Essays on Ugliness

Short Paper

The short stories of Beauty and the Beast, The Frog King and East of the Sun and West of the Moon share that common theme of the happily ever ending after in marriage between a man who is not physically appealing. Apart from exploring the archetypal relationship of holy matrimony, there's also the relationship between a daughter and her father that is also explored in this story too - where the girl becomes a woman when she begins to look at someone for who they are instead of what they have or look (Hallett & Karasek, 2008). No matter which ...

The post-colonial epoch in Nigeria was marred with violence and the suffering of the Igbo people under the umbrella of the Biafra. While the quest to secede still continued and undeterred by the deliberate suffering inflicted by the Nigerian government on the people whose intention was well understood, the story takes excellent analogy using two elementary protagonists, Odenigbo, and Olanna. The narration clearly alludes to the change of era in the Africa nation’s history that led to the suffering of the people. However, disputes should always be contained before they escalate to war. The paradigms of the analogy ...

Flannery O’Connor is known for her knack of incorporating Southern values and religious beliefs in all of her stories and novels. Often, the main character goes through a horrific event that extracts views and interpretations of religion from the characters as well as the audience. “Good Country People” is a story about a woman and her daughter, and their reluctance to escape their small world on their country farm. Mrs. Hopewell, who lives with her daughter Hulga, welcomes a bible salesman named Manley Pointer into their house one day under the impression that he is wholesome and innocent. ...

Gu Kaizhi’s Chinese narrative painting Admonitions of the Court Instructress to Palace Ladies is one of the earliest and most prominent examples of Chinese art known to historians and scholars. A product of the Jin Dynasty, Gu’s Admonitions Scroll adapts Zhang Hua’s 292 AD poetic text to illustrate the varying behaviors and attitudes which palace ladies should demonstrate during their roles in the palace. In addition to the painting’s great beauty, its authorship and status as a potential copy has been the subject of much discussion, as the scholarship surrounding this painting reflects both its ...

In this paper I will analyze the relevant readings I have completed on the subject. Moreover, I will offer the relevant reasons to justify and prove my position. Eventually, I will present the possible arguments against my point of view. First of all, Rebecca Kukla and Katherine Wayne offer a profound article on the prenatal testing. This article is unbiased and presents both positive and negative dimensions of such testing. Therefore, it is stated in the article that pre-natal tests often lead to abortions as long as parents are eager to have a “designer child”, adjusted to their own ...

Summary and Response Paper

The Ugly American (1958), a novel written by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick, is based on the actual experiences and observations of the authors in Asia as employees of the U.S. Foreign Service. As such, it is vital to address two major questions: what makes The Ugly American ugly in the minds of Lederer and Burdick; and, do the authors have a point? The novel is a sequence of interrelated stories of actual individuals that Burdick, a scholar, and Lederer, a navy commander, met abroad in the midst of escalation to the Vietnam War. The novel takes place ...

INTRODUCTION

In the essay, “Censorship and the Imposition of Form”, Pierre Bourdieu begins with a definition for the word ‘skewed’. He states that when used in a grammatical context, it points to phrases which first seem to introduce a particular meaning, but go on to denote an entirely different one (Bourdieu, 1991). This idea is introduced by Bourdieu so that he develops a debate regarding the potential of language to establish authority, secure a powerful position, structure prospects for emblematic profit and establish limitations within a given field. Bourdieu writes that censorship is never quite as perfect or invisible as ...

In spite of love being the notion as old as the world is and as clear as glass, many profound thinkers and philosophers have contemplated on this topic and expressed their views on subjects what love is and whether it is here to be or not. Although both ‘Love song’ by Joseph Brodsky and ‘Is Love Dead’ recited by Dedalus reflect on the theme of love, the differences in respect of structure, themes and stylistic devices make them two completely opposite poems. The first thing to pay attention to is the formal organization of the verses. ‘Love Song’ ...

Introduction

There is a long history when it comes to the incorporation of monsters into narratives and stories. Many authors found the monster genre to be quite attractive to the audience and, therefore, in the 19th and the early 20th Century; there was a rise in the number of monster stories authored by different writers. Some of the most famous works of literature that have incorporated the element of monsters include “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley (1818), “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1818), “The Invisible Man (1897) and “Dracula” (1897). Many of these monster narratives have been such hits ...

Philosophy has been one of the defining disciplines and characteristics of Western culture. This ideology is so ingrained in the thought processes of these people that one may not realize that a particular view responds to the philosophical tradition that began with the ancient Greeks. Socrates was one of the most important of these thinkers. Therefore, as this discipline has developed, his thoughts have been both acclaimed and refuted by subsequent philosophers. Notably, Friedrich Nietzsche was very critical of this father of philosophy and many others in his Twilight of the Idols. A line-by-line analysis of a paragraph from this book ...

Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

This painting is probably the most famous one in the world and is a great work of art that contains all the elements of style that one looks for in a portrait. First of all the expression is a direct and almost informal, the sitter looks at the viewer in an almost impassionate and sensual manner that cuts to the bone. Leonardo’s use of soft colourings is also very powerful indeed. Mona Lisa’s staring gaze is formal and direct; she seems to be oblivious of what is going on about her whilst the background blends beautifully with the whole subject ...

How does the Toni Morrison, in “The Bluest Eyes,” develop the character of Pecola so as to expose and attack “racial self-loathing” in the black community?

In the novel, “The Bluest Eye,” Toni Morrison exposes and attacks racial self-loathing in the black community through her main character, Pecola. Pecola is depicted as a black girl. However, she is white at her heart. Pecola has self-loathing that gets worsen as the novel goes on. When the clerk of a store completely ignores her, for the first time, she gets the knowledge of her blackness. She tries to wash it away as ...

The aim of this essay is to present you with the comparison and contrast of two specific poems. The poems which will be presented in this essay are ‘Dreamers’ written by Siegfried Sassoon and ‘Before Action’ written by Lieutenant William Noel Hodgson. Both poems are considered to belong to the group of those poems which were written within the socio-historical context, which was created during and after the World War I (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918). The aim of this essay is to present you with the analysis of the thematic core of each poem, the literary ...

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, stands tall as a classic horror novel that is considered to be one of the most important works of Gothic literature. The book follows Dr. Victor Frankenstein, who attempts to engineer a new body through the various limbs of other dead bodies he secrets away, reanimating them through his particular brand of quack science. The morality of Victor Frankenstein is constantly called into question, from his playing God by attempting to create new life to his mistreatment and misunderstanding of the poor creature he creates. Frankenstein is by no means a hero, but neither is he a demon: he ...

The Bluest Eye: Structure vs. Agency

Toni Morrison’ novel, ‘The Bluest Eye,’ looks at the life of black families living in Ohio in the early 1940s. That was the time when many Black families; whose ancestors were brought from Africa to work in fields by Whites here, had made America their home and sought to live the American dream of freedom and happiness. ‘Bluest Eye,’ as the name suggests, is the color of the eyes of Pecola Breedlove, the young daughter of Pauline and Cholly, who like any other child her age, wanted to live a life of freedom and fun. However, that was not to ...

The aim of this essay is to present you with a portrait and analysis of the poem ‘Dulce et Decorum est’. This is a poem titled in a Latin phrase which goes on in the first verse saying ‘Dulce et Decorum est pro patria mori’. This Latin phrase borrowed by Horace, the Latin poet, means that it is sweet and ideal for one to die for his / her country. The poem was written by Wilfred Owen in 1917. The year this poem was written there was a war going on and this was the World War I. According to sources ‘the earliest ...

Caravaggio’s influence has been felt within many different pieces of art. Caravaggio implemented the idea that idealized beauty was not essential to making interesting or popular art. Caravaggio moved away from traditional styles, making even religious subjects look like common people. Dramatic lighting and high contrast were also important aspects of his art work. Caravaggio’s use of naturalism created a new movement away from idealized beauty. Caravaggio’s style typically had less complicated iconography and a more straight forward naturalistic approach to telling stories. Caravaggio certainly took a different approach to the painting of religious scenes when be painted “ ...

Introduction

“A Far Cry from Africa,” a poem by Derek Walcott, was written in 1962, just a year before Kenya gained her independence from Britain. The context of the poem is heavily linked to the Mau Mau uprising. The writer comes from a Caribbean background which is heavily influenced by both European as well as African roots. While he holds his African heritage dear, he also embraces a Western outlook. The poem makes the speaker question his own cultural identity when the historical events of brutality from both British forces and Kikuyu warriors take root in Africa. The ugliness of the anti-colonial movement as ...

When analyzing critical concepts of ideology, myth, discourse and interpellation there are many different ways to interpret its societal influence. Often we think that society should be based upon factual knowledge about why an ideology or myth was made and the context it was created. We may also think that the role of these is to discover meaning within life and explore how we respond emotionally to them. Form and content should contain a message. However, there is no true way to measure the immense influence they have on society. When critiquing one of these subjects one must be ...

When analyzing visual art there are many different ways to interpret a painting, sculpture, or work of architecture. Often we think that art should convey factual knowledge about when a piece of art was made and the context it was created. The film “How Art Made the world: More Human than Human” helps explain the concept of beauty in art and how the world’s idea of beauty has changed. We may also think that the role of art is to discover meaning within a visual image and explore how we respond emotionally to them. Form and content should contain a message. However, ...

Abstract

This research paper aims to explore the construction methods of the Lloyds of London. It highlights the history of this magnificent structure and also tells what ideology was followed while building it. This paper also tells us the different architectural influences that are impacted on this structure and the building materials used. Lloyds of London have become a source of inspiration for many architects who wish to incorporate convenience in their design. This paper also tells us that if such a structure was built in times today, how it would be.

Introduction

Lloyd’s Building is raised in the metropolitan city of ...

