There only so much that can happen in one day, as well as analyzing every single detail in it. Whether your reading a story or journal, watching a movie, or simply have a story told to you by someone else, there is just so much to look into what it has to say. The simple idea of something being so vague leaves on wondering the infinite possibilities of it meaning. Everyone has a different to interpretation to something that is said or reflected. With all the endless possibilities of interpretations and ideas, it is a great way to lose yourself to what the meaning of the matter is. Especially if every single detail is captured by a person, and then told with great detail.
If one were to document every single hour of a day, and give accurate details about visionary and dialogue, one can already learn a lot. For starters they can see the type of lifestyle the person has, and what their inner thoughts say. Not only can one take the detail, thoughts, and dialogues literally, but take it to another level where one can explore why everything happened. One can ask question on why the person thinks the way they do, why they pay attention to certain detail, and why they say what they had to say. We can often assume what has happened in their life before that day, to have a better understanding on why they did what they did.
Take for instance a phrase like “Today I cleaned my house thoroughly and was very proud of it”. What can we possibly interpret with that? One has to really dissect the phrase and ask many question and make assumptions to better understand it. Questions can be said like: Who is saying it? Why are they saying it? Why did they have to clean their house? Why did they clean the house so thoroughly? And why are they so proud of it? There are just so many questions we can ask and assume about who said the phrase. One can have many versions on why the person said the phrase. One could say that the person cleaned their house thoroughly because there were going to invite important guests or friends over. They were really proud of cleaning it because they have never cleaned their house like that before. Or one can also say this person had to clean their house because there parents told them so. They had to clean the house in order to get permission from their parents to go out somewhere or maybe even get an allowance. So many things I was able to say and ask with just from a phrase with just twelve words. With many different possibilities and combinations, I would say, yes, it is possible for a work of art to be told from one day and with such vastness. That is the beauty about art, is that one can interpret it the way they feel or assume. It can be a painting, picture, movie, book, almost anything can be created as a work of art, and the possibilities are endless.
You know, the saying goes: "A picture is worth a thousand words," and your response shows it. We have possibilities to assume many things from pictures and novels; just art in general. We all think differently and can react differently to any object but somehow it ties into our very existence and meaning. Our vital information can be spelled out for the world to see if they only too the time to see it. I found it interesting how you put it into terms of that phrase too because many times simple ways of wording that we choose can be interpreted in so many ways. Once someone knows the reasoning behind why you said something or behaved a certain way they become more compassionate to the things you do. This is a great thing but it can also be a bad thing because if we do just see something that a person does and react to it without detail we might not be able to see what their reasoning is. And of course we all know there are two sides to every story. :] Some people might see you behave one way and assume its the way you are all the time. Of course you shouldn't hide the fact that you maybe like to speak out, dance in public, or even make rude comments about others but at the same time if it is something that doesn't define you as a person and is just a one time thing you can't really redeem yourself until you take the chance to get to know the person judging you. But I completely agree with everything you are saying here because we all know how it is for you and another person to see something completely different when looking at one object. It is just a fact of life and we can be sure that it has endless possibilities with the number of people we encounter.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was first posed the question “is a single work of art (literature in particular) capable of encompassing such vastness” as could occur within a single day I was of the opinion that it could not encompass the complexity of a person, their thoughts, and feeling, and their experiences. After reading your post however I find myself having to reevaluate my opinion. Although I am still of the opinion that “The Hours”, although it was an admirable attempt at fulfilling this idea, in the end I found it fell a little short. You however, with your imagery and ability to raise a simple question with an almost infinite variable of responses, depending on the individual in question or the person who is questioning, have demonstrated the complexity in a single thought, let alone the endless thoughts and actions that make up a day, that convinces me that it is possible to illiterate and express, to encapsulate the basics of a person’s whole being with in the space of a single day. You were quite eloquent in your opinion, and in so being, have changed my opinion and I just want to say thank you. Thanks for allowing me to grow beyond my own initial ideas on the subject to look at it from a different angle and in turn change.
ReplyDelete@nancys.f. You bring up very good and intellectual points! =)
ReplyDelete@avidreader Thank you for your response, it made me feel really good about myself..So Thank You as well =)
I think you are right that it is possible for a work of art to be told in a day with such vastness. You are also right that art can be many things. When I was very young, art for me meant a drawing; when I got little older, I learned that art can also be a sculpture; now that I have matured, I see art all around me. The beauty of art is in the person who sees it; they can see things that others may not notice, and by sharing what they see is beautiful will enlighten others to see it too. The novel “The Hours” is a book I could not get into; I was left bewildered after reading it. I did piece together toward the end that Richard was Mrs. Brown’s little Richie all grown up. I could not wait to get to class to find out what was the significant of the book. I must admit that after our instructor shared with us her interpretation of the novel and reading the hand outs on it—I now have a better understanding of the novel. I feel art is contagious and for someone else to be able to understand it, sometimes art must be interpreted. Now that I understand the art written on the pages of “The Hours,” I can interpret it to someone else.
ReplyDelete“If one were to document every single hour of a day, and give accurate details about visionary and dialogue, one can already learn a lot… they can see the type of lifestyle…what their inner thoughts say…One can ask question on why the person thinks the way they do, why they pay attention to certain detail, and why they say what they [say]. We can often assume what has happened in their life before that day…”
ReplyDeleteI like what you say here because it’s true. Anyone well acquainted with their fellow men, or understand themselves even, could make boundless assumptions about what makes a human what they are in any day of existence.
However, although I agree about the endless possibilities by exploration, I’d like to make a different point as well. Does it matter what happened to someone in there past? In the end, does what actually happened matter? Any assumption could be a probable cause, so, in the end, are any o them relevant? A person is who they are in a day, past left far behind them, as it is currently irrelevant. People are people, no matter what happened to them. We should take in people as they are, as we are, in the end, in control of our current state, and not our pasts.
Thinking about the idea of a novel written about a single day made me think about how mine would turn out-- then I thought about if I decided t write about my life in the traditional sense of outlining a story through my day to day experiences. I realized I couldn't do it easily because how can one decide what moments are important in our lives or if there truly is a narrative present in our lives.
ReplyDeleteI mean, the traditional view of a novel (not in the Woolfian style) assumes that certain events or thoughts in our day-to-day existence are more important than others.
It is almost audacious, how can I possibly claim t understand the inner connections of my activities and thoughts. What connections, crisises, stories in my life go on that I am not aware of. to what extent do I invent them? Is that what Biographers do? --Make a structure out of someone's formless life.
I realize the Woolfian style is the only accurate way of recounting someone's life, the only realistic art. How much is assumed when an author cuts from one day to the next, one hour on conversation to the next?