Appreciation of Literature and Film 2

The statement, “The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it,” resonates with me deeply, particularly when I think of the life and work of the musician and artist David Bowie.  Ever since I was a little kid my mom has played David Bowie through the house.  This statement is a very bold saying, it appears aggressive and even risky.  However, once you give this statement more thought, it reveals a more profound reality where human creativity and desire are more complex and confusing.  Bowie is a great example to examine the relevance of this phrase because of his unstoppable investigation of identity and change, which is consistent with Wilde’s assertion that surrendering to temptation can be a path to emancipation.  David Bowie, who is frequently recognized as one of the 20th century’s most inventive and significant artists, accepted the idea of giving in to temptation as a defining feature of his work as well as in his personal life.  Throughout his career, Bowie’s fearless experiments with various characters, musical genres, and cultural movements characterize his career.  From his hit songs like Ziggy Stardust to The Thin White Duke, Bowie’s tendency to play roles frequently defied social expectations.  This was a clear act to give into temptation- the need to investigate every aspect of human existence, no matter how sinister or controversial.  According to Wilde’s saying, temptation is a natural component of the human brain and cannot be wished away.  The temptation to explore one’s darker side, one’s desires, in Wilde’s view, is a natural, even necessary aspect of being human.  In the case of Bowie, this temptation was reflected in both his private and public selves.  He was never one to shy away from temptations, he has been very open about all this such as his drug use, experimentation with gender fluidity, and acceptance of many sexual identities.  Instead of suppressing his temptations, they were incorporated into his creative output and became a component of his brilliance.  David Bowie was able to overcome the constraints of traditional identification by accepting his own paradoxes and impulses.  Instead of resisting temptation, he made use of it to create and reinvent himself.  Bowie broke the “Social Standards” and “social Expectations” by giving into his temptation as a way to explore the multiple sides of himself and escape, ultimately leading to him pushing the limits of music and art, rather than losing control of his decaying moral.  Bowie follows Wildes’s theory of temptation, demonstrating that openly embracing one’s desires rather than suppressing them is the path to creative freedom.  Like Wilde, bowie recognized that the artist’s capacity to produce challenging and inspirational works is frequently fueled by temptation, whether it be the desire to embrace a taboo, take on an unorthodox character, or explore one’s dark side.  His ability to shut off outside talk and explore uncharted territory, no matter how controversial it is, is what allowed him to remain a revolutionary figure in popular culture.  Wildes’s saying highlights the value of accepting one’s temptations as a means of developing oneself and one’s work.  It’s not about indulging for the sake of indulging, it’s about realizing how these urges work and when accepted and acknowledged, can contribute to the development of the artist’s distinct voice.  Bowie and many other artists like him were able to push the limits of what they could be and transcend social norms by giving in to temptation.  True creative freedom frequently resides in accepting our contradictions and impulses, as Wildes’s comments remind us in a world where submitting frequently seems like the safer option.  Perhaps, as Wildes suggests, the only way to rid ourselves of our temptations is to give in to them, because in doing so, we may just discover the freedom to express our most authentic selves.  

“Experience is merely the name men give to their mistakes” -Oscar Wilde

This aphorism stood out to me because of the shocking nature of the sentence. It really made me take a second to think while I was reading. I agree with this approach to life.

I think that, as one goes through life and lives through so many experiences, we have more  regrets than we care to tell others. But in an attempt to make ourselves feel better we look back on life with rose colored glasses and romanticize times that we were living in that we weren’t even enjoying, but because the past is not our reality anymore, we miss it. As a human that has made so many mistakes, I take examples from my own life. I do have a sense of appreciation for my mistakes in a way, I acknowledge that maybe I was supposed to hurt that person or let someone down to strengthen my character to where I never hurt someone in that manner again, but to brush it off and say that I learned from my mistake kind of invalidates the person that I hurt. I think that a proper response to the bad things that I have done would be to look back on the action with a sense of regret and empathy for the person hurt by my actions.

A piece of art that I think relates to this idea is the song “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher. The general idea of the song is, as the title indicates, how the artist wishes that she could turn time back to take back her mistakes. This kind of relates to The Picture of Dorian Gray in a way because the story focuses a lot on the concept of time and how Dorian wishes he had more of it. One of the lyrics of the song is “I’d take back those words that have hurt you.” The lyric is very straightforward in what it means, but it shows the deep regret that the artist has for causing someone pain, which is all that you can do once you have done an action and the consequences have played out. Both The Picture of Dorian Gray and “If I Could Turn Back Time” represent the weight that time holds over all of us, and how it cannot be taken back once we lose it. But the difference is that Cher takes full accountability and Dorian refuses to take any accountability. We all should be sad to know that we have hurt someone else. Creating art and music is something that humans do to ease the pain of hurting each other.

