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Group Member #1
The article “Cave of the Sulfur Eaters” written by Louise D. Hose provides a brief introduction to cave life and focuses on a particular cave in Tabasco, Mexico in which the life hosted by the cave is based on sulfur. At the bottom of the food chain are the sulfur-oxidizing bacteria colonies, which feed invertebrates and fish. These organisms support the life of spiders and insects. The most interesting aspect of this article is the photography of cave life that is not of our world. The “gaze” that the author had in mind when writing the article is the teacher's gaze, and the article is best read from the perspective of pupil or student. Either identification or difference are established (depending on the reader) by the harsh conditions inherent to exploring a cave whose walls are coted in sulfuric acid. A reader who is an explorer that does not mind getting dirty will identify; just about everyone else will establish difference.
In order to introduce the cave, the author digresses to a long tradition of the local inhabitants: a ceremony practiced by the descendants of the Maya, passed down for generations. The fruit of the tradition is the harvesting of thousands of pounds of the cave fish: sustenance for the local population until the rains bring new crops. By explaining that the ceremony prior to the harvest is conducted by men, the author dons a sense of the ancient, sexist traditions of societies which are “living history.” Other than this feature of the article, I believe that engendering the information is avoided at all costs in order to match more closely the teachers gaze, whose target is not gender specific. Most of the images are clearly intended to educate, but some serve the dual purpose of inciting revulsion. These images include a close-up of a snottite and a rock covered in bacterial colony and miges.
In order to introduce the cave, the author digresses to a long tradition of the local inhabitants: a ceremony practiced by the descendants of the Maya, passed down for generations. The fruit of the tradition is the harvesting of thousands of pounds of the cave fish: sustenance for the local population until the rains bring new crops. By explaining that the ceremony prior to the harvest is conducted by men, the author dons a sense of the ancient, sexist traditions of societies which are “living history.” Other than this feature of the article, I believe that engendering the information is avoided at all costs in order to match more closely the teachers gaze, whose target is not gender specific. Most of the images are clearly intended to educate, but some serve the dual purpose of inciting revulsion. These images include a close-up of a snottite and a rock covered in bacterial colony and miges.
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