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| Above: the cover of the UK edition of the novel |
Each of the question sets posted for the 2026 Summer Read is accompanied by an image, usually a painting, but in at least two cases, a short video.
Identify one of these images that was most thought-provoking for you, either because of the mysteries of the image itself or because how it appears to relate (or doesn't relate?) to the question set that it accompanies.
Identify the image by its title, its creater, and the question it is associated (include the page number) and explain why you found it to be thought-provoking. There is no minimum word count for this assignment but don't limit yourself to the bare minimum.
The word count does not count toward your overall total for this assignment.
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ReplyDeleteThe painting that I thought was the most thought provoking is "The Great War" by Renee Margritte. This painting is attached to the question titled "95. Inside Emotions". At first sight this painting made me think of a similar painting titled the "The Son of Man", which I discovered is by the same artist. In both paintings the subject's face is obscured by a floating object. Personally, I think it was very clever to use this painting alongside this question. The painting could be interpreted as hiding one's emotions to appear more pleasant to other people. This is why the flower (something pretty) is covering the woman’s face (her emotions). She could be seen as putting up a front to seem more appealing. This perfectly fits the question because the question deals with the topic of concealing emotions to be more appealing. Some emotions are too unpleasant to be let out in the open. For example, this painting is titled “The Great War”, which suggests that this horrible war is why the woman is keeping her feelings a secret. There are a lot of unpleasant emotions she could be keeping buried.
ReplyDelete"Lear and Cordelia" (1848) by Ford Madox Ford is the most interesting to me because of all the range emotions you see in the people in the background that convey the range that kids can show when criticizing their parents.
ReplyDeleteOne painting that interested me was "Pollice Verso" (1873) by Jean-Léon Gérôme in question 60. The question speaks about how we talk about people passing away from cancer. Being characterized as being killed by it, being defeated, similarly to the image. In the image, the gladiator could represent cancer beating someone, but I believe this image could also be used for someone beating cancer. A gladiator coming to victory against all odds is an amazing image for someone battling a life threatening illness.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the image (and title) of Question 22, "Odd Couples". The picture is of the two main characters from the show The Odd Couple, which is about two divorced men who room together and aren't alike. I thought it was great to have the tie in of a show about divorced people with a book about a woman getting divorced, as well as the question that surrounded roommates and whether or not race should be a factor. The two actors for the show were Jewish, and one of them was actually born in Tulsa while the other was Russian. They technically were not only an odd pair of roommates, but similarly to Darlene and the narrator, both were minorities in the public eye yet actually different and distinct. It had a lot of layers! I didn't answer the question, but figured here was the place to get excited for the concept of it.
ReplyDelete"Lear and Cordelia" (1848) by Ford Madox Ford
ReplyDeleteWas the most interesting to me due to all the differing emotions found in the faces and body language of the people within the painting.
I thought the video with question 7, "Right Behind You" was the most thought-provoking. I had never heard of Plato's Allegory of the Cave before, and I found it to be really interesting. I did a little more research on it, and my favorite way of summing it up was "Don't trust the shadows when you can find the source of the light."
ReplyDelete"The Two Frida's" (1939) by Frida Kahlo.
ReplyDeleteI found this image the most interesting because it sparked the notion that all of us can be split into two people, the person we are on the inside and the person we are on the outside that we present to the rest of the world. In truth I did not chose to answer this question, but the painting itself stuck with me.
The way two completely different woman only share two features, the face, and the heart. It made me think about how we present ourselves to society to fit in or mask who we really are, while the true us hides away.
The image of Natalie Portman in Black Swan (2010) at 102 perfectly encapsulates not only the question but also how our narrator feels about her identity. In the movie Black Swan, a dancer loses herself in the character she is playing and becomes someone she does not recognize. I think our narrator, in a way, also struggles with this. She losses who she was within her family, and I think that throughout the book, we see the narrator trying to find herself again. - Nina Benton
ReplyDeleteI thought the image, "I am a Secret" (1993) by Shinin Neshat used for the question, "Secret" on page 84 was the most thought provoking. The image shows a woman who has every part of her face covered except her eyes and nose, and she has what looks to be words written all over her face. I thought this was the most thought-provoking image because it really showed that people can be hiding so many secrets. By just looking at their eyes, you don't know all the secrets they may have. It really made me think and wonder about what everyone is hiding behind their eyes. Also, the words written on her face made me think about how our faces often speak for us, but even then, you still can't know everything a person knows or is thinking. It also relates well to the question because the question is talking about the narrator keeping the secret of her cancer from her husband. So, I think the image relates well because it shows the secrets we can hide.