While I agree that experience really is just mistakes rebranded, I think that people try to rebrand their mistakes as a learning experience, which is true, but it’s also much more than that. I think that mistakes have consequences and they catch up to you if you don’t truly regret them. But also, some mistakes are just learning lessons if they don’t hurt anyone.

There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.

By now, everyone has heard of the term banned books. These books usually bring up topics of race, sexual orientation, or generally sensitive topics. Because of the themes and material in these books, the school districts, or even the government, decide that these books should not be read or taught in public schools. However, these books can be considered classics. The main book that comes to mind when I am thinking of a classic band book is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird teaches many lessons and explores themes of racial injustice, courage, social injustice, the loss of innocence, and the importance of teaching education with a sense of morality. Because of these issues, many school districts have deemed this book as having sensitive topic material, therefore banning the book. In a sense, this is a bit ironic as a key theme in the book is how we should teach different perspectives and stand up for what is right regardless of social ideals or pressure. I remember, and I know many before me remember, reading this book in middle school and it becoming a major influence in how many people see the world. I think this book was able to instill a sense of empathy in me and many other students, as we see a man facing rape allegations because of racial prejudices. To me, this book is very insightful and can teach many lessons, but to many, namely the government, this book has sensitive topics that shouldn’t be taught in schools and should be left to be read outside the classroom. We as humans believe that we are able to determine immorality in a book, therefore believing we can censor it from the youth of our society. 

This example can be connected to this specific aphorism written by Oscar Wilde. Wilde claims that morality and immorality show no significant difference in a book, it is purely if a book is well written or not. I completely agree with this aphorism, as I think a well written book is meant to teach you a lesson. Many books and stories have elements in them that I do not necessarily condone or agree with, but the themes and ideas explored within the stories can be applied in many situations. This is what makes a well written book. Although To Kill a Mockingbird has some sensitive topics and things I certainly don’t condone, the message conveyed throughout the entire book and the things you can learn from it show that this is a well written book. Harper Lee was able to tell and convey her ideas in the novel through one story, but stripping it down to just the messages proves that, although there are some sensitive topics, we can use and learn from what happened in the novel itself to apply the messages to other situations. This is why I agree with Wilde’s aphorism: we can always learn ideas and lessons from well written books, regardless of the morality or immorality of the story itself.

All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril.  

I was drawn to this aphorism for many reasons. The way it is so profound and really makes you think about how many different meanings one piece of art can have. From the viewers’ first glance all the way to the artist’s true intentions, there are countless ways of interpreting what art can mean. The second half of this aphorism can be true in some cases. Sometimes ignorance is bliss and not knowing a piece of art’s real meaning can be better than finding out what the artist intended.  

This statement from Wilde reminds me of one of my favorite singers, Hozier. Much of his music, while being so good, carries deeper meanings that many listeners may not fully grasp on their first listen. His intricate lyrics are so captivating when you start to understand what his songs are talking about. 

One song that this aphorism really reminded me of is Francesca from his most recent album Unreal Unearth. On the surface, this is an intense love ballad. While starting off slow and very lyrical, it builds up to a very powerful rock-like chorus. The song continues to build up and the ending is almost overwhelming. The vocals and the drums really stand out in this song making it like some sort of anthem. You can hear the pain and frustration in his voice.  

Below the surface of this song is a tragic love story about Francesca da Rimini and Paolo from Dante’s Inferno, a 13th century poem that depicts the nine circles of hell. This song talks about the second level of hell, lust. In this specific story, Francesca and Paolo commit adultery, are murdered, then condemned to the second circle of hell. The song is from the perspectives of both Paolo and Francesca, saying they would do it all again and they do not regret their actions.  

These lyrics from Paolo’s perspective, “I’ll tell them put me back in it, darling, I would do it again,” emphasize how he does not regret anything and is happy to be burning in hell if it means he gets to be with Francesca forever.  It is a powerful declaration of his devotion to Francesca. He would relive their tragic fate just to experience the love they had again.  

The final lyrics of the song, “Heaven is not fit to house a love like you and I,” reinforce how this lustful relationship has been all consuming. He goes so far as to say their love was so remarkable, Heaven would not be able to withstand how powerful it is.  

Relating back to the aphorism, this song could mean so many different things depending on how the listener interprets the lyrics. The song is very moving and passionate on the surface but underneath it has a darker meaning. While the story is very romantic, it’s also tragic, illustrating a perilous journey driven by intense and doomed love.  

