One of the concepts that we discussed in today's class was the relationship between text and image to create/produce meaning. More specifically, bitextual theory, or the way in which the "text and image engage in terms of shared subject and cultural context... and furthermore, the way in which the reader engages with the image and text to create meaning..." (Kooistra). Personally, when I read, I tend to focus on the text rather than the images because I assume that's where the 'story' or meaning is. However, if a picture is especially striking, such as unique art styles or colours, it will intrigue me to create a story between the text and image that transcends just the text by trying to find nuances or allusions within the image. The most striking thing about the relationship between text and image is that these concepts are gendered. Text is masculine, whereas image is feminine. This gendered concept speaks to the idea that patriarchy invades even books. The text being masculine insinuates that it is in control and the voyeur, whereas, the image is there to follow the text and for the pleasure of watching (similar to Laura Mulvey's theory, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema"). Typically, books (text and image) are a product of its cultural moment, therefore, it is the reader's job to subvert the narratives or find subtexts that speak to the way certain concepts such as race, gender, sexuality, and class that are relevant in our time; which many not be so obvious within the text itself.