Sex and desire. Few words evoke such complexity of meaning. For some, it is a sexual act. Whereas one might describe it as the sensual pleasure of two bodies fused into one being, another may define it as the fulfillment of animalistic desire, an unleashing of the beast. But, beyond an act charged with various meaning, it can also serve as an identity–heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or transsexual. Whether act or identity, societal dictates define the norm and the deviant. Because of this, the artist who departs from the "acceptable" and embraces the "aberrant," arouses the consciousness of self and society. In doing so, sex and desire become a vehicle, a means of communication between artist and audience, and an object that demands our attention. Whether it is the subtle and sensual language of Anaïs Nin in The Diary of Anaïs Nin (1966), the coarse and explicit vocabulary of Henry Miller in Tropic of Cancer (1934), or the poetic and surrealistic prose of Djuna Barnes in Nightwood (1934), sex and desire, as a vehicle in the literature of these authors, exposes the chaos and confusion within their world and suggests the establishment of a new order for self and/or society.
Written between 1931 and 1934, The Diary of Anaïs Nin chronicles one artist’s psychological journey. Deserted by her father as a girl, Anaïs experiences an “initial shock” that leaves her “like a shattered mirror” (Nin 103). The shards of glass, each developing a life of their own, come to be the “several selves” of Anaïs (103). Through the pages of The Diary, reflecting upon and dissecting these various selves, she concludes, “one does not need to remain in bondage to the first wax imprint made on childhood sensibilities. One need not be branded by the fir...
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...dea briefly has been to present a resurrection of the emotions, to depict the conduct of a human being in the stratosphere of ideas, that is, in the grip of delirium.” (243). As an artist, his task has been to “overthrow existing values, to make of the chaos about him an order which is his own, to sow strife and ferment so that by the emotional release those who are dead may be restored to life” (253). While there are those who might disagree with his methods, his language and vivid imagery not only awaken the conscious, but they also provide a much-needed dose of humor in Modernist literature.
Works Cited
Barnes, Djuna. Nightwood. New York: New Directions Books, 2006. Print.
Miller, Henry. Tropic of Cancer. New York: Grove Press, 1961. Print.
Nin, Anaïs. The Diary of Anaïs Nin: Volume One 1931-1934. San Diego: Swallow Press and
Harcourt, 1966. Print.
The capacity of sexual feelings within the individual is central to both the development and fundamental basis of any significant character. As observed in both 'One flew over the cuckoos nest' (AKA Cuckoo's nest) and 'A Street car named desire' (AKA. St. car) sexuality emerges as a principal device used in defining a character to the audience. By the reliance on and close association of the text with the stereotypical characters found within society, the characters presented to the audience can be made more identifiable with. The physical description of a character can therefore be said to be symbolic of its sexuality, "Broad across the jaw shoulders and chest"[1] and in likening a description to a stereotype "I fight and fuh..too much"[2] this can be greater reinforced.
Mademoiselle Reisz states to Edna that in order to be considered an artist, "one must possess many gifts-absolute gifts-which have not been acquired by one’s own effort. And, moreover, to succeed, the artist must possess the courageous soul." (63) Although Edna and Mademoiselle share many characteristics that may possibly contribute to their future paths, they have one stifling difference; Mademoiselle Reisz possesses the wisdom to live the way that she does, Edna Pontellier does not.
What art succeeds in doing is transmute the sexual expression into an acceptable form - by turning it into a thing of beauty and approximating it into a haze of sublimity. In the post- modern climate of media, eros as sexuality reels dangerously on the brink of pornography. Yet what is also important is to realize that it is an important lens to view our social, political and cultural identities. At the beginning of the twentieth century, sexuality rode on the tide of social progressivism and became a vehicle for artistic expression in the novel. Also, when eros as sexuality serves as a principal theme in serious or popular literature, it is often used as a means of remarking upon the dynamics in a society. This is the point that is scrutinised and analysed in this paper where the sexuality of women is seen as an important definition and perspective in Toni Morrison’s Sula (1973).The novel explores the lives and friendship of Sula Peace and Nel Wright in the black neighbourhood dubiously named ‘The Bottom’ in the city of Medallion . The novel also investigates lives of its various female characters in this community who add to our understanding of the life of African American women. Morrison is one of the most remarkable African-American authors of the twentieth century and her novels remind readers that the position of African-Americans in the white-dominant society of the United States of
..., the content and form has self-deconstructed, resulting in a meaningless reduction/manifestation of repetition. The primary focus of the poem on the death and memory of a man has been sacrificed, leaving only the skeletal membrane of any sort of focus in the poem. The “Dirge” which initially was meant to reflect on the life of the individual has been completely abstracted. The “Dirge” the reader is left with at the end of the poem is one meant for anyone and no one. Just as the internal contradictions in Kenneth Fearing’s poem have eliminated the substantial significance of each isolated concern, the reader is left without not only a resolution, but any particular tangible meaning at all. The form and content of this poem have quite effectively established a powerful modernist statement, ironically contingent on the absence and not the presence of meaning in life.
The contrasts between depth and surface, figure and landscape, promiscuity and modesty, beauty and vulgarity all present themselves in de Kooning’s Woman and Bicycle. Although the figure is a seemingly normal woman out for an afternoon with her bike, she becomes so much more through the artist’s use of color, contrast, and composition. The exotic nature of woman presents itself in her direct stare and slick buxom breasts in spite of a nearly indiscernible figure. It is understood that, on the whole, de Kooning did not paint with a purpose in mind, but rather as an opportunity to create an experience, however, that does not go to say that there isn’t some meaning that can come of this work. Even Willem de Kooning once said that art is not everything that is in it, but what you can take out of it (Hess p.144).