The aphorism I chose to analyze from the preface of Oscar Wildes, The Picture of Dorian Gray is, “The only thing that one should do with good advice is pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself.” Wilde is referencing how most of the time people chose to give great advice or words of wisdom to others, however they never seem to implement this advice to themselves or with conflicts arising in their own lives. I personally agree with this aphorism by Wilde because I have had experiences in my life where I seem to have all the right words or things to say to others in moments of need but cannot do the same for myself when it comes to my own life and issues ive had in friendships, relationships, or other circumstances that are similar to what my peers have gone through. Another literary work that coincides with Wildes aphorism that I had encountered in my high school English class is Scott. F. Geralds, The Great Gatsby. In the novel and film, the reader sees the characters Daisy and Nick Carraway provide advice to those around them but fail to correct their own actions and decisions that they have made. I recall early in the novel when daisy had stated that she hopes her daughter is a, “I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool”. This advice she shares is contradictory to herself and the life she has settled for because Daisy is anything but unaware of her situation with her adulterous husband and allows him to have an affair despite her own wishes because she wants this lavish lifestyle that her husband can provide her with. Nick Carraway is also a prime example of this aphorism by Wilde because he is socially aware of all the mistakes people are making around him and how poorly things could go, however he remains in these troubling situations despite knowing the wrongdoings of his peers. Nick Carraway often shares advice on not being judgmental towards others and being open minded, however he often passes judgement onto others especially Tom and Daisys relationship and their dynamic, especially how daisy refuses to leave him despite his infidelity. Nick also shares his thoughts about solely being an observer at Gatsbys party and not indulging in drinking like the other attendee’s. Despite his prior commitment to only observing he decides to engage in others’ behaviors at the party and gets drunk contradicting his agreement and advice to himself about remaining sober despite attending Gatsby’s party. Through these examples it has furthered my agreement of Oscar Wildes aphorism and proves to me that despite what advice people give to others, they will still contradict themselves and refuse to take their own advice despite knowing it is the right thing to do because of their own motives and wants when it comes to engaging with others and their decisions in social settings. I believe that Wildes aphorism applies to people today and how I’ve seen others around me directly go against their own advice to others because they don’t want the same for themself even if they know that they would be better off if they chose to follow their words of wisdom that they project onto other.  

Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril…

Oscar Wilde in the preface of Dorian Gray wrote that, “Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril.” This aphorism was warning to readers that sometimes, digging too deeply whether into ourselves, others, or the world around us can more often than not lead to unexpected consequences. This idea plays out in many stories but the stories I will be referencing are Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and A Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. While these stories were set in two completely different time periods I feel as though both do a good job of exploring the risks of obsession and losing oneself in something or someone. (Also my Twilight phase is coming back so I figured why not talk about it in my blog post!)

At first glance, Twilight is a forbidden love story about a human and a vampire. Bella Swan, a human girl who moves to the town of Forks, Washington and Edward Cullen, a vampire who has lived in the town for centuries. As the movie progresses we see Bella fall head over heels into the world of vampires, inside this obsession we see that Bella is willing to give up everything, her friendships, her family, and even her most important trait, her humanity. Bella doesn’t just love Edward, she makes him her entire world, the soul source of her joy. It’s in this obsession that the true danger exists. I agree with Wilde’s aphorism as it relates to Twilight. Bella goes beneath the surface of a seemingly perfect romance and finds something far more dangerous than a simple high school relationship.

Edward’s struggle is similar to Bella’s. He loves Bella, but his love is inherently darker, and thus his obsession with Bella causes him to push her away and change the most integral part of himself out of fear of hurting her. The more deeply Edward falls for Bella, the riskier their love becomes. This reminds me a lot of Dorian Gray, where Dorian tries to live a life of pleasure and beauty and extravagance, while ignoring the darker consequences of his morally gray choices. He believes he can stay young and perfect forever while his portrait absorbs the ugliness of his sins. But as time passes, his misdeeds catch up to him, just like how Edward’s inner struggle of hurting Bella threatens to take over.

Both Twilight and Dorian Gray show that obsession whether with love, beauty, or immortality can come at a cost. I believe that Wilde’s aphorism continues to be true as Bella is so eager to be a part of Edward’s world that she barely questions what she is giving up when she goes below the surface. Edward is obsessed with protecting Bella that he tries to control her choices similar to how Dorian is so afraid of facing his true self that he destroys the one thing that can possibly memorialize his beauty. I believe these characters prove Wilde’s point, once you go too deep, you may not be able to come back.

With that being said, I don’t agree nor disagree with Wilde’s aphoristic warning. While I agree that there is risk involved with diving too deeply into something, I also believe that’s how we learn and grow. For example, Bella eventually learns that she can love Edward without completely destroying herself, and Edward eventually after a ton of trial and error finds a way to love Bella without sacrificing his vampire nature. Although Dorian met a tragic end I think that he too realized that he couldn’t run from his sins forever.

