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Questions and Answers
Which of the following best describes the underlying theme or idea in 'Jude the Obscure'?
Which of the following best describes the underlying theme or idea in 'Jude the Obscure'?
- The human fear of death
- The joy of victory
- The horror of war
- The individual struggle to realize one's ambitions (correct)
What is the subject matter in terms of representational content of 'Jude the Obscure' by Thomas Hardy?
What is the subject matter in terms of representational content of 'Jude the Obscure' by Thomas Hardy?
- The intellectual ambitions of the main character, Jude (correct)
- The horror of war
- The human fear of death
- The individual struggle to realize one's ambitions
What is the thesis (implicit message) of 'Jude the Obscure'?
What is the thesis (implicit message) of 'Jude the Obscure'?
- Individual ambitions are not important
- Ambitions lead to happiness
- One's highest ambitions are always fulfilled
- The individual's highest ambitions are doomed to frustration (correct)
How do works of literature sometimes operate according to the text?
How do works of literature sometimes operate according to the text?
What is the term 'theme' most commonly associated with in music, based on the text?
What is the term 'theme' most commonly associated with in music, based on the text?
How does the text suggest supporting the view that music has a theme related to the human condition or fear of death?
How does the text suggest supporting the view that music has a theme related to the human condition or fear of death?
According to the passage, why was Plato suspicious of the arts and artists?
According to the passage, why was Plato suspicious of the arts and artists?
What is Plato's view on the role of poetry in his ideal state?
What is Plato's view on the role of poetry in his ideal state?
According to the passage, what does Plato believe about the nature of art?
According to the passage, what does Plato believe about the nature of art?
What was Aristotle's view on the nature of art, according to the passage?
What was Aristotle's view on the nature of art, according to the passage?
What is the main reason Plato wanted to banish the arts and their practitioners from his ideal state?
What is the main reason Plato wanted to banish the arts and their practitioners from his ideal state?
What is the main difference between Plato's and Aristotle's views on art, according to the passage?
What is the main difference between Plato's and Aristotle's views on art, according to the passage?
What is the representational content or subject matter of the Odyssey according to the passage?
What is the representational content or subject matter of the Odyssey according to the passage?
According to the passage, what does the term 'subject matter' refer to in the context of literature?
According to the passage, what does the term 'subject matter' refer to in the context of literature?
Which of the following statements about Odysseus is true according to the passage?
Which of the following statements about Odysseus is true according to the passage?
How does the passage suggest determining the subject matter of a painting?
How does the passage suggest determining the subject matter of a painting?
According to the passage, what is the relationship between a painting's title and its subject matter?
According to the passage, what is the relationship between a painting's title and its subject matter?
Which of the following best describes the criteria for a good distractor or incorrect answer option according to the passage?
Which of the following best describes the criteria for a good distractor or incorrect answer option according to the passage?
What is the primary difference between depiction and portrayal in art?
What is the primary difference between depiction and portrayal in art?
According to the passage, how would a viewer know if a painting portrays a specific individual?
According to the passage, how would a viewer know if a painting portrays a specific individual?
Which of the following best describes the term "subject matter" in art?
Which of the following best describes the term "subject matter" in art?
According to the passage, do all works of art have a subject matter?
According to the passage, do all works of art have a subject matter?
What does the passage suggest about the use of the word "represent" in art?
What does the passage suggest about the use of the word "represent" in art?
Based on the information provided, which of the following statements is true?
Based on the information provided, which of the following statements is true?
What is the title of the painting discussed in the text?
What is the title of the painting discussed in the text?
What is the main point made about the title of the painting?
What is the main point made about the title of the painting?
What is the main point made about the relationship between the title and subject matter of a work of art?
What is the main point made about the relationship between the title and subject matter of a work of art?
What is the main point made about the relationship between the title and subject matter of music?
What is the main point made about the relationship between the title and subject matter of music?
What is the distinction made between different types of "subject matter" in a work of art?
What is the distinction made between different types of "subject matter" in a work of art?
What is the main example of a work of art mentioned in the text?
What is the main example of a work of art mentioned in the text?
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Study Notes
Depiction and Portrayal
- A depiction of a tree in someone's yard cannot be considered a portrait of Napoleon, regardless of the artist's intention.
- Depiction subjects can be recognized with a little knowledge of the world and the names of the things in it.
- Portrayal subjects require knowledge of who the artist intended to portray, even if it seems obvious.
Subject Matter
- The term "subject matter" refers to what the work is about.
- There are several senses of being "about" that may be referred to:
- Representational content (e.g. the wanderings of Odysseus in the Odyssey)
- Theme or underlying idea (e.g. the individual struggle to realize one's ambitions in Jude the Obscure)
- Thesis or implicit message (e.g. the individual's highest ambitions are doomed to frustration in Jude the Obscure)
Plato's View of Art
- Plato was deeply suspicious of arts and artists for two reasons:
- They appeal to emotions rather than rational faculty
- They imitate rather than lead to reality
- Plato believed that art objects repress only the things in this world, copies themselves of reality.
- Art was seen as an imitation of imitation, and therefore, was to be banished from the ideal state.
Aristotle's View of Art
- Aristotle agreed with Plato that art is a form of imitation.
Music and Subject Matter
- It is doubtful whether works of music can be said to have a theme at all.
- The term "theme" in music has a very different meaning, referring to a set of tones around which variations or developments are composed.
- Music cannot be "about" anything that the composer happens to seize on as a title, as the subject matter must be evident from the music itself.
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