December 2018 – Movie Mania

I have learned a lot about my writing style and my thinking this year. Before this year, I really didn’t think much on analysis, I was always very focused on seeing what is given to me in a work of literature or art. I never digged deeper into not only seeing the message behind a work of art or literature, but rather putting my own thoughts and experiences and accepting how it can influence my understanding or view of a painting or a book that I am reading. I also didn’t quite understand that when looking at a painting or reading a book, everyone has different takes or interpretations that they take away from what they are seeing or reading. Someone from a different background may see or take away something different from a painting where I am looking at the same thing. For example, if looking at ancient Chinese art, someone who is related to Chinese royalty might see something different than I would because it doesn’t quite relate to me. However, if I was looking at a painting of the priests in India I would have a different interpretation then the same girl. These different interpretations fuel what is said as a whole about a painting or emotion that is evoked from reading a book. This is extremely important in articulating my ideas because then I don’t make the assumption that everyone has the same ideas that I do, and that it is okay to be able to first go off of what our initial reaction or feeling is to a painting or a book. I also learned extremely valuable lessons about the way of reading a book. At first, I would just read a book to look at plot or learn about new characters. But, throughout the quarter, I have started to read books to see the underlying message, figure out the author’s purpose of what he is trying to tell us in his book. Furthermore, I have also learned new ways of looking at a painting. It was so interesting how I wouldn’t pay attention to the finer details of a painting and didn’t wonder things such as whether the painting was sublime, picturesque, or beautiful. These aspects add so much to the painting, and in looking at those aspects it makes me wonder what the author’s intention was. My way of writing has also changed. It has evolved from a very structured way of writing to focus more on the analysis of what I am seeing. I also like how Dr. Morse taught us to not always have the thesis first, because it made writing so much easier to develop my thesis after getting all my main points down which is much better for getting a better flushed out thesis. Overall, this quarter has taught me so much about my writing style and the way I thought about writing my essays. Furthermore, this quarter has developed my thought process as well. I am so glad that my way of thinking has broadened substantially as well. Thank you for what you have taught me this quarter Dr. Morse! I am so lucky to have you as my professor.

In the Shakespearean play turned movie, “Much Ado About Nothing”, there are many aspects of Rousseau and what he would have wanted in terms of the civilization that is created within the play turned movie. The cinematic movie adaptation of this beautiful play showcases of two couples and the surrounding family and guests can experience love, heartbreak, and all the pains and agony that come with finding someone to love. Beatrice, the main woman in this play argues constantly with Benedick, but they are true lovers, and while they mask for their feelings for each other by arguing, at the end of the day, there is true love that prevails between them.

The other couple in this play, represent a more innocent love story. Hero and Claudio are younger, and their love story starts off with plain attraction that is turned into something more. These two couples contrast each other in several ways, and this is how they can be first compared to what Rousseau talks about. Rousseau argues that love changes once you are completely submerged into a civilization, that amour de soi turns into amour de propre. Beatrice and Benedick can be compared to amour de soi, because they aren’t going along with the normal expectations of society and getting married right off the bat because society dictates it. Furthermore, they practice self love, because they are secure in themselves to know their self worth, and they do not put their self-esteem or their image in the hands of someone else.

I think that I can relate this because I also agree with what Rousseau is saying because I also think that the type of love that is most important is the one that Benedick and Beatrice share. I feel like it represents the difference between puppy love and adult love. Beatrice and Benedick represent adult, more real love, whereas Hero and Claudio represent the kind of love that I would hope I am too old for, which is the puppy kind of love.

They are extremely confident in themselves, so much so, that when they make fun of each other, they don’t even turn an eye or get offended. This showcases that they are representative of amour de soi because they don’t put their self image in the hands of someone else. However, Hero and Claudio are representative of amour de propre because they do put their self image in the hands of each other. They aren’t content with themselves, so when they aren’t sure of the other person’s feelings, they start to feel lowly about themselves, but if they were confident in their feelings, and secure in themselves, they wouldn’t feel this way. This showcases how emersed they are into society, which Rousseau argues is bad because this leads to eventual heartbreak for them both that could have been avoided.

Furthermore, they are following what society wants for them by going along with the traditional and conventional askings of society. This is seen when they agree to marry each other, but this is portrayed as a fragile union, as they are quickly separated from one another because of a baseless rumor. All together, the movie also showcases how society can sometimes leads to its citizens downfall because they are so quick to destroy each other’s happiness that they are willing to tear each other down by spreading rumors and tearing a union apart. However, it shows the chance of redemption that they have as well because they end up realizing how important self love is in the end of the movie. This movie showcases what Rousseau argues could be the bad and the good that is apart of a civilization.

Month: December 2018

Extra Credit Blog Post

Much Rousseau About Nothing