Appreciation of Literature and Film 2

By Meghan Lord

“It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors.”  – Oscar Wilde

Or in other words that you may be more familiar with, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. This sentiment has been expressed in art since the beginning of the written word, in ancient Grecian texts, Shakespearian plays, 18th-century political essays, and 19th-century novels (site). Many have also often claimed that art mirrors life, which Wilde denies in this aphorism. I must agree, that when we look into art we most often try to see ourselves. Humans are egoistic creatures, and we tend to place ourselves at the center of whatever we’re observing in order to make sense of it. A key aspect of artistic expression is that it’s a shared experience in which every person who observes it adds their perspective. When reading poetry, listening to music, or looking at a painting, we’re viewing it from a point of view colored by our personal history, values, and thoughts. I find it incredible that dozens of people could observe one piece of art, but depending on what matters to the individual they could all see something different in it. What a person sees in a piece of art mirrors some aspect of themselves.

For example, one of my favorite poems is T.S Elliot’s “Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”. The poem is about the woes of life at the beginning of the 20th century and the anxieties of adulthood. Despite how different life is today from the early 1900s, the poem still strikes a chord with readers because it continues to mirror independent experiences. Reading the poem as a high school student over a century after it was written, I applied my own perspective to it and my response mirrored my personal experience more than anything else. The line “Do I dare – Disturb the universe?” (Elliot 45-46) always stood out in my mind. My emphasis on that aspect of the poem reflected my point of view centered around a desire to affect the world around me, balanced with the anxiety of affecting change. It may not have been the intention of the poet and everyone who reads the same line may take away a different meaning. There are many themes touched on in the poem, but in my reading, the anxiety around wanting to make a change in life felt more relevant than anything else. This doesn’t mean that it was the most relevant to society as a whole but shows that disturbing the universe is a value particularly important to me as the reader. Life has changed a lot since that poem was written, but it remains relatable to people because of how they apply their own experiences. I believe that meaning lies in the beholder, and that meaning reflects deeper desires and values within the individual.

Sophie Santos

The Peril of Stan

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

This Aphorism focuses on the multifaceted layers inside any given art piece. If you asked any artist about their works, they would never tell you that it is just a painting, a poem, or a song, there is always a deeper meaning. Art is intentionally created to invoke emotion or a feeling and those who decide to find the deeper meaning are to do so at their advisory. Art can invoke such powerful emotion that Wilde advises you to search for these meanings at your advisory. I found that this Aphorism reminds me of the song Stan by Eminem and its story. The song details a story from the perspective of an Eminem super fan who reads so deeply into Eminem’s lyrics that he feels he has formed a deep, seemingly romantic relationship with Eminem.

The song details the letters that Stan, a fictional character, sends to Eminem. In the beginning, the letters seem tame and seemingly harmless, yet as time goes on Stan becomes more enraged at the fact that Eminem hasn’t written back. Stan feels a deep connection to “Slim Sady” who is an alter ego that Eminem uses in his songs. Slim Shady fictionalized caricature of Eminem, a character who is a sadist who lives a life of evil and torture. Stan addresses the letters to Slim and not Eminem, which displays that Stan is not a fan of Eminem yet a super fan of the violence-loving fictional character Slim Shady. Stan details how his girlfriend is pregnant and how he plans to name his daughter after “Slims” daughter, he discusses how he has faced some of the same struggles with self-harm as “Slim”, and he highly expresses to him how they are so alike that they must meet, and perhaps “be together too”. The rest of the letters written to Eminem detail how he is exhausted of feeling neglected at the hands of Eminem, so he takes action. The final memo he sends is a tape of him in the car on a stormy night. Stan expresses how he has taken drugs and alcohol and is driving on the freeway with his pregnant girlfriend tied up in the trunk. He proceeds to drive the two of them off of a bridge and sinks the car into the water, following the direction of a scenario that occurred in one of Eminem’s songs under the imaginary persona of Slim Shady. 

At the end of the song, Eminem responds to all of the letters that Stan had sent. He assures Stan that he is not Slim Shady and that when he writes songs using that persona he is not doing the things that he sings about. He tells Stan that he is sorry for responding so late, yet his main focus is checking in on Stan because his previous letters were alarming. The letter from Eminem ends with him pleading with Stan to get some help before he does anything dangerous, he then realizes that a news story he had heard about a couple drowning in a car accident was Stan. 

