IRB Post #3: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

For this cycle, I will be reading The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. I hope to achieve a deeper insight into this novel as the first and last time that I have read this was when I was in the fifth grade. Since this is labeled as a classic, I was immediately drawn towards it despite by unfamiliarity of the mystery genre.

TOW #17: Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh

            When asking an individual to name one painting they know, most likely than not, Starry Night will be mentioned. As much as Van Gogh’s works are considered masterpieces of this day, the constant glorification of the subject sometimes runs down its magnitude. After having seen Van Gogh’s Starry Night numerous times without giving much thought into it, I’ve encountered an interest in discovering what the meanings behind some of the world’s most famous works of art.

            During his time of existence and career, the Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh was not hailed for his artistic techniques, undermining his style and calling it “sloppy, crude and childish.” The critics who were more accustomed to photographic landscapes and portraits of the time did not appreciate the surrealism that Van Gogh emanated. He was therefore isolated from the general public, which his feelings of loneliness could be portrayed through the contrast of dark and light colors of his painting. The big brushstrokes could signify his desire to continue being bold with his style, endeavoring to convince himself that he is more confident than he actually is.

            Although this may be stretching a bit, the eleven stars on Van Gogh’s Starry Night could signify Joseph’s dream of the eleven stars in the Bible. In the biblical account of Joseph, the dreamer, the boy was also isolated from his own family and sold into slavery by the abandonment of eleven of his jealous older brothers. Similar to how Joseph showed constant efforts to receive acceptance from his siblings, Van Gogh also displayed his determined endeavor towards being respected as an artist but had failed to receive recognition of the time period’s art critics.

TOW #16: The Death of the Hired Man by Robert Frost

            As I’ve always been a poem fanatic, I am fully aware of the highly regard American poet Robert Frost. Growing up, I’ve enjoyed reading his works from time to time, but as I was still young, I did not fully grasp the meaning behind his words. After fostering the ability to analyze and interpret texts, I believe that I am all the more competent to delve deeper into Frost’s purpose in his short story, “The Death of a Hired Man.” In this work, Frost outlines the themes of duty and hard work.

            The story begins with a husband (Warren) coming home from work. He is immediately greeted by his concerned wife (Mary), notifying him of the return of their ex-farmhand, Silas. Silas, too old and weak to work, came back to fulfill his obligation and duty that he promised to Warren. However, feeling betrayed by Silas multiple times as he (Silas) left Warren during the peaks of harvest, leaving him alone when he needed someone the most. After some time of Mary convincing Warren to be kind and go see Silas of his condition, he discovers that Silas has died.

            In the text, themes of isolation and reputation serves as a backdrop, enhancing the core meaning of Frost’s work. Silas, wanting to make things right, returns to fulfill his contract with Warren before he dies. He seems to want an honorable death, surrounded by those he sees as family. However, although he came back to his “home,” Silas passes away alone. When Warren went to tend to Silas and his condition, he comes back sooner than expected, notifying Mary that Silas had died with one word, “Dead.”

            Despite Silas’s bad reputation, Mary displays kindness, reminding Warren to “Be kind.” Mary serves as a mother-figure, a symbol of love and nurture for anyone regardless of their past experiences or background. In Biblical references, Mary embodies the mother of humanity or Christ, insisting that man must be loved and cared, for he is dying.

The lasting effect of this timeless poem serves to teach the audience of reputation and the effort of relaying kindness to everyone. 

TOW #15: ¡Rape Trump! By Indecline

            During social unrest and political chaos of the 2016 Presidential Election, an explicit depiction of the then-Republican candidate Donald Trump was drawn on one of the Mexican borders, Tijuana; Wedged in his mouth is ball gag, and the words “¡RAPE TRUMP!" are displayed in large, bolded letters. Indecline, a collective of U.S. artists, spray-painted the mural in response to Trump’s speech in June of last year. "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best...," Trump said when he kicked off his presidential bid. "They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists." This characterization of Mexican migrants as criminals and rapists is a derogatory generalization of those who may not share the assumed background. The Tijuana mural also includes directions to Trump Tower in New York City from the original location. It can be perceived as an offering to potential Mexican immigrants to fit into the description said by Trump to challenge his assumption.

TOW #14: The Son of Man by René Magritte

            Drawn by the same Belgian painter as “Man in the Bowler Hat,” the surreal 1964 painting “The Son of Man” was painted by René Magritte as a self-portrait. The scenery illustrates a man in an overcoat and a bowler hat standing in front of a short wall. Behind this wall depicts a cloudy sky and a horizon of a sea. The most curious aspect of this artwork is the hovering green apple in front of the man’s face, making his identity unknown. I’ve seen this painting in many social media platforms as part of a parody, featuring the same unidentified man (Magritte) and his face covered by inquisitive items. The mysterious aura this painting emanates was the element that sparked my initiative to delve further into the hidden meanings behind Magritte’s portrait.

            When asked about the message behind his decision to obscure the face of his self-portrait, Magritte responded, “Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden behind what we see. There is an interest in that which is hidden and which the visible does not show us.” Although his reasoning was relatively oblique and could be ambiguous in regards to how the public interprets his words, I could definitely understand Magritte’s attempt at drawing contrast between “the visible that is present and the visible that is hidden.” Maybe Magritte was fully aware of the human tendency to decipher meaning from essentially anything that aren’t direct in an attempt to better understand the person behind the work. His purposeful addition of a compelling factor of the green apple accentuates his depiction of conflict between what is seen and unseen.