Mark Twain's Dichotomy

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

Instances such as this include Edvard Munch’s The Scream and Mark Twain’s Two Ways of Seeing a River. Mark Twain (1883) describes his life on the river, and over time, loses the feeling of wonder he had once felt. At one point Twain remembers the splendor, “I still kept in mind a certain wonderful sunset which I witnessed when steamboating was new to me” (para.___). Throughout his account, the beauty of the river becomes but an everyday occurrence and the marvel fades away. After sometime he realizes that he views the river in a different way. “No, the romance and beauty were all gone” (Twain, 1883, para. ___). Similarly, The Scream provides another case in which the viewer may perceive an object in different ways. However, this piece of art is unique, for there seem to be an infinite amount of ways one can look at it. After painting it, Munch never provided a description of what it actually depicted. When looking at the painting, one can form their own opinion, changing it as they please. One’s opinion can vary what they observe, from the mirage of colors used, to the beautiful background contrasting with the look of the horror on the center figure’s face. The view on this painting can differ from person to person, and each person’s interpretation might change over time, just as Mark Twain’s view of the river