Eminem wrote this song because he was alarmed by the number of letters he had been receiving about people idolizing the behavior of Slim Shady. He used the song as a platform to remind his listeners that they shouldn’t actualize the behavior in his songs because they are fiction. Eminem wanted the world to know that he was just an artist who used storytelling as a way to create his art. This reads similarly to the Aphorism “All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril”. Eminem’s fans and “Stan’s” had been reading into his words in the wrong way, causing themselves harm. After the release of the song, Stan, Eminem’s songs became constructed in a clearer manner to which the listener would be better able to understand real life from fiction. This contesting to the aspect of  “Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril”, that in though finding a deeper meaning within art is functional, and personal, it can be very dangerous to the beholder.

The Beauty in Appreciation

By Margaret Stapleton 

“Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault.” – Oscar Wile “The Picture of Dorian Gray”

I agree with this aphorism that is found in the beginning of the book The Picture of Dorian Gray. It speaks to the nature of two things; aesthetic appreciation and moral character. This aphorism suggests that when we see something beautiful we should appreciate it. This could mean by complimenting it or working to understand it. When we attach ugly meanings to it we take away from the original joy it brought onto us. I believe that when a person intentionally tries to tear down something beautiful it greatly speaks to their own character. The act of turning something ugly is a horrible thing to do and Wilde would call the person doing it “corrupt”. The word corrupt is defined by acting wrongfully for personal gain. Which is exactly what a person tearing something down is doing. It can be assumed that they are insecure with themselves and make a point to make themselves look better. 

It is also apparent that someone who always looks for the ugly can’t have an appreciation for beauty. This leads to a lack of aesthetic appreciation, which is important for creating joys in life. If a person has a constant negative outlook on life, then it becomes a lot more difficult for them to find happiness. For example, there is a correlation between appreciating the little things in life and being happy. If someone has a constant negative outlook then they are subconsciously telling themselves that everything is ugly and bad. Overall, creating a life without joy. Along with this, the act of seeking out the ugly reflects a lack of empathy or understanding. This leads to a failed appreciation for other human experiences, making it hard to create meaningful connections and relationships with the people around you. 

To consider this idea in the real world, take art into account. Art itself often serves as a reflection of human experience, and occasionally as a reflection of the artist themselves. When a person immediately views the art as ugly they are missing out on an opportunity to connect with the intentions and emotions. Art is usually inspiring or eye-opening, you just need to try and understand it before it can teach you something. Immediately dismissing a beautiful work of art, because you may think it is ugly, closes you off to a new unique experience. 

In conclusion, the above aphorism highlights the importance of appreciating beauty, and not immediately dismissing it. By trying to connect with beauty we are able to create a more positive outlook on life. Along with that, we are able to learn and form meaningful connections through beauty. Therefore, we are able to create greater appreciation for the world around us.

“All art is at once surface and symbol” 

All Art in the beginning starts with one brush of paint on a blank canvas. You could watch an artist paint for hours and not know what it is or its meaning until it is complete. I believe this Aphorisms “meaning” would be to say while at first when the artist has completed the painting the first thing that catches our eye would be the painting itself and the surface you would look at, the colors and the way the artist shaped the painting to fit the canvas. Then as you begin to investigate the picture you start to understand what it symbolizes; that is when you completely see the beauty in true art. In the picture of Dorian Grey, the portrait of Dorian in the beginning was just the surface of Art it was a painting that had little meaning with and overwhelming statement of beauty. When characters look at the painting, they see a simple portrait and do not even grasp the meaning of the painting that it becomes. Dorian begins to find the symbolism that comes as a surprise in the painting, the painting follows Dorian throughout the story and what decisions he makes in life the painting represents his “soul.” Where you really begin to see symbolism is the first time Dorian sees change, the picture does not look the same he notices a slight change in this mouth Dorian begins to see the painting as something other than just a surface. Art begins to show Dorians soul fading away as he begins to make life decisions that are not good, and he begins to make bad decisions. As he attends the play that he fell in love with the girl that I think could have saved Dorian, He leaves Sibyl for lack of acting, he changes into a person I feel like we did not see in the beginning. But I do not think that is where we really see the change. I think not going back to apologize and going to see King Henry instead and causing Sibyl to end her life is where we see the painting become a full symbol of his soul. You see the painting in color in the movie and I liked that we got to see that, seeing the painting really can represent his past and the damage that he went through mentally. In the movie you see all the symbolism that you cannot really visualize in the book. When they have the bloody hand that can just be seen as the surface but as we investigate it, we see that the painting represents the intentions that Dorian already has made in his soul against Basil. This Aphorism shows that at first you cannot see the true meaning behind people or art you must look closer to see the true meaning of people before you start to judge or before you start to give trust.  