The Individuality or ‘Plastic Sheen’

The Individuality or ‘Plastic Sheen’ The whole concept of ‘beauty lies in the eye of beholder’ is not applicable everywhere. Beauty first of all lies in the belief and conscience of an individual which is poignantly reflected through demeanour. And then, the beholder too finds beauty in that individual. When one begins to read The Eye of the Beholder by Grace Suh, it is inevitable to occur in mind that how such an author can fall for the feeling of ‘stark ugliness’ about herself (par. 2). But, then through her realisation of what she really is rather than ...

A Grotesque Old Woman by Quentin Metzsys

Introduction and first impressions A Grotesque Old Woman is probably the most famous painting by the Flemish painter Quentin Metzys. Although the initial reactions to the painting may be ones of horror and repulsion, there are aspects in it which remind one of style and artistic beauty. First of all the level of detail is striking especially with regards to the clothing employed with blue and white creating an intriguing contrast. However the most striking contrast is between the ugliness of the face and the almost bare cleavage which generate feelings of lust and carnal bestiality. My feelings ...

English 225 Introduction To Film

The film “The Elephant Man” is an iconic and powerful humanistic filmmaking endeavor. Released in 1980, the film relates the story of Joseph Carey Merrick, the real-life figure who was born with a horrible deformity and had to deal with issues of humanity and discrimination in 19th century London. Through the use of compelling performances, assured and minimalistic direction, and a stark, Victorian Gothic aesthetic, director David Lynch forces the horrors and sadness of deformity onto the audience in a way that leaves the viewer tear choked with sadness and sympathy. Most people who watch the film are touched in a way that ...

Argumentative Essay

Argumentative Essay In Jamaica Kincaid’s story, A Small Place, she gives a clear picture of the conditions of living in Antigua. The island is portrayed as a popular tourist destination. However, the author gives a comprehensive overview of the island’s state of welfare. The people on the island lead a miserable life at best. There are no proper facilities such as schools and hospitals on the island. The struggles of Antiguans are given detailed focus by the author. The natives hate tourists because they feel they have invaded their homeland. The poverty, poor living conditions such as blocked sewage flowing ...

When analyzing visual art there are many different ways to interpret a painting, sculpture, or work of architecture. Often we think that art should convey factual knowledge about when a piece of art was made and the context it was created. We may also think that the role of art is to discover meaning within a visual image and explore how we respond emotionally to them. Form and content should contain a message. However, there is no true definition of art. Yet the most recognized one is, “Visual art is human expression in a visual form.” (South). When interpreting what a visual work of ...

Films, in and of themselves, ostensibly carry meaning (whether intentional or not) and thematic/narrative messages that are conveyed in various ways (King, 2001). The many elements that comprise the moving image and story of a film - performance, mise-en-scene, cinematography, sound, and more - are the tools used by filmmakers and actors to convey these messages. Whether explicit or implicit, the message and overall meaning of a film can be derived from a close examination of these elements. Two films that use these elements to a great extent to convey their meaning - Barton Fink and The Night of the Hunter - will ...

Symbolist literature often discusses the abstract - the essence of symbolism is to discuss the truth through indirect means. Symbolism is full of metaphors, often discussing the nature of reality. It can be argued that it is difficult or not as interesting to get across the author's ideas about life and reality in a realist or naturalist way; simply stating the obvious message of the book through realistic actions that the characters or the plot takes is but one way to get across a message. Symbolism seeks to hide those messages in metaphors and objects that are different from the explicit ...

Symbolist literature often discusses the abstract - the essence of symbolism is to discuss the truth through indirect means. Symbolism is full of metaphors, often discussing the nature of reality. Since it is either difficult or not as interesting to get across the author's ideas about life and reality in a realist or naturalist way, Symbolism looks to hide those messages in metaphors and objects that are different from the explicit message the author wishes to convey. Two prominent examples of the ways Symbolist authors deal with the subject of reality are Huysman's A Rebours (Against Nature) and Oscar Wilde's ...

Ugliness is an adjective just like many others. However, it stands apart from some as it is nonspecific and, arguably, entirely down to individual opinion. Unlike a more fixed adjective, such as green, for example, ugly can be applied to almost anything. Likewise, however, it can also be ruled out when describing something. Opinion on what can be described as ugly varies vastly from person to person. Ugly can be defined as something which is offensive or repulsive. These are both strong words which evoke powerful images and responses. An adjective such as ugly can be applied to almost anything ...

Disability as a theme in the film:

Disability is an issue which crops up considerably during the film Beauty and the Beast. The Beast is seen as someone who has a severe disability and this hampers him in turn from achieving a normal life. His love for Belle cannot be consummated as his sheer ugliness repels everyone and this is a major stumbling point in this regard. Disability theory is also an important part of the film as it shows how the Beast appears stunted and without any possible opportunities for advancement. The Beast’s disability is also a consistent leitmotif throughout the film as it also demonstrates that ...