ReplyDeleteThe image that was most thought-provoking for me was “Pollice Verso” (1873) by Jean-Léon Gérôme, which accompanies question (and page number) 60. In it, the victorious gladiator towers above his defeated opponents, looking up at a frenzied crowd. It immediately reminded me of a quote from John Steinbeck’s 1945 novel ‘Cannery Row,’ where he writes: “The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling, are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest, are the traits of success.” The crowd cares only for the gladiator’s display of strength; they do not care to know if he is kind, or thoughtful, or intelligent. It relates to the question because, when faced with a battle like cancer, it is easy for that struggle to become one’s defining trait in the eyes of others. Previously adored qualities become much less important than having the strength to pull through.
ReplyDeleteThe image that I found most interesting was Joaquin Phoenix in “Gladiator” (2000). In this image, Phoenix’s character is deciding whether or not a gladiator will live or die. I find this interesting, given the question related to texting emojis. Online people often try to find their worth in what others think about them. Whether that be simply texting a friend or posting online, people often find their worth in a simple thumbs up or down.
ReplyDeleteThe most fascinating image I saw was connected to the question “Waiting Rooms” on page 53 titled “Waiting Room for the Beyond” (1988) by John Register. This picture, to me, invokes a feeling of uneasiness and nostalgia. What I found most interesting about this piece was the time in which it was made: 1988. I do not often associate the 80’s with minimalism so the date caught me off guard. The title of the image itself, while perfectly matching the theme of the question, adds an air of eeriness that made me uncomfortable while answering that question. It made me think of how many people actually spend their lives waiting for their end to come.
ReplyDeleteI find the most connecting image was "Waiting Room for the Beyond" (1988) by John Register for question 53. Waiting Rooms.
ReplyDeleteI relate to the image heavily due to my parents not being able to understand english very well. I don't judge them for it and I never will but one thing that it has made diffucult are doctor's appointments or trips to the hospital. I collapsed one time my freshman year and had to go to the ER and fourteen year old me had just collapsed and still had to fill out paperwork because my father could not. The image to me represents even though my parents have been with me every step of the way, I feel isolated or alone in certain areas or moments. I have felt alone up in the clouds somewhat like the image represents sitting alone in a chair in an empty room simply waiting.
The image that I found the most thought-provoking was "Still from 'Pinocchio'" (1940) by Sharpsteen and Luske. This image was found on the On Sale Now: Another Life page 12.
ReplyDeleteI thought of this image first because it is the most similar to the situation and the question that was asked. For instance, the question context read that "he would arrive door-to-door and sell mortals another life that could be theirs," and "if you don't read the fine print, [the merchant]'ll make off with your children." This situation sums up what is happening in this picture. In the story Pinocchio, the fox is a con artist who smooth-talks Pinocchio into leaving his life for a "better" one. The next thing he does after convincing Pinocchio is sell him to an evil puppetmaster for a bag of money. The second time they meet, he convinces Pinocchio to go to Pleasure Island, where the boys are turned into donkeys. This relates to the story because, based on her description of Sam's imaginary life that she imagines, it kind of paints him as the fox character from Pinocchio, which could mean that she sees herself as Pinocchio and feels tricked by his smooth words and forgotten promises.
The image that I thought was the most provoking is "The Tree of Life" (1909) by Gustav Klimt in question 150, "A giant ball of soul string mates." I think the image of the tree, with its swirling branches, perfectly helps visualize all the paths of human lives that cross and get knotted up over time. It represents a complex, intertwined web of human relationships rather than a single, simple path. Ultimately, it visually illustrates how our lives intertwine and tie together connections throughout our lifetime.
ReplyDeleteThe image that was most thought-provoking to me was “The Night of the Hunter” by Shelley Winters and Robert Mitchum. This image was associated with The Villain on page 72. I thought this image went well with the question because it shows the father talking with his two children, and he appears to be getting onto them or telling them something they don’t want to hear. In this part of the book, the narrator and Sam are about to tell their children about the divorce. The narrator decides she doesn’t want their children to look at their father differently or cast him as the villain for destroying their marriage, so she ends up not telling them the reason.
ReplyDelete"Still Life with a Skull and a Writing Quill" (1628) by Pieter Claesz in question 116: Lists and Letters stuck out to me. At first glance, it looks like a simple 17th century painting, but then I saw the black object in the bottom left corner and I had to double check the date of the painting. To me, the object looks like a broken scope camera, which we all know didn't exist in that time, so I was quite confused. After some research, I was able to find that the object in the image is actually a pouch used by traveling scribes. The object is most often referred to as a Penner, and is an elongated leather tube that is used to hold quills and is accompanied by a companion inkwell that hangs beside the Penner. As a history major, I found this interesting because I had not heard of these tools before.