One of the themes of this poem is love in association with sex. Through the authors careful use of word choice an erotic tone is carried throughout the poem. Through this and the violent actions the reader is able to recognize the women is going through am unfamiliar sexual experience- what sex is when not accompanied by love. “Did I know you? No kiss/ no tenderness–more like killing, death-grip/ holding to life, genitals, like violent hands clasped tight.” One may instantly read this line and think of a forced sexual act on the males part. However, ...
When first approaching this work, one feels immediately attracted to its sense of wonder and awe. The bright colors used in the sun draws a viewer in, but the astonishment, fascination, and emotion depicted in the expression on the young woman keeps them intrigued in the painting. It reaches out to those who have worked hard in their life and who look forward to a better future. Even a small event such as a song of a lark gives them hope that there will be a better tomorrow, a thought that can be seen though the countenance by this girl. Although just a collection of oils on a canvas, she is someone who reaches out to people and inspires them to appreciate the small things that, even if only for a short moment, can make the road ahead seem brighter.
What is it about sex that makes everyone so uncomfortable? Upon reading Randa Jarrar’s A Map of Home, one of the major themes that the novel goes in depth about is Nidali’s sexual awakening. Many students would argue that this novel is littered with too much sexual activity, i.e. masturbation. However, A Map of Home is a novel about finding your place in this world; the search for your identity and purpose. Sexual identity plays a significant part of that continuum. You may question, “Well, could you have figure out a way to describe her story without all the sex stuff?” This statement would demolish the novel’s relatable and sheer honest tone, as well as disintegrate the genuineness behind the narrative if Jarrar would omit Nidali’s sexual experiences. The complete fact that young teenagers do think about sex so often makes one grasp the true relatability this novel showcases through the main character’s sexual experiences. In this essay, I plan to explore the importance of sexual awakening, Nidali’s own reasons for experimenting with her sexuality, and what we can ultimately learn from being open with what we want in that context.
At times, T.J. Clark’s art writing is excessively detailed. In his book The Sight of Death, he describes through journal entries how he spent a year looking at two particular paintings by Nicolas Poussin. The book details his focus on different aspects of the paintings as time passes. He looks at some parts of the paintings is obsessive detail, and often tries to associate what he can see with other works by other artists.
In every idea, object, and person, there are two sides. Especially in people, so many differences can be revealed, but they can all be boiled down to two simplistic elements: good and bad. This philosophy can be discovered in many pieces of literature and art, pieces such as The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Gospel of Matthew, Mark Twain’s Two Ways of Seeing the River, Edvard Munch’s The Scream, and “Vincent” by Don McLean. In order to dissect these works and find the intertwining similarities one must first be aware of the dichotomy of people, objects, and ideas. After doing this, one may see how in all of these works the authors bring to light a similar theme, that one’s perception of a person or thing
In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Stephen Dedalus defines beauty and the artist's comprehension of his/her own art. Stephen uses his esthetic theory with theories borrowed from St. Thomas Aquinas and Plato. The discourse can be broken down into three main sections: 1) A definitions of beauty and art. 2) The apprehension and qualifications of beauty. 3) The artist's view of his/her own work. I will explain how the first two sections of his esthetic theory relate to Stephen. Furthermore, I will argue that in the last section, Joyce is speaking of Stephen Dedalus and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man as his art.
As we all know that reading and writing plays a major role in the advancement of our knowledge but we have never expected that literature also plays a role to confer upon love and desire. In the essay “Why Literature?” Mario Vargas Llosa mentioned about the importance of literature and how it play an important function in the lives of people and the society itself. What I found to be the most interesting and unexpected function of reading and writing was the part when the author mentioned about the fact that “literature has served to benefit upon love and desire and the sexual act itself the status of artistic creation” (“Why Literature?” Mario Vargas Llosa). The author also wrote that without literature than eroticism wouldn’t even have exist. Therefore a society without literature, love and pleasure would be poorer in which there wouldn’t be relationships in the society.
James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man presents an account of the formative years of aspiring author Stephen Dedalus. "The very title of the novel suggests that Joyce's focus throughout will be those aspects of the young man's life that are key to his artistic development" (Drew 276). Each event in Stephen's life -- from the opening story of the moocow to his experiences with religion and the university -- contributes to his growth as an artist. Central to the experiences of Stephen's life are, of course, the people with whom he interacts, and of primary importance among these people are women, who, as his story progresses, prove to be a driving force behind Stephen's art.
In the Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce creates a deeply personal and emotional portrait to every man. Joyce’s main character, Stephen Dedalus, encounters universal feelings of detachment, guilt, and awakening. Rather than stepping back and remembering the characteristics of infancy and childhood from and adult perspective, Joyce uses the language the infant was enveloped in. Joyce also uses baby Stephen’s viewpoint to reproduce features of infancy.
The women which Stephen comes across in his journey in becoming an artist define him and change him by nurturing him, fascinating him, and inspiring him. Stephen was forever changed by his mother, the Virgin Mary, Eileen, the prostitute, and the seaside woman. The object of the artist is to create the object of the beautiful, I argue that it was the beauty in the women of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, which created the artist in the end.