Joining Sentences ( Assignment # 3)

1.
Mark Twain is the author of Huckleberry Finn.
Huckleberry Finn is a classic American novel.
Mark Twain's real name was Samuel L. Clemens.
He lived in Hartford for several years.

Mark Twain whose real name was Samuel L. Clemens was the author of the classic American novel entitled Huckleberry Finn and lived in Hartford for several years.

2.
Mark Twain's house was very elaborate and elegant.
It was on Farmington Avenue.
It was in an area called Nook Farm.
He was a neighbor of Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin. 

Mark Twain lived in a very elaborate and elegant house on Farmington Avenue in an area called Nook Farm and was a neighbor of Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

3.
Mark Twain's home has a large side porch.
Windows and a balcony overlook the porch.
Today, people say the windows and balcony remind them of a steamboat.
In his youth, Twain piloted steamboats on the Mississippi.

The windows and the balcony that overlook the large size porch of Mark Twain’s home remind people today of a steamboat, something which Twain used to pilot in his youth on the Mississippi.

4.
Mark Twain was one of the first three people in Hartford to own a telephone.
The telephone was first used commercially in nearby New Haven.
There was practically no one to talk to.
Mark Twain never really liked this newfangled gadget. 

Mark Twain was one of the three people in Hartford to own a telephone which was first used in nearby New Haven but never really liked this new fangled gadget since there was practically no one to talk to.

5.
Mark Twain loved industrial inventions.
He lost a fortune investing in them.
One of these inventions was the elaborate Paige typesetter.
Unfortunately for Twain, this machine was developed at the same time as the Linotype.The Linotype machine was much simpler and less expensive.

Mark Twain’s love for Industrial inventions lost him a fortune when he invested on the elaborate Paige typesetter which, unfortunately for him, was developed at the same time as the Linotype, a much simpler and less expensive machine.

Paraphrasing (Assignment # 2)

(Excerpts from Plato and Aristotle On Beauty and Imitation)


1. Aristotle on the other hand, believed that imitation involves human experience and in that sense he saw a role for the arts. According to Aristotle, the artist has the freedom to imitate aspects of nature, but he does insist on the unity of form (formal and structural qualities). Aristotle explains form in terms of its “causes” by which he means any external factor (apart from “matter”’) that explains why something is the way it is, and what function it can perform. In short, form is that which causes something to be the thing it is. So whereas Plato’s form relates to Ideal forms, Aristotle relates form to something inherent in the object.

Paraphrase:

1. Aristotle thought that imitation calls for human experience and there was a purpose for the arts in that sense. He affirmed that artists are free in imitating the aspects of nature considering the unity of their forms i.e. their structural qualities and  regarded form as an external factor that causes something to be the way it is and functions as it is. Different to what Plato believed that imitation is concerned with ideal forms, Aristotle related that form exists as an essential constituent in the object.

(Excerpts from Plato and Aristotle On Beauty and Imitation)

2. Another difference between Plato and Aristotle is the way they discuss imitation in relationship to beauty. For Plato, beauty is an idea, something abstract that is revealed in the order of the natural world. Hence the importance he placed on mathematics as the key to understanding the natural world. For Aristotle, beauty is something real, it is also a function of form, it is not abstract as for Plato, but it is grounded in an object. In other words, it is bound to a context.

Paraphrase:

2. Another contrast of ideas between Plato and Aristotle is the way they discourse the relationship of  imitation to beauty. For Plato, beauty is ideal, an intangible concept that is unveiled in the order of the natural world. In contrast to what he believed, Aristotle viewed beauty as something real and is a function of form which is bound to a context.

Berger's "Ways of Seeing" ( Assignment # 1)

     The essay entitled Berger's "Ways of Seeing" is all about how art was viewed by the people from the past and how it is looked at now. It also explained the evolution that art had undergone from the 1500's to the modern day and the role that traditional painting portrayed to the said dramatic  change.

     These are the points that support these ideas which are quoted from the essay:

• "During the time of traditional oil painting, from 1500-1900, paintings were prized because they were the only way to capture a moment in time and possess it forever. This all changed at the advent of the camera which has manipulated the way we look at art today. Art is now able to be reproduced and many people can view it, not solely an elite few."
• "With the reproduction, arts value has been placed aesthetically and monetarily on a different level then before."
•  "On the other hand, art is more widely viewed and loved because of being about to put pictures in books, postcards or posters."
• "The way art is viewed has changed dramatically over the course of a hundred years due to technology and social change."
• "The social meaning of art has always been a dynamic part of art. The masterpieces have always been a symbol of stature, class, culture and education. The subjects of paintings have their own social meaning."
• "The typical female nude painting of traditional oil painting period seems modest compared to what we encounter today, but it is also similar to many photographs today."
•  "The nude paintings were specifically for men to view as pleasure images. Men could look at this beautiful nude and gain reassurance of their manhood. In return the female gets nothing, this painting seems as if it is about her, but it is not. In fact the artist typically does everything in his power to remove any power she may have, even sexually by removing all body hair. The painting is all about the owner/viewer, the man."
• "Of course Berger explains there is always an exception to the rules and there were masters who created a very unique painting where it was all about the woman and the loving position of the artist. This was a rarity and these pieces are very revered today for that reason."
• "Berger classifies the women in nude paintings as objects, since that is how they are seen by the artist and the viewer, but objects in paintings also benefited the viewer/owner."
• "Artist started using metaphysical symbols such as realistic skulls which represented death. These symbols rarely fit into the static materialism way of painting. The illusionism and symbols is what made oil painting stand out from other forms of visual art, and why it was so popular."
• "The reality in paintings was supposed to benefit the owner or the sitter in making other people believe the painting depicts owner/sitter’s worth."
• "Rarely was an object painting just because, there was always a self serving purpose behind it."
• "Publicity takes this idea of materialism and advertising one’s things from traditional oil painting and applies it to modern day advertising. Instead of showing the things that the viewer has, publicity shows what they need in order to be happy. "
• "The concept of envy and glamour is introduced; these make people happy by having something others don’t."
• "Berger paints a grim picture of the effects of traditional oil painting and publicity on the lives of people. It is too often used to promote materialism and individual prosperity and envy. The subjects in oil painting and advertisements are just tools for the constant need to possess certain objects."