ReplyDeleteThe image that is the most thought provoking to me is “The Tree of Life” by Gustav Klimt in question 150. A giant ball of soul string mates. The many branches throughout the painting remind me of how the narrator tells her children that people have many soul mates. The spirals and different patterns throughout visualize how different and intricate each person's life is.
ReplyDelete“Waiting Room for the Beyond” (1988) by John Register from the question over page 53, “Waiting Rooms” really caught my eye when I first saw it. To put it most simply, the image feels lonely. The way the chair is framed in the painting with nothing else around it feels hauntingly isolating. Weirdly enough, however, the color pallet of the painting makes it feel calm at the same time. It helps illustrate how the narrator must’ve felt during her first visit to the doctor.
ReplyDelete'Ian McKellan as Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)' is the image i have chosen mainly because its Gandalf and none of the images themselves were necessarily thought provoking to me. this image just spoke to me 1 for it being one of my favorite series in all of fiction and 2 for it being my favorite question.
ReplyDeleteTrey Backus
DeleteThe image that was most thought provoking to me was the image on question 38. I think it relates perfectly to the question. It shows how commonplace reading used to be, which can be used as a contrast to today. I think it also shows how our attention spans have generally shortened. The women in the image each have a book, if the image were taken today, every single one would most likely have a phone in their hands.
ReplyDeleteI thought the image, "Waiting Room for the Beyond" (1988) by John Register, really shows, to me, how life is really just a waiting room for the unknown, and the image itself makes me feel uncertain about what could come the next day or even in life. I don't think it necessarily shows a wait for something bad to happen, but rather the good and bad that life can bring without any expectation. The image isn't gloomy or dark; it is sunny and surrounded by big windows that overlook the clouds, and to me, this brings a sense of peace rather than dread for what could happen. I noticed the chair being alone, and I'm not really sure what to make of it other than that the wait for the unknown can be a lonely experience.
ReplyDeleteAfter looking over the questions, one that catches my attention is "A Fox Stalking a Brace of Partridges" by Jean-Baptiste Oudry on question 25. What I enjoy about the image is it demonstrates the contrast of the different reasons for stalking while still showing the same emotions. The fox in the painting is stalking the partridges. The fox is focused, and all attention is on the fox's next meal. It is out of survival and hunger that this fox is so infatuated with his prey. The narrator, on the other hand, stalks Maggie out of curiosity and grief. She is focused and infatuated with Maggie mainly due to why Sam chose her over the narrator. She stalks like the fox, but for entirely different reasons. The way the narrator is changed into stalking like an animal would due to her grief is interesting and shows what being the victim of unfaithfulness can do to someone.
ReplyDeleteThe image I found most thought-provoking would have to be on question #12, otherwise identified as the 'On Sale Now: Another Life' chapter. This image depicts Pinocchio talking to a mischievious fox who seeks to lead him astray. The imagery is named 'Still from "Pinocchio" (1940; dir. by Sharpsteen and Luske)'.
ReplyDeleteThis drew my attention the most because it describes the husband as someone who whisks those away into another life, a fresh start, but is deceptive (like a fox) in a way that never has the victim believing anything could go wrong. The narrator, like Pinocchio, was enthralled by the idea of a fairytale ending between her and her husband, just as Pinocchio was drawn in by the magic the fox introduced to him. Just like Pinocchio, the narrator realized too late that everything promised had been reshaped by one terrible event that changed the perspective of the situation.
When the magic was revealed to all be a trick to deceive, Pinocchio fell into more emotional turmoil than it was worth risking for. For the narrator, the veil of a happy marriage fell through, and she was only left with the broken promises they'd exchanged at the altar.
The image I have chosen is "Waiting Room for the Beyond" (1988) by John Register. This image is from question 53. Waiting Rooms. The image is of an empty waiting room with only a single chair. Question 53 is about whether life is a waiting room. In cases of cancer, other illnesses, or even grief, it is justified for the individuals affected to feel as if every room in their life is a waiting room. However, accompanied by this image, it seems lonely. Despite having Darlene, it is possible that the narrator felt her waiting room with cancer was lonely. In this case, it is very fitting, and the more general aspects of the question make it seem like everyone may be waiting alone. I think even if someone is surrounded by many loved ones, they may still feel alone in their battles. I think it is a very morbid, yet realistic image to pair with this question.
ReplyDeleteThe image I found most thought provoking is "In a Park" (1874) by Berthe Moriscot. The question it accompanies is "Woulda, coulda, shoulda" from page 118. I think this image is the perfect fit for the question set. On this page of the book the narrator is exploring the imaginative land in a world where she never met Sam in the bar that night. Her attention is promptly turned to her children. They don't exist in a world where she never met Sam, and she isn't fond of that. The image depicts a woman, dressed in black, with her two children and dog in a park. The woman's attire suggests she's in mourning, but her body language and expression make her look perfectly peaceful. This is symbolic of the narrators feelings at this point. She is mourning the life she thought she would have, imagining the life the could have had, but still content knowing she gets live the life she does have as a loving mother to her children.
