How can art be mirror of society?

"The School of Athens"-Raphael

It is true that art not only reflects society but actually is a true mirror of society. Paintings, as well as music and literature reflect the state of mind that is occurring in the society during that time. Even in the early days of stone age, men would draw simple paintings on the walls of their caves, expressing their daily lives in motives such as hunting. Another example would be during the 2nd world war, where society was suffering badly and many artist would draw and express their feelings in their gloomy and depressing paintings.

The Renaissance period was a period of "rebirth", new born knowledge, new horizons and experimentation. In his painting "The School of Athens", Raphael truly captured the "zeitgeist", the spirit that was developing, during the Renaissance era. The School of Athens symbolizes the first period of mankind in which the human spirit evolved. Philosophy, mathematics, literature,religion,science, astronomy, art and many other things were being experimented with and tooken apart based on what was known from earlier periods.Those things are exactly what Raphael depicted in his painting. Raphael shows numerous scientists and scholars, on the left side, the side of literature and humanist ideas and on the right, the side of science and math. On the left side you can see people writing, thinking and reading showing that new ideas and thoughts were built upon and written down for future reference. However, on the right side the scholars are using compasses, globes and other materials to show that they are flourishing a new era of scientific knowledge, for example the universe. Scientist were using telescopes and other ideas to find out more about the world they live in and the planets surrounding it. Raphael also depicted the architectures that was advancing in that particular era. The rounded arches and columns are clearly a sign of the use of old ideas (Greco-Roman) that humans then used to flourish their buildings and city with. Raphael visibly showed and captured the environment during the Renaissance era which can make anyone who sees the painting value the work these people have done.

My position in "The School of Athens"

Hypatia of Alexandra

If I were to place myself in the grand painting by Rapahel, "The School of Athens", I would probably be Hypatia of Alexandria, who stands on Plato's side in a white robe, glancing over her shoulder. She was a very brave and independent woman who was even said to be the first notable woman in mathematics, philosophy and astronomy. Her life was enriched with the passion of knowledge since she was the daughter of Theon (a professor in the University of Alexandria) who was believed to raising her to become the perfect human. At an early age she had already started teaching people, enlightening them with her knowledge making her one of the most unique and best students in "The School of Athens". Like Hypatia, I think of myself as an independent girl who likes to be a leader and help other people. I like to teach them things that they are unaware of, as well as listen to their opinions and reflect on them. Like her, I learn enthusiastically and like to play around with new ideas, building upon them. And even though, I am not as passionate about math and science than she was, I still have my own favorite subjects in which I like to take chances upon and improve on. Last but not least, like Hyaptia, I feel that sexism is wrong and erratic. She has shown all men, that women can be as smart as them and that they can accomplish things many other men can't, go to university and teach scholars all over Italy and Greece. Even though sexism is a smaller problem nowadays than it used to be in the Renaissance era, I sometimes still get upset when I hear about stories of unrighteousness toward women. However I do think that I would still need to work on myself a little more to become similar to Hypatia of Alexandria.

How can Da Vinci be characterized as a true Renaissance Man?

Leonardo Da Vinci was born in 1452 during the Renaissance era. The Renaissance got its name due to the "rebirth" and rediscovery of ideas and knowledge that was lost during the fall of the Roman Empire as well as ideas from Ancient Greece. People began to "open their eyes" and look at the world around them, curious about different aspects of life. They didn't rely on old manuscripts and books that were written in the past, and instead wanted to find out for themselves and wanted to experiment. Leonardo Da Vinci also wanted to go further and beyond than what other people have already found and desired to structure completely new ideas. He drew, sketched and wrote all of his thoughts and inventions in little notebooks, some of which still exist today. Looking at pages of some of these notebooks you could see that Leonardo was truly a genius. Not only was he very precise and detailed in everything he wrote down, but some of inventions actually made sense and you could see that Leonardo had put a lot of thought in them. Leonardo Da Vinci was a painter,sculptor, philosopher, scientist, mathematician, engineer, musician, architect and an inventor all in one. Not only did he paint some of the most beautiful drawings in history but he also thought of inventions and constructions such as making man fly with parachutes and helicopters, or making man go deep in the water with primitive scuba diving equipment. Having over millions of inventions, some of which are constructed today, and some of which never worked, Leonardo Da Vinci can be portrayed as a true Renaissance man.

Freedom lies in being bold

"Freedom"-Lisa Moore

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but come through continuous

struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent. " -Martin Luther King Jr.

