One of the cinema's main goals is to use two distinct contrivances to create pleasure for the viewer. More often than not, especially in the era of Old Hollywood, the straight, white male's view is catered to above all else. The male gaze is engaged by the first device, "scopophilia, or the pleasure of looking at an object"(Thaggert, 482). Said object is usually a scantily clad or ornately made up white woman with pretty blonde hair who talks in a breathy voice. The second device utilized is narcissism, which is combined with scopophilia. The male protagonist is often portrayed as good looking, heroic and superior to most other men and the male audience member is fascinated by the fact that he somewhat resembles the protagonist; he takes pleasure in recognizing himself on a movie screen. White women may also take pleasure in recognizing themselves as the object of desire on the screen. They identify with the construction of white womanhood, the ideal of the white suburban housewife ornately dressed, caring for a pristine household. Although the white female audience member is represented as an object, she sees herself as worthy of the ideal male protagonist's fondness, which serves to validate her existence and ego. .
But what does the absence of a black female character convey to the black females in the audience? Since they cannot see themselves in the white male protagonist or the objectified white woman, who is the black woman meant to identify with? It is through the minor or absent representation that black women learn to read between the lines of what is being presented to them and attempt to substantiate the black female gaze. What pleasure is available for the black female audience member when viewing Imitation of Life? There are two versions of the movie; one directed by John M. Stahl (1934) and one directed by Douglas Sirk (1959), but they both follow the same basic plot: a black single mother and her light-skinned daughter move in with a white single mother.