ReplyDelete"Lear and Cordelia" (1848) by Ford Madox Ford which accompanies question four called “Critics”. I found this to be visually relatable to its own questions because a woman appears to be displeased and potentially criticizing towards an older man who is fast asleep in a bed. The woman is dressed in an almost royal manner while the older man looks to be more like a commoner or homeless man. You can also see people in the background like the two guards to the right staring and whispering to each other almost like they are saying “what is a guy like him doing in here?”. Doing more research behind this artwork, I have found out that it does not relate to the questions (in my opinion). It is a scene where Cordelia, now Queen of France, returns with an army to Dover to rescue her father, who has been found delirious and is being put to sleep with opiates. The physician (who I thought was a wizard) urges the musicians to play louder to wake him, but Cordelia kneels beside the bed, outstretched in a gesture of care, and begins to lament. Whoever sets up these questions with images, they are clever and creative. -Zeeva Skidmore-Beaney
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ReplyDelete“Blue and White covered Urn” By James Whistler, Question 194A: Your Urn. I find this image most thought provoking because when you look at this urn it seems so beautiful, like some sort of decorative piece you would find at your grandmother's house and be told not to touch in fear you might break it. When you look closer, you see it is not a decorative piece but an urn. Used to hold the ashes of a dead body. Interestingly enough, when you are cremated, your bones actually do not disintegrate with the rest of your body. They must be grounded up and make up most of the ashes. It is quite gruesome, and that doesn't even take into account how the individual died. What, and who they left behind. But there is the beautiful urn they will be placed in. The urn doesn’t change how it looks based on who the person was. How they die, what they did with their life. It is actually quite beautiful to think about. To me the urn in this picture shows beauty in death.
"A Fox Stalking a Brace of Partridges" By Jean-Baptiste Oudry, Question 25: Stalker. I find this image to be the best way to describe this question. I believe this because of the way that the narrator started to watch Maggie, looking for her socials, looking for anything and everything she can. The way she obsessed over Maggie can be seen as predatory, similar to the fox in how it stalks the bird without the bird ever knowing.
ReplyDeleteGustav Klimt's "The Tree of Life" (1909) shown on question 150 was one of the images I found most thought-provoking because of how closely it connects to the narrator's idea that people are connected by soul strings. The twisting branches of the tree made me contemplate the narrator's description of the world as "a giant ball of tangled string," where people become connected to the wrong people or have their paths crossed. However, unlike the tangled string, the branches of Klimt's tree look beautiful even though they are intertwined and complicated. This made me question whether being "knotted" with the wrong person necessarily meant that a relationship was entirely meaningless. I think some connections are not meant to last forever, but they can still shape us and become an important part of our lives. The tree also makes me consider how people can have many meaningful connections rather than only one soulmate. Each branch goes in a different direction, yet they all remain connected to the same tree. I believe that the narrator's view of soulmates seems less like finding one perfect person and more about the many people who become important parts of our lives.
ReplyDeleteI thought “In a Park” (1974) by Berthe Morisot to be pretty thought provoking. It is shown in the section “Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda” (p. 118), which discusses the narrator’s inability to imagine a life in which she had never looked at Sam in the bar. The painting is interesting because it appears happy and peaceful with its pastel colors and leisure landscape. However, even though the figures are together they do not seem to be actively engaging with one another. The small girl also appears to be observing the scene from a distance. I think the painting connects well to the narrator’s experience. Although she was happy with her family, she may have eventually felt as though she were watching her own life from the outside after being cheated on and diagnosed with cancer.
ReplyDeleteThe image I thought was the most thought provoking was "The Great War", by Rene Margitte. It is shown in the section "95 Inside Emotions". the accompanying question is about what emotions you should or shouldn't show to the public. This painting is a great representation of hiding emotions publicly where we see decorative flowers covering the woman's face. The title itself implies something is afoot with signaling to WWI, implying she's fighting something. What strikes me as especially interesting is the time this painting was created, that being 1964, two decades after WWII or "the good war". I feel this implies her sorrow is far from over unfortunately for her, but we will never know. Her emotions remain ambiguous. This is supported by the artist using a surrealist style of paining, popularized between the two world wars.
ReplyDeleteI thought the image of Randy Orton and Edge doing a double team takedown in question 75 was thought provoking in regards to the question that was asked. It imposed to me that her cancer and her husband's affair with her sort of "tag teamed" together with the common goal of "taking down" the narrator and giving her an unfortunate season of her life. It's an interesting thought that I think leaves room for more philosophical discussion, but I'm not smart enough to participate quite yet.