In August 1963 the distinguished civil rights leader, Martin Luther Jr. presented his famous speech "I have a dream", in front of 250,000 people, offering the idea of freedom. With this quote he enlightens them by saying that the will of the African American race has to be strong in order to overcome this injustice and dark time in the history of America so that they can finally live in freedom. This culture of deprived people had to go through slavery, poverty, shame, injustice and segregation. Black people didn't have a lot of rights. They were not allowed to sit with white people on the bus, were not allowed to drink from the same water fountains or go to the same bathrooms, they were not allowed to vote and they also had to send their children to an "all-black"school which was usually in much worse condition than the school for white children. This was all a discriminating time. However Martin Luther King Jr. used a powerful trait of his and stood up for the African American race. He encouraged black people to stand up for their rights and "straighten their backs" in order to get the freedom that they needed. 6 years after his momentous speech in Washington DC, and 4 years after having the honor of winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Martin Luther King got assassinated on his balcony of his motel. However his message lived on in the hearts of people world wide.People can now look up to him as a righteous leader and fight for their own freedom. Songs, poems and movies have been inspired by this courageous man and now all black people understand that they should not be ashamed of who they are and stand up for themselves and their freedom.

Love echoes in your heart

Love

Love echoes in your heart

Enveloped in a bitter sweet coat of emotion

She challenges your destiny

"The First Kiss"- William Bouguereau

In "The Alchemist" Paulo Coelho displays the theme of love in a very powerful way. The novel describes love as being part of the Soul of the World, meaning that it occurs in life, nature and within people too. The first time when Santiago and Fatima meet, Santiago can feel that the Soul of the World is speaking directly to him and that he has found his true soul mate. However, after listening to the wise words of the alchemist, he also understands that Fatima is part of his personal legend and that she will never stand in his way of pursuing his fate. Love is a very powerful feeling and we can all experience it at least once in our lifetime. It is so powerful, that we feel like nothing else in the world matters anymore and that we never want to let it go because it is such an unbelievable feeling. The message that is being unfolded during the novel is that true love will never get in the way of living your life to the fullest and achieving your destiny. And also that people should search for love in order to be happy because the more you experience love the closer you will get to feeling the true happiness of life. One similarity between all cultures and times periods is that everyone shows love and appreciation to someone in the same way. One tells and shows the other that they love and care for them. This happens no matter where you are from, where you live or what gender or race you are. We ALL show appreciation to the ones we love. This indescribable feeling can be stretched all the way back to the first days of the existence of the earth. So all in all people should not give up in looking for love even if they have to overcome some obstacles along the way.

Blog #1 Being a participant in MY destiny

"Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima"-Joe Rosenthal

The Needless Fear of Failure

“The boy reached through to the Soul of the World and saw that it was a part of the Soul of God. And he saw that the Soul of God was his own soul. And that he, a boy, could perform miracles.” (Coelho 145) Santiago, the protagonist in “The Alchemist” realizes the purpose of life and himself, and that God can communicate through him, while having the Apotheosis in his journey. Being a young shepherd boy who travels around the Andalusian countryside in Spain, Santiago has a strange dream of a precious treasure being buried under the Great Pyramids in Egypt. He discovers that his dream is his personal legend, his destiny. Even though the capricious deserts of Egypt are far away from the countryside and Santiago knows that he has to leave behind all that matters to him in his life, he decides to depart Andalusia and become a participant in his destiny. During his significant journey he meets unique people who not only teach him valuable lessons but also support and encourage him through this important moment in his life. He soon finds himself overcoming dangerous obstacles; finding the love of his life as well as discovering himself, as a person. Santiago possessed qualities such as knowledge, courage and determination, which help him through his meaningful journey to successfully achieving his destiny.

