Reading Response 7

In Susan Sontag’s essay “In Plato’s Cave”, she writes a passage comparing the camera to a car and to a gun, explaining how the camera “Is as simple as turning the ignition key or pulling the trigger.” Further on Sontag describes how cameras are addictive and that “To photograph people is to violate them, by seeing them as they never see themselves, by having knowledge of them they can never have; it turns people into objects that can be symbolically possessed. Just as the camera is a sublimation of the gun, to photograph someone is a sublimated murder – a soft murder, appropriate to a sad, frightened time.” After reading this passage, Sontag’s views on pictures seems to be that they are so simple to take of anyone, at anytime, and anywhere. But her views on pictures being taken of someone other than your self is a complete violation of that person’s life, and it makes them feel utterly uncomfortable with themselves and with their thoughts of themselves. I disagree with what Sontag has said, and I believe that taking pictures is not murder – it is a way of expressing to people your personality and your likings, things like that. Pictures are proof of memories and they allow you to go back and remember stories that you ordinarily wouldn’t remember from thoughts. If you were to not allow anyone to take photos of you, those memories would be lost. I understand how if a random stranger wanted to take a picture of you, it would make you feel slightly uncomfortable. But that is how you come out of your comfort zone – by letting others see you for who you really are. It can be said that people “put on a show” around others that they do not know. But photos allow you to let go of yourself and be how you truly want to be. Sontag might have exaggerated how taking photos is like murder. That seems far-fetched. Maybe if she hadn’t said that, I would have agreed with her theory. I chose this passage to argue against because I had opposite views than Sontag had. She had some strong claims throughout her essay, and it was a bit difficult to find one to argue against.