ReplyDeleteThe image of Keira Knightly as Elizabeth Bennet in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice adaptation on the "Wealth Gap" question is one I think connects to the book throughly because both stories show how social class can affect relationships. This reflects Sam and the narrator's relationship. They both come from different background which has an impact on how the two view topics such as money and life. The still from Pride and Prejudice also refers to the relationship between Elizabeth and Mr Darcy. Both stories show that people from different backgrounds can still have relationships, even if their differences sometimes causes problems
ReplyDeleteThe painting "In a Park" (c. 1874 ) by Berthe Morisot on question 118 “Woulda Coulda Shoulda” left me thinking for a little bit. The image relates, I believe, partially to the question. After all, it relates to how the main reason the narrator doesn’t imagine a fantasy world where she never met Sam is because of her children, and the painting is of a woman with her children in a park with a little dog. The thing that confuses me though, is the fact that the woman appears to be in mourning almost. She wears an all black dress on a seemingly warm or even hot day, and while her face could be seen as a simple neutral expression, to me it feels almost sorrowful. She holds her youngest child in her lap, who seems to be napping, while her older child looks on from the distance, also appearing slightly crestfallen. Though, I suppose the connection could be that the narrator is actively in mourning, mourning her lost marriage, all the while tending to her children. She has brief thoughts of a world without them, though she banishes the thoughts quickly. The painting as a whole just makes me want to find different connections to the book, especially that line about her kids, and I enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteThe image that I found most thought-provoking was A Fox Stalking a Brace of Partridges (ca. 1712–1753) by Jean-Baptiste Oudry (1686–1755), which is associated with the “Stalker” question set on page 25. I found this image interesting because it connects so directly to what the narrator does after finding out about Maggie. She immediately starts looking for information about her online, which is basically her observing Maggie without Maggie knowing about it.
ReplyDeleteWhat I found especially interesting about the painting is that the fox isn't attacking the partridges yet. It is watching them and waiting. I think that is similar to what the narrator is doing online. She is searching for information and trying to figure out who Maggie is and what kind of relationship she has with her husband before actually doing anything. The partridges don't know they are being watched, which also makes the situation feel a little uncomfortable.
I think calling what the narrator does “stalking” is fair, although it is probably a more socially acceptable version of stalking since she is only looking at information that Maggie has put online. I can understand why she would want to do it, especially when she is trying to make sense of what is happening to her marriage. At the same time, I don't think searching through someone's online presence is necessarily going to give her the answers she wants. She might find out things about Maggie, but that doesn't mean she will understand the full story of Maggie's relationship with her husband or what actually happened between them.
That is part of why I think the image works so well with the question. The fox can see the partridges, but that doesn't mean it understands them. In the same way, the narrator might be able to find a lot of information about Maggie online without actually learning what she needs to know. She is watching from the outside and trying to piece together a story from what she can see.
"Beethoven's Trumpet" (with Ear)" was one of the most thought-provoking images from this question set for me. This display by John Baldessari showcases a large, white ear with an even larger trumpet extending from it. This ear, trumpet combination is associated with question ninety, “Listen” and it pertains to information on page ninety. I found it to be extremely thought-provoking not necessarily because of our story or the question, but because being a good listener is one of the things I strive to be. I took notice of the simplicity of "Beethoven's Trumpet" (with Ear)". I related that simplicity to the ease of being a good listener. It’s not hard if you really try. Sometimes taking a step back and realising that those around you would better benefit from a listening friend than an explaining friend is something I have tried to identify in my personal relationships.
ReplyDeleteI picked "forget it! forget me!" by Roy Lichtenstein because of a couple of reasons. If you have ever seen older advertisements or magazines from about 1940-1960 you're likely not unfamiliar with how some ads would be backhanded towards women. There's one about a bottle/can opener that they made the bolded words "You mean a woman can open it?" and that's one of the kinder ones. Ironically half the time they were selling something a women would be expected to want and use. That was what I first thought of while looking at this picture. Then after a little diving, I found that the authors intent was actually meant to critique how poorly women were thought of, among other things. What really hit the nail in the coffin for me to choose this image though, was the fact it was attached to the question about love languages (pg. 62). The love languages include words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch, which the picture contains none of. I'm definitely curious what the thought process was between the question for the book and the image chosen. Examining it, the man could be interpreted as Sam, but then why does the woman resemble what Maggie would look like when she was the one he chose, not left? Also Sam was never outwardly rude like the man in the picture, so there's no connection there.These observations make me want to know why this picture so absurdly different from the contents of the question its paired with.