During his journey Santiago gains knowledge and understanding in a variety of different ways. In beginning of his mission, after he has the bizarre dream about a treasure buried underneath the Pyramids, Santiago meets Melchizedek, the King of Salem who teaches him about fulfilling destinies and the Principle of Favorability. He informs Santiago that ones destiny is something one has always wanted to accomplish and that dreams are personal and how a person chooses to interact with them is part of their destiny. He explains that Santiago’s destiny is to travel to Egypt and find the mysterious treasure that appeared in his dream. Since Santiago is still undecided and bewildered, Melchizedek tries to persuade him to come to the right decision by telling stories of people who never fulfilled their destinies and are now unhappy because of it. At some point in their conversation, Melchizedek explains: “It’s a force that appears to be negative, but actually shows you how to realize your destiny. It prepares your spirit and your will, because there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it. It’s your mission on earth.”-pg.21. In this passage, Melchizedek defines the Principle of Favorability or beginners luck, to Santiago. This happens when a person first decides to become a participant in their destiny. In the beginning of your quest to achieving your personal legend; all of the universe will conspire and work together to help you achieve it. All of this information helps Santiago participate in his personal legend since he learns more about the purpose of destinies and knows that he should fulfill his own destiny because he doesn’t want to be unhappy like the people Melchizedek mentioned. This also makes him more resolute in achieving his destiny. Later on in his momentous quest, when Santiago travels across the desert with an Englishman, he learns about the Soul of the World. One night when the Englishman and Santiago take a walk, the Englishman states: “In alchemy, it’s called the Soul of the World. When you want something with all your heart, that’s when you are closest to the Soul of the World. It’s always a positive force”-pg.75. Santiago learns that everything on earth is part of the Soul of the World and that it supports and helps you in discovering your true destiny. The last person he meets that significantly helps him gain the most knowledge, is the alchemist himself. The alchemist is Santiago’s mentor in this novel. He guides him to his treasure, teaching him important lessons on the way. He teaches Santiago how to listen to his heart and how his heart can support and encourage him on his mission to fulfilling his destiny. Santiago realizes that his heart is connected to the Soul of the World and that they work together to guide him on his quest to achieving his personal legend. Learning how to listen to his heart, Santiago has come closer to his destiny as he now knows that wherever his heart is, is also where his treasure will be. His heart will guide him to his destiny. Knowledge and understanding help Santiago follow the omens sent from God and also help him view the world in an completely different way Not only did Santiago gain knowledge throughout his journey but he also became a lot more courageous.

While fulfilling his destiny Santiago builds upon his courage in different ways. Already at the beginning of the novel, when Santiago is faced with possibly the biggest decision in his life, he has to show courage. After having met with the King of Salem, Santiago has to decide if he should stay a shepherd boy in Andalusia for the rest of his life, or travel to a foreign country, all by himself to fulfill his destiny. Choosing to become a participant in his own destiny is courage. Even though Santiago does not know what is waiting for him out there and he is terrified, he decides to take a risk, be bold and travel to Egypt. While sitting on the countryside by himself, Santiago thinks “It (the wind) had brought with it the sweat and the dreams of men who had once left to search for the unknown, and for gold and adventure-and for the Pyramids. The boy felt jealous of the freedom of the wind, and saw that he could have the same freedom. There was nothing to hold him back except himself”-pg.27.This passage describes Santiago ponder, trying to figure out what he should do with his life. He realizes that he wants to be free and travel like the wind but he is not sure if he should leave behind his trouble-free life. He gathers his courage and decides to be like the wind. Another time in his journey where Santiago shows courage is when he is about to travel with the caravans across the desert to a town named Al Fayoum by the oasis. The desert is a fickle and very hazardous place and even though Santiago is given a warning by the camel drivers he is still determined to fulfill his destiny and is courageous enough to go out into the desert knowing what the consequences can be. Last but not least, when Santiago first meets the alchemist he is frightened of him. He thinks of him as a mysterious person as well has his mortal enemy. While meeting the alchemist “The horseman was completely immobile, as was the boy. It didn’t occur to the boy to flee. In his heart he felt a strange sense of joy: he was about to die in pursuit of his destiny. And for Fatima. The omens have been true after all. Here he was, face-to-face with his enemy but there was no need to be concerned about dying”-pg.105 Santiago is at the point of death but is not troubled. He is courageous and brave and knows that he has come a far way and it is okay for him to die and become a Soul of the World. Later on in their tense conversation the alchemist explains “Courage is the quality most essential to understanding the Language of the World”-p.106 After having a sword placed on his forehead, drawing a droplet of blood and being threatened, Santiago is even more courageous to visit the alchemist the next day, even though he doesn’t know whom he is dealing with .He later on realizes that the alchemist is not his enemy but his guide, his mentor. He again, takes a risk and stays courageous. Being courageous helps Santiago achieve his destiny because he has the guts and will to live a life he has never lived before in order to fulfill and achieve his destiny. Santiago has a lot of courage, however in order to have this courage, Santiago also has to have the unique trait of determination.

