seem to yield constructed feelings as well. Our feelings and emotions are not unique to ourselves and our experiences but tend to be uniform among our society. It seems to follow a linear formula of “if this happens, then I am supposed to feel/experience this”. In addition, in today’s media, there is an unrealistic standard of how couples are supposed to act and what is considered ‘good’ and ‘bad’ within a relationship. Also, the over-glorification of concept of “the one” seems not to translate well between fiction and real life. Therefore, in romantic relationships today, it is clear that through imitation couples seek happiness, romance, and desire.
Saussure’s theory of language can be applied to desire. Which comes first, desire itself, or the emotions associated with them? Individuals do not want things or people; they want the feeling that is associated with them. Saurrure says that “ready-made idea exist before words” (Saussure 78), where the idea is the emotion or feeling and the word is the the thing or person that is going to lead them there. If we consider the streetcar in “A Streetcar Named Desire” to be a character in the play, the role it plays is the force that brings Blanche to New Orleans, to her sister, to Stanley, to Mitch, and to where she can recreate her past. It may not that she actually wants any of these things or people, but she wants the feelings that they will bring. This requires that Blanche lack these feelings before she arrives so she has something to aspire to and will be able to measure its value by comparison (Saussure 86).
Why do we want the things or people we do? One reason is because other people already have it. One person’s desire becomes another. And it is not just that they want that thing, they want to feel what the other person feels. Imitation is one popular way to achieve this. Butler presents the idea that through her differences she was defined as “a copy, an imitation, a derivative example, a shadow of the real” (Butler 722). But I find that what we consider normal or ordinary is really the imitation of real. Society accepts normal because it is a concept exercised by the majority. There is nothing unique or real about normal. In this clip from “Dirty Dancing Havana Nights”, these two young people are struggling to be able to dance together. It is not their bodies that are the problem, but there is an emotional feeling that they feel they are lacking. They want to dance together so they can feel this emotion. They decide that the solution to their problem is to imitate another couple.
Disney films have played a significant role in the ways children understand the world and how to feel in it. They learn when to be sad and when to be happy based on imitation. In addition, children cultivate their desires based on the character