ReplyDeleteAn image I felt was very thought-provoking was “Waiting Rooms for the Beyond” by John Register. This image is connected with question number 53 titled “Waiting Rooms”. The obvious from the image is how a waiting room is pictured. What stood out to me, is how there is one single chair. No one was around, just an empty room with a chair and thoughts. I believe it implies how an individual is usually left on their own in the moment of realization. The feeling of having no one to tell because they do not know how to relate. Alone in thoughts, struggling to understand the way life threw this at them. Wanting to know how to deal with the heaviness of hurt but also emptiness of answers.
ReplyDeleteThe most interesting image to me is actually the two paintings on question 161 “Begin/End” (the only question with two images). “The Sower” (ca. 1865) and “The Gleaners” (1857), both by Jean-Francois Millet, show the beginning and end of the farming process. It’s interesting that these images were picked, because although the sower starts the growing process and the gleaner ends it, neither is really beginning or ending the yearly cycle of growing crops. It reminds me of how, even if you always try to start something original or end projects, you can’t always end everything you want in the way you want.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to change my name...
Delete"The Two Fridas" (1939) by Frida Kahlo on page/question 64, the cartesian splits, was the image that most caught my eye and was the most thought-provoking for me. It does relate to the question, talking about how the narrator feels she lives more in her mind than her body, but the image didn't catch me off guard because of the relevance to the question but rather to the picture itself. You have two Fridas (I assume) holding hands while their hearts are exposed, but the one on the left has her heart open-open, and the one on the right has her heart "closed," or maybe just facing inside.
ReplyDeleteThe image I found the most interesting was the image for "Love Languages," which is "Forget it, Forget me," by Roy Lichtenstine. The first thing that stands out to me about this piece is the art style, which is very reminiscent of comic books from the 50s and 60s. The pained expression on the man's face makes it clear that the woman hurt him emotionally somehow. The man says that he is "fed up with your kind," to the woman, which makes me wonder what has happened to him in the past and what "your kind" refers to. It could refer to almost anything about her that she has in common with the man's previous partners, which may be why I find this piece so intriguing.
ReplyDelete“The Two Fridas” by Frida Kahlo on 64.
ReplyDeleteI loved this painting and found it thought-provoking because it makes me confront myself and ask if I can really be called one person. I sometimes feel like I am everyone I’ve ever met and that I have loved, and they all walk around in the streets of my soul greeting one another, and making me every second of my life. The ‘two’ part creates this thought, by shining light on my different parts. In the painting as well, one Frida is wearing a traditional Tehuana dress, while the other is wearing a European-style Victorian dress (from wikipedia, so digest with salt). This gives me even more thought about my identity as a person. I am Native-American, but within me also flows immigrant blood. And how much am I defined by ‘blood’? I contain multitudes, Whitman type-beat. This excites me rather than depresses me. As I think in truth the entire world flows through each person.
I find the image that accompanies the question Nooses ("Old Man with Noose" (1923) by Kathe Kollwitz), the picture that best represents its question. I feel that it reflects the way our narrator currently feels, obviously horrible, and the darkness of this picture really demonstrates that. I also feel like while what our protagonist is saying is true, she is choosing to see it this way by being so negative and calling the story a noose; she is, in turn, tying a different rope around her own neck.
ReplyDeleteThe image that stood out to me the most is called "I am its secret" from question 84. I noticed it because it's got this super cool Arabic mystique to it. After doing more research, I learned that the woman who takes these photographs is named Shirin Nashat and uses them to symbolize the different struggles of women in fundamentalist Muslim countries. It's definitely a fascinating choice of picture for the question it accompanies, which has to do with whether or not it was the right thing for our narrator to keep her breast cancer a secret from her husband and children. Her choosing to keep this a secret and not inform her family of it is obviously a risky thing to do, because if her condition worsened, she would have had very little to prepare her children for her eventual demise. Tying that to the artistic representation of Shirin Neshat raises the question of what women in the Middle East have been forced into silence about for millennia. The weight of being forced to do so must certainly be a brutal burden.
ReplyDeleteThe image I chose was "I am its secret" (1993) by Shirin Neshat, from the question Secret " on page 84. Secrets have been depicted in many ways over the years: a question mark, a shadowed presence, or even a lock on something. Each time, there is a mystery that surrounds it, the lingering question of what it is or what’s inside. The woman covering most of her head in a black cloth conceals most things. However, her eyes stand out. They look directly at the viewer, almost daring them to ask questions. A secret is the same, almost entirely covered in mystery except for a small part that is seen from an outside perspective: a quiet whisper or a knowing look between two people. When I first clicked on the question, I immediately looked into her eyes and found myself questioning what was behind them. What knowledge, what secrets did she hold there?
