First draft of critical essay explaining the connection between one found
photo and one staged photo from studio by summarizing Howells’
discussion of the real and the ideal and presenting your own unique
thesis about the mutability of these two notions. Please post to Canvas
before the next class.
If you are confused by the above try to answer these questions, one by
one:
1. Write three sentences describing the formal elements of the
found photograph.
In my found photograph I am sitting down and posed awkwardly on a
large flat rock surrounded by dark greenery. I’m wearing a black dress
and draped in a long, gold graduation gown with thick silver chain
necklaces around my neck. There is somewhat of a sadness in my blue
eyes that are bordered by dark make-up; there is a questionable aspect
in my pale face and faint smile.
2. Explain why this photo doesn’t represent you.
This photo doesn’t represent me because there was a true sadness
within me during that period of time in my life. I wore these silver chain
necklaces every day which somewhat represented me feeling chained
down to the negative emotions I felt within me. I wore everything very
dark including my hair and my make-up to put on this mask that I was
a very emotionally dark person.
3. Write three sentences describing the formal elements of the
created photograph.
In this created photograph I am relaxing comfortably on a bench
surrounded by nourished greenery with the sunlight gleaming against
the leaves in the background. I’m wearing a white/coffee colored
romper and around my neck is a delicate necklace with a crystal on the
end and on my right ring finger is a small diamond ring. My hair is
bleach blonde and is accentuated by the sunlight shining over me, I’m
wearing very little make-up on my face as I wear a huge smile.
4. Explain why this photo does represent you.
This photo represents the person who I am now. I now enjoy looking
happy and healthy. My style is much different now than it was in my
found photo, I now like to dress in things that make me feel
comfortable instead of dressing in things to help maintain a false image
of myself. I wear little to no make-up and I’d much rather look natural
than wear heavy make-up. I’m a truly much happier person now than I
use to be and that is evident through the huge smile that I wear in this
photo.
5. Explain W. D. Howells’ story of the critic, the artificial
grasshopper and the young artist trying to describe a real
grasshopper.
The young artist is pointing out that the grasshopper he has invented
is although artificial it should be viewed at no differently than a critic
would view a grasshopper in the grass. The artist is viewing the
situation through an absolutist’s way of life.
6. Explain how this story fits into the larger context of Howells’
essay and the advice the writer is trying to deliver.
This story fits into the larger context of Howells’ essay because Howell’s
writes about how he hopes for an absolutist future and for people to
reject the ideal and go along with what they feel is the “natural
grasshopper” to them.
7. What can you infer about Howells’ historical context from his
essay? How does it contrast with yours?
We can infer from the historical context from his essay that he lived in a
time where everything was viewed through absolutism and no one was
discouraged from creating art from natural life instead of creating art to
meet the ideal expectation of things. In today’s society we’re more
about relativism so we do not all believe in creating things as they
naturally came about.
8. Does your historical context give you a different reaction to the
story about the grasshopper than perhaps Howells intended you to
have?
In our world today we’ve evolved into a relativist society as opposed to
an absolutist society that Howell’s was hoping we’d become. We still
look for the ideal within things instead of the natural within things; we
still create art based off of the ideal grasshopper instead of the natural
grasshopper, which I disagree with because Howell’s prediction was
wrong.
9. How does your reaction connect to your found and created
photographs? (The answer to this question should be a thesis
statement linking your entire essay together.)
My reaction to the essay can connect to my found and created photographs because
something that seemed natural during the darker time in my life does not
correspond with who I am now and the happier time in my life. However, both
phases of my life occurred and although one phase in my life has passed and is now
over, it does not mean that it did not stand true and feel natural to who I was at the
time being.