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...
... middle of paper ...
...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 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.
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, ...
Initially, Edna is only an amateur, not an artist. She brought her sketching materials to Grand Isle. She “dabbled” with sketching, “in an unprofessional way” (Chopin 543). Her handling and control of her brushes manifested “natural aptitude” not a “long and close acquaintance with them” (Chopin 543). She does not yet take her art seriously; it is merely a means of pleasure. As Edna begins, her art is restricted only to imitation (Dyer 89). She wishes to sk...
In Margaret Atwood’s “Cat’s Eye,” Atwood tells the story of a Canadian artist, Elaine Risley. While back in Toronto for an art show, Elaine reflects on the pain of her childhood, and how it has impacted the rest of her life. Atwood relies on the motif of physical structure to illuminate the lack of emotional and personal structure Elaine experiences in her youth - which ultimately resurface as low self-image, as well as the toxic relationships she engages in as an adolescent and adult. Atwood calls on the ideas of renovation, acknowledging the chance for closure a middle-aged Elaine experiences while in Toronto.
“Edna’s pursuit of more original and serious art is directly linked to her development of greater self-pride and confidence, as well as to the emergence of her sensuality. The more she pai...
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.
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.
Edna seeks occupational freedom in art, but lacks sufficient courage to become a true artist. As Edna awakens to her selfhood and sensuality, she also awakens to art. Originally, Edna “dabbled” with sketching “in an unprofessional way” (Chopin 543). She could only imitate, although poorly (Dyer 89). She attempts to sketch Adèle Ratignolle, but the picture “bore no resemblance” to its subject. After her awakening experience in Grand Isle, Edna begins to view her art as an occupation (Dyer 85). She tells Mademoiselle Reisz that she is “becoming an artist” (Chopin 584). Women traditionally viewed art as a hobby, but to Edna, it was much more important than that. Painting symbolizes Edna’s independence; through art, she breaks free from her society’s mold.
When I saw Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring about five years ago at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., I felt something about the painting that I had never felt before when looking at artwork. I felt as if this girl, this young woman in the painting was real, hiding in the museum behind this canvas. She was in the flesh. Her skin was still dewy from three hundred-something years ago, the light across her face still glowing. She was in the round, her eyes followed mine, she was real. She was about to speak, she was in a moment of thought, she was in reflection. This girl was not crimson red or titanium white, she was flesh. Vermeer caught her, a butterfly in his hand. She was not just recorded on canvas, she was created on canvas. She was caught in a moment of stillness. Vermeer creates moments in his paintings. When viewing them, we step into a private, intimate setting, a story. Always, everything is quiet and calm. I realize now it is no wonder I had such a strong reaction to Vermeer the first time I saw him: he is a stillness seeker.
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).
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.
As James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man unfolds, the central theme of isolation and rejection becomes evident. From birth to adolescence, the protagonist of the story, Stephen Dedalus, responds to his experiences throughout life with actions of rejection and isolation. He rebels against his environment and isolates himself in schoolwork, family, religion and his art, successively. James Joyce uses Stephen Dedalus' responses of isolation and rejection to illustrate the journey that the artist must take to achieve adulthood.
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.
The novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is an autobiography of James Joyce who delivers the influential aspects in his life and his artistic development to the reader through the eyes of the fictional character of Stephen Dedalus. In the novel, Stephen's journey to maturation and to become an artist is influenced by his religion, sexuality and education. Yet, Stephen is able to overcome the obstacles result from these aspects and experience his life to its fullest.
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.