ReplyDeleteThe image I found most thought-provoking was “The Great War” by René Magritte. It is associated with the question titled “95. Inside emotions.” I found this image most thought-provoking not only because it perfectly fits the question, but also because it is a great representation of what previous generations were expected to do with inside and outside emotions, just like our narrator. They were told to put up a front of “perfection,” like the women in the painting. However, showing no emotion does not prove someone is perfect. Hiding emotions is unattainable. I believe my generation has done a better job of being accepting of things like that.
ReplyDeleteI found "Waiting Room for the Beyond" (1988) by John Register to be the most intriguing to me; it was on page 53. I think the photo fits the part of the story being the waiting room. After all, a lone chair in a clean room overlooking a large window out into the clouds. To me that screams the typical vision of a waiting room. It's not dirty or chaotic but clean and quiet, simply you and your thoughts waiting. Maybe looking out the window into nothing it doesn't matter what is out there but simply the fact that you're looking to distract yourself from waiting.
ReplyDeleteThe "Woman at a Window" painting by Casper David Friedrich piqued my interest. In my opinion, it resonates with the end of the novel. In the painting, the woman is observing the outside world through a window. It mirrors the narrator's position of never being certain of what her future holds with which, at the start she was not comfortable with. But towards the end, she was able to embrace the uncertainty of life. Additionally, I think the fact that woman's face in the painting is not visible also adds to the correlation as we never find the name of the narrator herself.
ReplyDeleteThe image that I found thought provoking was "Wind from the Sea" (1947) by Andrew Wyeth. This image was for the question "who's There" (188). The painting shows an open window with curtains that blow into the room from the wind outside. Even though the scene looks simple at first, it made me feel uneasy, kind of like that feeling you get when you think someone is watching you. The reason I liked this image so much was that I'm curious about what Wyeth was thinking while painting it. The painting leaves a lot to our imagination instead of plainly showing it to us. When I look at it, I imagine coming home alone and walking upstairs only to find a window open that I know I had closed earlier. This is one of the reasons I think that this painting feels so mysterious. We don't know why the window is open or if someone else is in the house, and I think it's that sense of uncertainty that makes this image so thought provoking to me.
ReplyDeleteThe most thought-provoking image for me was the question for page 25 about stalking. The image was "A Fox Stalking a Brace of Partridges" (ca. 1712-1753) by Jean-Baptiste Oudry (1686-1755). I found it thought-provoking because the fox is stalking its prey the way the narrator is stalking Maggie. We have become very desensitized to combing through other social media with the intent of finding out deeply personal information. The image helps illustrate the gravity/intensity of the narrator's stalking. It also points to the recurring discussion of fear. The prey is afraid of the predator, while the predator is scared of missing their opportunity.
ReplyDeleteThe most thought provoking image I saw was the “Beethoven’s Trumpet,” by John Baldessari that was associated with the question of what makes a good listener for page 90. The reason why I thought the photo was thought provoking was because it seems like the trumpet thing is helping the ear hear something it’s not supposed to. To me it kind of seems like it’s trying to convey the message that good listeners are people who pay attention to the things they may not have been told directly.
ReplyDeleteScene from "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" (TV series; 2024-present) is a great choice for the question titled " Communal Dating" (6) if you do not know the context behind the image. Episode 1 of Season 2 is where the image comes from. In that particle scene, Lauren, the girl showing off her phone screen, tries to cheer up Pip. Pip is the girl on the far left. Pip had launched her podcast and was getting a ton of traction. Lauren was showing the entire group that Pip's podcast was being received relatively well. However, the reason Lauren was cheering up Pip was the fact Pip had just learned that Lauren was going to "hang" out with a guy named Robin Hastings. Pip shares what she thinks about Lauren hanging with Robin. When Pip does that, it is a great example of what happens in communal dating. The person who is either in an active relationship or is in a talking stage will usually receive tips or opinions from their friends. The image, at a glance, shows exactly what communal dating would look like- one person showing their friends a message from their suitor. The scene leading up to the image is an example of communal dating. The image without context can be used as an example of communal dating. The image, knowing what is being shown from Lauren's phone, is not an example of communal dating.
ReplyDeleteThis was Vanessa G.
DeleteThe Image from question 118, "Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda," was the most thought provoking for me. The question discusses the matter of having a fairytale life that consists of no problems or issues. The painting shows a woman, her children, and a pet, but that is as far as I know. Just as we can not see what is always going on in the lives of those around us, we do not know what else could be happening in the lives of the people in the painting. We can use our imagination to assume that this is a happy family, but we do not know what they could truly be dealing with. Fairytales are nice to imagine, but they do not always consist of the truth.