“It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors,”

Wilde’s statement shows us that art isn’t a mere mirror to reality, but shaped by the views, emotions, and experiences of those who interact with it. His aphorism likens art to a language, where the artist serves as the speaker and the audience as the attentive listeners, each contributing to the ongoing conversation.

When we encounter a piece of art—be it a painting, a musical composition, a film, or a piece of literature—we don’t merely passively observe; we become active participants in the creative process. We infuse the artwork with our own feelings, experiences, and interpretations. This dynamic interaction between the artist’s intent and the viewer’s perception crafts a unique and intimate experience for each individual.

Art can serve as a window to various aspects of life. Observers can not only try to understand the artist’s original message, but they can take away whatever they want from it. The artist’s thoughts become a signature on the artwork, and while influencing our understanding of it, one person can understand something completely different from another. Like in the movie “Fight Club.” While the original author may have had a specific message and vision, its fans often take away their own unique interpretations. Some might even idolize a character like Tyler Durden and adopt his way of life, showcasing how viewers can uncover personal meaning in art that moves past the artist’s initial intent.

Art doesn’t exclusively belong to the artist; it belongs to everyone who engages with it. The artist initiates the conversation, yet it’s the observers who can breathe life into it with their own sentiments and thoughts. Art becomes a form of time travel, speaking to people in the past, present, and future. It surpasses time and space, establishing connections and shared experiences across generations. This interaction between art and individuals resides in the point that the artist provides a starting point, and viewers infuse their own views onto the canvas. This connection underlines the power of human expression. It reminds us all that we possess the capacity to find meaning and create something extraordinary from what we look at and feel in the realm of art.

To finish off, Art isn’t a passive replica of life, but rather an active and ever-evolving dialogue between the artist and the audience. It functions as a language that transcends boundaries, speaking directly to the core of human emotions and experiences. The interpretation of art is an intimately personal and transformative process, with each observer contributing their distinct perspective, enriching the world of art with fresh layers of meaning and significance. This interaction between the artist and the spectator encapsulates the true draw to art, highlighting the potential of human expression.

“It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors.” – Wilde

I mostly agree with this aphorism however, I think art can mirror both life and its spectators. For the most part, how we perceive anything is skewed by our life experiences, feelings, and biases. We view art from our own unique perspective and we all gather different ideas from art. When spectators are viewing a piece, it is up to them, and who they are as a person, as to what ideas they project upon it. At the same time, I believe that art also mirrors life because many artists draw on their own experiences to depict things that have actually happened in their lives, or in others’ lives. Artists also look to the world around them and other people for inspiration, which means that art also mirrors life.

As an example, my love for the show Gilmore Girls is definitely a reflection of me and my desires. My love for the seemingly eternal fall weather and decor in a cute little town is a reflection of my love for fall and my desire to live in a quaint little town like Sleepy Hollow. Beyond that, it shows my desire to be a part of a tight knit community of caring people. Watching this show probably also single handedly made me get through all my tough AP courses by channeling my inner Rory Gilmore. Watching this show as a 15 year old girl for the first time meant that through the many boyfriends she had, I of course preferred her with some more than others. This was a reflection of myself and my knowledge of relationships, and who I found most attractive. The use of Rory’s many boyfriends, and the many times she screws up is also an example of art mirroring life. It is the reality of many young people to go through many partners throughout their youth, and to mess up because they’re young and naive. The close relationship between Lorelai and Rory is also a reality of life that many people have. There are so many people who were raised an only child with their mother and have extremely close relationships- this is also a reflection of life.

I agree with Wilde that art is a reflection of the spectator, but I think it is also a reflection of life itself! Since spectators of art are living lives, there are many similar experiences we go through as a whole that can be portrayed in art- love, death, breakups, etc. These universal experiences can be used in art and is a reflection of life, but the way the art is perceived is a reflection of the observer.

Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital.

Diverse opinions on art are extremely important. Oscar Wilde notes that the ideas of the art are intriguing and complex. He is implying that if people disagree on what a piece of art means or if it is subjectively good, then it is bringing a new perspective in the world. This point can be seen through different pieces of media that are more appreciated now compared to when they were created. 

I would relate the significance of this aphorism to Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. This film was critically divisive when it first came out. Many critics and audiences thought it was dull and boring. This is a sentiment I also shared after my first viewing of the film. The movie features very little dialogue and action. Which made some people at the time uninterested. However, after a second viewing I realized how complex and the way the movie was portraying its themes. It grew a following during its release with younger audiences at the time who saw it as revolutionary. This diversity of opinion could be some of what Wilde is referring to. This reflects how at the time the film was maybe too complex for audiences at the time. Also the genre of Science fiction was not as common at the time. 2001 is now considered the first modern science fiction movie and opened up a genre for later more popular Sci-Fi movies.

