Monday, April 13, 2009


The Rhime of the Ancient Mariner in relations to omens and objects
What is a good-luck object and can we marry/ be with a good-luck object? Could the albatross represent what we see within our society today with the Hugh Hefners and their young bunnies?Could these people we 'love'; these trophies, be objects for us?

There is an issue when attempting to label someone's love as objectified. Would that person, you're attempting to judge, then not try to justify the relationship they have as personally meaningful to them? Simply because you label an older/younger relationship as objectifying certainly does not mean others will. Each relationship has to be left to its own criterion. There can't really be any overall consensus by others. That really boils down to simple gossip and judgmental attitudes, in the end. 

Multiculturalists tell us to stop valuing the author. That there are no geniuses. And an issue has come up as to whether the labeling of artists as geniuses is gendered. Why so many academic books focused on male achievements throughout history? You never see women authors or painters or composers researched. This could all be resolved; however, by simply ceasing to debate over it and write the much needed book about a female geniuses. And if it were a woman who wrote the book would they, hopefully, not be able to write an un-objectified account of that artist?

Is the idea of the Renaissance a fallacy? The idea of the human? Well, everything does, in fact, influence us, so there is actually no thing or idea we can ever produce or invent that has not been influenced, in some way, by some action made upon us. Simple Cause and Effect. 


Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Multiculturalism and 'Great Art'

As Zadie Smith points out in an interview:
If a writer berates you with an idea, then you cannot trust them. The biggest obstacle to life is vanity (self-deception); it is also the biggest obstacle to art. Art is an analogy of morals. We should attempt to be truthful and honest as an adult, and by achieving this we need to construct our perspective from different points of view. 

Multiculturalism 
"Culture wars"  is fight between the left and the right. The right simply views Shakespeare as genius. The left; however, wants more minority in the cannon. 

We can view someone like Zadie Smith as propaganda for the left. Is she then still really Zadie Smith? Zadie Smith vs. 'Zadie Smith' 

Shall we call her book great art? This was a question arising in class as to what to label the novel if it delivered on our expectations. Well the expectations on the board, were certainly not my expectations, and I'm sure they were not others as well. Shouldn't aesthetics of art be based on individual interpretation rather than overall consensus?  

This family within the story prides themselves on being a family practicing free thinking, yet they refuse to acknowledge their own son's desire to free himself intellectually, from their oppression, and seek out answers for himself. A little hypocritical it would seem.