ReplyDeleteThe image from 161 Begin/End stood out to me. Particularly because of the duality. I think that people are beginners and enders, often changing throughout the course of their lives. I think that most people would say that beginnings are much more preferable to ends, as ends often hurt. However, people don't recognize the fear of beginnings. Leaving behind what we know isn't easy, and endings bring out the pain, while beginnings leave us longing for what we had and what could have been.
ReplyDeleteThis was Landon Cox.
DeleteI found the "The Great War" (1964) by Renee Magritte (95) to be the most thought provoking. This painting captures a woman, that appears to be from the edwardian period based off of her clothing, with a blue flower covering her face. I think this image represented the question well, with the flower obscuring her face we can not see what she is feeling. Much like how our narrator is concealing how she feels externally. The addition of the period clothing adds a nice touch, as women are expected to hide any 'negative' or strong emotions.
ReplyDeleteThe Gladiator Image of Joaquin Phoenix was the most impactful image for me personally. I remember hating his character in that movie and being disgusted with the way he treated people and even just the tone and pitch of his voice. Certainly in his role as the emperor of Rome he is clearly an emotionally disturbed individual. Joaquin Phoenix always plays a good emotional distraught idol. So, I think if humans were to rely heavily on emoji's or something of the sort in our everyday communications we would slowly begin to devolve as a species.
ReplyDeleteThe most thought provoking image to me was "The Two Fridas" by Frida Kahlo on page 63. I like how it explores the idea of two inner selves. I feel like this can be taken in many different ways. There are many times that I make decisions and feel like there are two versions of me that want different things. I also feel like their are times that part of me wants to do what I should do and another that wants to do the opposite. I think this painting shows that dilemma very well. I feel like it is something everyone experiences which is why I thought it was thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteThis was Brayden
Delete"A Fox Stalking a Brace of Partridges" (ca. 1712-1753) by Jean-Baptiste Oudry (1686-1755), the image attached to “Stalker” (page 25), is a representation of a predator animal (the fox) assumedly “stalking” a prey animal, this image stuck out to me, not because of its relation to the topic of the question, but rather, its lack of relation to my interpretation of the topic. This question pertains to the narrator internet stalking Maggie after finding out from her husband Sam about their affair, but I’d venture to argue that the internet “stalking” she partook in is not stalking at all. The uprise of the internet has made so much information and so many details readily available at our fingertips. As industries transition from paper to electronic mediums, more and more of our personal information is on the internet, especially information we willingly offer or expose due to negligent use of the internet. I’m a firm believer that finding information about somebody on LinkedIn or social media pages (even those of family members as detailed by the narrator) is not stalking at all, rather, research and observations.
ReplyDeleteThe image that spoke to me the most and really made me think deeply about was “Pollice Verso” (1873) by Jean-Léon Gérôme. When first seeing this photo, it immediately reminded me of how people today humor and entertain such violent and horrific scenes. For example, school fights. Most people just stand there, laughing, some in shock, but there aren’t many who will step away to get help. Instead, if allowed, they’ll pull out their phones and record it for their own ENTERTAINMENT. They watch someone else suffer, or someone get hurt, and do nothing. That is what I saw from this photo and reminded me just how desensitized people have become.
ReplyDeleteThe image that spoke to me the most and really made me think deeply about was “Pollice Verso” (1873) by Jean-Léon Gérôme. When first seeing this photo, it immediately reminded me of how people today humor and entertain such violent and horrific scenes. For example, school fights. Most people just stand there, laughing, some in shock, but there aren’t many who will step away to get help. Instead, if allowed, they’ll pull out their phones and record it for their own ENTERTAINMENT. They watch someone else suffer, or someone get hurt, and do nothing. That is what I saw from this photo and reminded me just how desensitized people have become. (Sending again with my name.)
ReplyDelete"Waiting Room for the Beyond" (1988)- John Register. I chose this painting to answer this question because it shows a completely empty waiting room with only a single chair. For people dealing with serious illness, such as cancer or grief, it makes perfect sense that every room in their life may feel just like a waiting room. This painting gives off a lonely, sad feeling. Even though the narrator has Darlene, she probably still felt very lonely during her battle with cancer. I feel like this painting fits so well because it shows that everyone might actually be waiting alone. Even if you have friends and family who love you, you can still set your struggles separate and try to fight them and feel them alone.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the image from 194A. Your urn "Blue and White Covered Urn" by James Whistler
ReplyDeleteI like the idea it represents. In the story, the narrator is given an urn with remnants of the tragic events that she has gone through. To take something like that and to seal it off in something beautiful strikes me as an effective way to put it behind you. To recognize that it happened and that it is a part of you and your life but that it does not need to define you.