Wilde’s aphorism could also be referring to different opinions on the meaning of art. Using the same example as before many have different reasoning for why they like 2001: A Space Odyssey. Some people just think of it as a visually epic film and put little thought into the meaning of the film. They think that it is art that should just be appreciated for its visual effects, and the artistry behind it. Others like to find meaning in the film. People state that the long shots of boarding ships in space makes the actual star ship a character. They also look at the film and see a warning about technology. It shows how in an increasingly technological world we should be careful about how far we go. This film also ushered many films which had a similar theme (Ex Machina, Terminator, Matrix, Wall-E, Ect). 

Diversity of opinion is essential in every art. It allows people to open up dialects about real world issues relating to art. I agree that the most complex, and thought provoking pieces of art will always be debated about. I believe it is important for art to be enjoyed in different ways. At the end of the day art is subjective, and people will always have different opinions on everything. But the most important art has always been somewhat controversial during its release and even years after. I think when art is still debated about years after its creation it is a true masterpiece. 

“Those who find beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope”

“Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital”

by Maddie Seren

For the most part I think I agree with the aphorisms by Wilde I chose. The first one really resonates with me, because the art I see, watch, listen to, and observe are all beautiful to me in different ways. The artist that creates the art must also think that their product is beautiful, or they wouldn’t have put it out for the world to see. I think that beauty is everywhere and those who also have that same mindset make more beautiful art for the world to become even more beautiful. With that being said, to me that signifies hope, hope that there are still people who see the good and beauty in every day life.

For the second aphorism, I believe that art is controversial, those who put out art for the world are always to expect feedback, whether it be good, bad, or both. All opinions and critique is good publicity regardless of what is said. Attention being brought up about a piece of art shows that it gets people thinking and that it creates a world of new perspectives that people share. Art is meant to be talked about, criticized, and picked apart and to show the goods and bads of life. Not everyone is going to love every piece of art and some will, and those opinions are meant to be shared and show how they are multifaceted.

One of my favorite artists is Harry Styles, he is multitalented and he has the awards and broken records to show for it. He is someone who seems to be either loved or hated, with few in-between. His main form of expression is through his music, although he does some acting too. In his songs, his lyricism tends to deal with his emotions while keeping it vague. Out of his three albums he has released as a solo artist, his first album, self-titled “Harry Styles”, I feel is his most raw and emotional. Although most of the songs on that album tend to be a bit somber, he finds way to bring beauty into some of his lowest moments. Whether that be through the lyrics, the melodies, or even the music videos. In his song, Ever Since New York, he sings about how he found out about the death of his step dad who he was close with. The lyrics are terribly sad, but the sound of the guitar and when he hits the high notes, you are able to hear and feel him work through an emotional time through his music. You feel his passion and love and feel the beauty and light he is bringing to the situation.

Although I believe his music to be beautiful and enjoyable, not everyone agrees with me, and that’s okay. Everyone is entitles to their own opinion. I go online and rave about him while sometimes others go online to discuss how they dislike him. Whether it be his music, the way he dresses or acts, or just the fact that he exists. Regardless of why people are talking about him, they’re still talking about him. There’s diversity in how people respond to his actions or his art. The biggest backlash he got was from wearing a dress in his Vogue cover. Those reactions (positive or negative) simply adds to the fact that art is art and is meant to be discussed and critiqued.

Criticism Feeds Growth

By Harvey Magun

“The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things. The highest as the lowest form of criticism is a mode of autobiography”.

• Oscar Wilde

In my experiences in writing, I have critiqued many essays, variations of poetry, as well as journal entries. While one could be so kind as to tell the author that their writing is “phenomenal” and their diction is “flawlessly breathtaking”, the author will learn little from such empty comments. When reviewing literary pieces, compliments that encompass the entirety of a piece say that the reader has only read on a surface level. There is no evidence of thorough enjoyment of the work when that piece could be more than deserving of such. It is nearly insulting. 

Of course, bombarding the author with continuous negative comments could come across as cruel and make the author feel like their writing is not good enough. Moderation of criticism is a must in that sense. In a review, the criticism should be detailed enough to give the author an aspect of their skills to improve on in either a revision of their piece or an entirely new project. Constructive criticism shows that the reader actually cares about the writing and was invested in the piece. It is a sentiment that means the world to those who share the capacity to appreciate the positivity of negativity. 

