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The Gaze (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a seen gaze, but a gaze imagined by me in the field of the other.

The Gaze (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not about sight. It is rarely concerned with the organ of sight. It concerns the rustle of leaves, footsteps in the corridor.

The Gaze (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not necessarily concerned with the organ of sight, by being looked at by two eye-balls. It is given just as well in the sound of a footstep followed by silence, or the slight opening of a shutter, or a light movement of a curtain.

The Gaze (n.) is, ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠on the side of the object whereas the eye that looks is that of the subject. The gaze is that object of the act of looking. The gaze is thus always the gaze of the other.

Gaze (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the way objects look at us. This is why it makes sense to say, for example, that a teddy bear on a shelf cannot be said to 'see' me. This statement has any sense at all only because it is looking at me, all the same.

The Gaze (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the way an objects looks at a subject. From the moment it appears the subject tries to adapt himself to it, he becomes the object that strives to bring itself into alignment with it, fails, and then puts the blame on himself rather than on the object.

The Gaze (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a look but a solicitation of a look. It is a lure, such that when in love, I solicit a look and feel unsatisfied because 'you never look at me from the place from which I see you'.

The Gaze (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the way that an object observes a subject. Thus it is possible that the minister -- in Poe's story, "The Purloined Letter" -- forgets the letter, but the letter does not forget him.

The Gaze (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the way in which an object looks at a subject (who is looking at the object) but from a point at which the subject cannot see.

The Gaze (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a thing under whose thrall I no longer see the eye that looks at me and, if I see the eye, then the gaze disappears.

The Gaze (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠that in looking which emanates from the object, such that when I am looking at an object, the object is always already gazing at me, and from a point at which I cannot see it.

The Gaze (n.) accounts ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠for the 'other' not as suspended in some objectivity out there, but as something that viscerally pierces me, surprises me and rips me out of objectivity, changing all perspectives of my world.

The Gaze (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠that which, in looking at things, slips or passes by, or eludes us and yet is transmitted from stage to stage.

The Gaze (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the idea that even though inanimate objects cannot 'see' us, they are looking at us just the same.

The Gaze (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the object on which the phantasy depends from which the subject is suspended in an essential vacillation.