So, I guess I do agree with Wilde, because I know obsession can be dangerous but I think avoiding falling into something just because it’s inherently dangerous isn’t the answer. I believe that in the end it’s about knowing when you are going to deep before you reach the point of no return.

By Blake Harper

“No artist desires to prove anything” – Oscar Wilde

The aphorism that I chose to use for this post is Oscar Wildes, “No artist desires to prove anything” In my eyes, this aphorism is a valid statement and makes sense in the world of art, although I definitely stand somewhere in the middle with it. More specifically, I feel that it speaks on the free-flowing aspect of art and how it comes together as it is created, while also not considering artists who produce their works based on things they see or have in front of them. Although some artists include intention, those including Bob Ross, who is someone I’m aware of, chose not to a lot of times. As I read this aphorism the specific work of art that first popped into my head was Bob Ros’s, “Happy Little Trees”. This painting had popped up on my Instagram and I really liked the way that it looked. I even screenshotted it and saved it to my camera roll. For some reason I was intrigued by the detail and layering of this piece, it genuinely seemed like I was actually in front of a river surrounded by various trees and wilderness. I then searched for the painting on the Internet and found various videos of Bob painting the original “Happy Little Trees”. This painting happened to have a video of its creation which you don’t always see. In the video, Bob painted with such joy and freedom and it was crazy to watch the painting just come to life. Additionally, as Bob painted, he spoke about his techniques and the various ways he would achieve a different effect in his work. In this specific example, it was evident that Bob painted with no intention and sort of just let things come to life in front of him. He slowly added strokes and took glances at the entire canvas, tweaking things as he went on. In general, Bob made his decisions with no inspiration besides his brain and ended up painting a beautiful canvas with so much realistic detail and effect. This painting was the first to pop into my head when reading the specific aphorism and sort of gave reason for the part of me that stands with it. On the other hand, the reason why part of me didn’t stand with the aphorism, is my own experiences. In my life, there have been many different occasions where I have witnessed art with intention. Some of these different examples include when my family and I went to Vermont with blank canvases and each painted a specific scene from our hike as well as when I got myself painted at the carnival. In sum, there are some works of art in existence that sprout from the inspiration of something preexisting as there are also works completely original. With that being said, I partly stand with Wilde’s aphorism that reads, “No artist desires to prove anything” as it is true, just in specific circumstances. Art comes in all different ways and has no limits to what it can be.

By Delaney Gladson

In the preface of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde states that “No artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style.” When I read this statement, I immediately questioned its validity. I do not think that this statement is true. I do believe that meaningful art can be created from personal experiences, but if personal experiences are all the artist is basing their art after, the art might begin to get a little stale. I think empathy and the ability to understand another person without necessarily agreeing with them is a very important factor in creating art and that it allows for new stories that are moving and interesting, which is the opposite of what Wilde says.

For example, the TV show Yellowjackets is about a girls soccer team whose plane crashes in the wilderness on the way to nationals. The show jumps between two timelines, one that focuses on the girls immediately after they crashed, and one that focuses on the adult women years after they were rescued from the wilderness. In the show, one of the girls, Shauna, experiences monumental loss and grief in the wilderness. Her best friend dies as a result of an argument they had, leading Shauna to immense guilt, she looses the baby she was carrying, and she is forced to kill to survive. The writers then show how these tragedies might affect someone later in their life through Shauna’s relationship with the daughter she had after she was rescued, her relationship with grief and guilt, and her relationship with the other girls she crashed with. Of course, none of these things are events that the writers had to endure, but they are able to step into the shoes of someone who had these experiences to create an interesting and complex character. 

This example is also related to Wilde’s aphorism “It is the spectator, and not life, that art mirrors.” I agree with this, and I feel like it ties into ethical sympathy. Ethical Sympathy is not a crutch in art, it is a tool that artists can use to make people look inward and create new perspectives on life, which is one of the best things about art. Anytime you are watching a TV show, reading a book, or examining the relationship between characters in art, you start to think about what you would do if you were in that situation. While can depict a scene in daily life, oftentimes, this art makes the viewer think about their own life and their own place in society. Using Shauna from Yellowjackets as an example again, there are several scenes that are just a depiction of something that would happen in everyday life, but it is the way that Shauna reacts to these events that make the viewer sympathize with her and wonder what they would do themselves. Art is also interpreted differently by every person, meaning that people bring what they know and feel to the art and use that to examine what it might mean to them, proving that Wilde is right when he says that art mirrors the spectator.