There is a fine line between serious criticism and criticism for fun, though. It can be, however, difficult to discern one from the other. Serious criticism tends to be brief and meant to hint to the author that there is something to be fixed in some way. When criticism is given for fun, the insults seem endless and so far-fetched that it becomes nearly a form of art. I am guilty of formulating such criticism, especially in essays about art analysis. Unfortunately, since there is only so much positivity to state about art without becoming redundant, it is a regrettably favorable path to endlessly insult art with no sight of ways the artist could improve. Both methods lead to one questioning of what the reader views as “good writing”. As much as one could argue that the reader who is serious would understand good art and how to achieve it, one could also say that the mischievous reader does understand the beauty of art, but chooses to diverge completely from it because they know how to avoid effectively reviewing worthwhile work on purpose. It becomes a task of comedic leisure that can quickly turn into an obsession. 

While Oscar Wilde states it quite literally, I feel and cannot help but to agree that in his quote from the preface that he is saying that when a reader becomes the critic, one begins to wonder what drives that criticism to be made and what the critic sees as beautiful. When the most uplifting comments are made, there is no criticism to work from. Inversely, the lowest comments plant seeds for high criticism and growth. As one would write an autobiography, it is much easier to write a lot because one knows their own experiences best. After all, the best criticism is given from experience and practice over time. 

One piece of media that is recalled from Wilde’s quote is the 2007 animated film, “Ratatouille”. Specifically, the character, Anton Ego. For most of the movie, he is regarded as the critic that everyone dreaded due to the reliability of being horrifically negative in his reviews. It became his entire persona. He is only so critical of culinary artists because he knows the true beauty and potential of what a chef’s cooking can be. He does not despise the artists of the kitchen. He delivers his criticism knowing that a negative review will spark change. While every other critic talks about how well Gusteau’s restaurant is becoming, their reviews would only make the chefs continue the same practices because it is what the people like. They would never learn and never grow. Similarly, Dorian Gray only saw that change was necessary when Basil’s painting showed criticism of Dorian’s character. Without the negativity from the painting, Dorian would have stayed superficial and childish. He may have ultimately become a horrible human being who caused many people pain, but people learn through experience and have their fates claim them in whichever way change flows.

“All art is quite useless”

Wilde’s claim of the uselessness of art is a claim I firmly disagree with. Art has a variety of uses depending on the person, and will always find a way to be useful in some way. Music is an art that I use to find relatability  between myself and other people.  Certain songs emit more relatability than others to me. A song that immediately came to mind when I thought of the use of music for relatability would have to be Ups and Downs by the artist KYLE. The song details KYLE having a conversation within himself about his own ups and downs and his management of them.  The song’s use was to show me a shared human experience that at the time I didn’t know existed. That as a human you will experience ups and downs. Everyone has these moments and they have to be able to navigate through them to live their lives. There’s various ways to navigate through these, and KYLE uses this song to show a way to cope with them. He looks within himself and recognizes the bad that plagues his experience as a human being.“Truthfully, honestly, I am a mess I am depressed, I am obsessed With self-deprecating and blamin’ myself Socially lyin’, denyin’ the help” (SOURCE). Immediately following KYLE’s statements he says “but it ain’t so bad”. At a younger age this part of the song spoke the most to me. All of these things that he admits about himself easily affect his day to day life and his perception of events. But it isn’t that bad when KYLE weighs all the good in his life. As we all should when we think about our own ups and downs. The downs still exist but compared to the good in your life it somewhat cancels the amount of bad out. KYLE  the fact that being on TV and the level of stardom he’s reached in his career. The next verse goes into more detail about as well as further to describe ups and downs for the listener. A concept brought up in this song that I would cling to during the period where I loved this song was the concept of your ups and downs being like a coin that flips. Eventually you’ll get the “bad” side and have to experience whatever that entails but vice versa you will get the good side of the coin and be able to reap its rewards. As well another concept being brought up about coping with the ups and down is to try not to dwell on it and be happy in the moment. That a way of getting rid of the bad feeling is to show a good outer appearance. My usage of this song would be finding not just relatability but ways to view a foreign concept to me. I just saw that life can either be good OR bad all the time. That your life either was good or it made you feel miserable all the time. It fueled the fact that I thought my life sucked to make me more defiant on the thought of your life only being only an up or down. If you dwell on the bad moments, you’ll never let the good in life in as well as being unable to appreciate the good moments. Art will never be useless as it holds an infinite number of uses person to person.