The ‘Uncanny’ Eye

Abstract

This paper draws from Sigmund Freud’s reference to the Evil Eye
in his essay titled ‘The “Uncanny”’. The concept is expounded as
part of the psycho-cultural space we live in. This paper argues that
the eye and its association to, and importance in literature and art is
not without purpose. It is entrapped in centuries of belief in the
power of the eye as the possible/plausible instrument of change.
The purpose of this paper is to suggest reasons for such faith in the
powers of the eye and show the variety of imagery the concept of
‘sight’ allows us in the arts.