Last of all, determination was the last of 3 traits that helped Santiago during his significant journey to achieving his destiny. At the beginning of his journey when Santiago meets Melchizedek, the King of Salem he isn’t quite sure if he should believe him and travel to achieve his destiny or if he should just continue being a shepherd boy. However when he decides that he should become a participant in his destiny Santiago becomes very determined. After hearing all about destinies he is now willing to give up his old life in order to fulfill his destiny since he wants to become a happy and pure person. He gives Melchizedek his sheep and immediately sets off to, what he knows, will be a powerful and important journey. Even though Santiago is determined, he does have some moments in his journey where he feels like giving up. However his determination makes him powerful and bold and always ready to strive again to reach his destiny. In the beginning of his long journey Santiago travels to the hectic markets of Tangier. When Santiago gets all of his money stolen he is frustrated and lonely, wanting to go back home. Santiago decides to work for a crystal merchant so he can get enough money to return back to Andalusia. He helps the ill-tempered crystal merchant with cleaning the crystals and providing new display cases in order to improve the merchants failing business. After working for almost a full year, Santiago is ready to leave Tangier and return to his life back home. However he quickly realizes he should not easily give up on pursuing his destiny. While sitting at a bar Santiago, “suddenly felt tremendously happy He could always go back to being a shepherd. He could always become a crystal salesman again. Maybe the world had other hidden treasures, but he had a dream, and he had met with a king. That just doesn’t happen to anyone!”-pg.62 Here Santiago realizes that he can always go back to living his old life but he would probably never come this close to achieving his destiny ever again. He has enough money and determination, to finally travel across the dangerous desert to complete his personal legend. Another sign of determination is when Santiago meets Fatima, the love of his life at the oasis. However at the same time, Santiago also meets the alchemist who tells him to continue on in pursuit of his destiny. However Santiago is deeply in love and does not want to abandon Fatima. He thinks that she is worth more than his treasure and that she is his life now. He wants to stay and live in the oasis. However he realizes, with a little help from the alchemist and Fatima, that he has come so close to his treasure and cannot give up at this point of his journey. He can always come back and marry Fatima, after having found his treasure and having achieved his destiny. Last but not least Santiago shows a lot of determination while trying to turn himself into the wind. When the alchemist and Santiago finally get closer to the Pyramids they unfortunately collide into a group of tribesmen. They bring them to the tribe chief who rudely asks what they are doing, traveling across the dangerous deserts all by themselves. The alchemist gives the chief all of Santiago’s money that he has earned while working with the crystal merchant as well as informing the chief that Santiago is an alchemist and that he can transform himself into the wind. The chief doesn’t believe them so he tells Santiago that if he can’t transform himself into the wind in 3 days he will be killed. At first Santiago is frightened, mad and confused since he has no idea how to transform himself into the wind. But even though Santiago is afraid because he doesn’t know how to turn himself into the wind, he is still willing and determined to. After 3 days of gazing out into the beautiful and endless desert and listening to his heart, Santiago finally has to turn himself into the wind in front of the tribesmen and the alchemist. Santiago begins by listening to the desert. While talking to various natural forces Santiago starts feeling powerful, feels brave and strong-minded. He knows that he can transform himself into the wind and is determined and knows that he will never stop until he can become like the wind. This is the Apotheosis in his journey. It opens his eyes to a whole new world and a whole new person. Determination helps him participate in his destiny because it makes Santiago never have the fear of giving up. Santiago is is determined while in pursuit of his destiny.

After having traveled from the countryside in Spain to the majestic Pyramids in Egypt, Santiago overcomes challenging obstacles, finds true love and discovers himself, as a person. He soon finds himself back in Andalusia at he base of a sycamore tree where his treasure is buried. Knowledge, courage and determination are the traits that had helped Santiago in the pursuit of his destiny. Knowledge and understanding helped Santiago follow omens and view the world in an entirely different way, where as courage helped him be a bold risk taker and go out to travel in an unknown world in order to seek out his destiny. Last but not least determination helped Santiago never have the fear of giving up. Santiago has developed tremendously throughout the novel. He has changed from being a primitive shepherd boy to becoming a wise, independent and unwavering young man. Something Santiago has taught us is that it is important to not be fearful of achieving your destiny because if you let the fear take over you might never take the risk to seek it out.

Courage

A trait that I feel that I possess which could possibly help me become a participant in my destiny is courage. Courage is a superior trait to have when one wants to achieve their personal legend. Courage transforms you into becoming bold, strong and taking dangerous risks. At some point in my lifetime, when I discover my true reason for living, my personal legend, I will use my courage to be resolute and to never have the unnecessary fear of giving up. Even though a lot of people do not have enough courage to follow their dreams, I feel that I can rely on my powerful trait to go out there and achieve my destiny. There also might be some difficult hurdles along the way but I feel that with my courage, I will be able to get past all of them, instead of giving up, and I will continue and take more risks while in the pursuit of my destiny, just like Santiago, the protagonist in “The Alchemist.” All in all, courage is a great trait to posses because it can really help you on your meaningful journey to successfully achieving your destiny.