Lectures on fine arts by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

       

 

Hegel Aesthetics from “the Introduction to Lectures on fine arts”

Hegel clears four false notions about art in his work “the work of Art as a product of Human Activity”. Besides clearing the objections, he praises the art by providing the aim of art.

The four perceptions about art were following

Firstly, it was known that art is conscious effort of some external object by individual. When that art is known, learnt and pursued, it has granted universal association. So work of art is confined to some rules. Other artists imitate that work of art through prescriptions for their practical applications.

Secondly, work of art is considered as work of talent and genius of a specially gifted spirit. Man has no power to give this talent to himself with self-conscious activity. It is considered superfluous and harmful because it is produced particularly in state of inspiration. This state excited their genius and they transpose the object by their own swing of mood.

Thirdly, work of art is ranked with the external phenomenon of nature and considered below the product of nature. Art is viewed as a dead thing because it encompasses life on surface as compared to nature. Another objection was that the things created by God has surely a higher place.

Fourth and last one is the question that arises on the work of Art. It is one the need that what is man need to produce works of art? There were two objections on the arts. At first, aim of art can be achieved by better means because it’s just a play of fancies. And the other is art satisfy the higher needs which produced from higher impulses.

Hegel gives them ingenious answers to comprehend the true conception of art. He, unlike Plato, presents the ground breaking notions about art and fulfil his duty as a critic.

Demonstration to first notion was that art is a spiritual activity of the artist. He argues that art work is not totally mechanical but the generalities like interesting themes and character dialogue according to standing remain the same.

To clear the second notion, he proclaims, production of art indeed the work of genius but it has technical side too that requires the development of thought. It is not that artist in his mood produce anything but he has to reflect on his mood which need practice and skill. It is essential for the artist to learn the skills, so that he can display the depths of the heart.

He sets forth the defense of art against third notion and rejects the aspect of external existence. As work of art originates from spirit, it goes through the spiritual journey. Elements like a human interest, individual character, an action in its complexity is penetrated in the work of art. So a thing which possess spirituality is higher than any natural product and present the divine ideal. Second argument is conferred is that anything which is living is vanished after completing his life cycle but work of art stands for long time. Third argument which was questioned about the natural production is a divine creation. He indicates that it only restricts the God work to nature only because God exists in man also and God honored by the work of spirit in man.

In answer to fourth question, he says that “man is a thinking consciousness”. Hegel gives his philosophy that the human as spirit duplicate himself in a twofold way. First theoretically and second way through practically brings himself into his own consciousness. Through theoretically as well as inwardly way, he represents, fix and recognize himself to himself and through practical way he produces himself. It’s in the nature of man to alter himself and for this reason he dresses himself.He asserts that the universal need of art is "man rational need to life inner and outer world into his spiritual consciousness as an object in which he recognizes again his own self"

                            Idea of Spirit in the Hegel Aesthetics:

Hegel gave his concept of Idea of Spirit in his work “Development of the Ideal into to the particular form of beauty”. He discussed the three forms of art. These forms of art proceed from Idea. Every form provides true basis of their own domain.

Idea of Spirit in Symbolic art:

Art is the spiritual activity and it brings before mind eye in form of Idea which is in its abstract form. When the art begins, Idea is presented in its bad determinacy and can’t be truly presented. It has not taken a form of anything, so it remains in shape of defectiveness. Idea is something that possess the quality of inwardness and first form of art. This form of art in which idea arises from the depth of heart is called symbolic form of art.

Idea of Spirit is Classical Art:

Classical art gives indeterminate Idea a shape. Idea comes into sensuous existence through a shape appropriate to Idea. The content of Classical art consists of concrete Idea as well as concretely spiritual. Classical art which, based on subjective Concept, is the unification of idea and reality. So the classics manifest the Idea as spiritual in human form. For example, Greek Gods are presented through sensuous imagination in form of Human. They look like human but possess extraordinary powers. So human body counts as natural shape of spirit.

Idea of Spirit in Romantic Art

Romantic form of art disperses the concept of Classical art form and deny the unification of Idea and its reality. It demands a transition from this immediate existence to the known unity or a higher form. Romantic art finds the defectiveness in Classical art for the Idea of spirit. For Romantics, spirit is not manifested in its true nature, if it is embodied in something subjective. Romantics assert that the true element for the realization of spirit is the inwardness of self-consciousness. Romantics coincides with Christianity who believes in the absolute unity of divine. In Christianity, the concept of God as spirit resides in their imagination not as human body which Greek portrays.

So the subject matter of Romantics in arts is the free concrete spirituality which is not bound by any bodily forms and art cannot work for sensuous intuition.

In the nutshell, the three forms of art strive for the attainment of Ideal as the true idea of beauty

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Feminism theorized by Mary Wollstonecraft in her work “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”

 

Feminism theorized by Mary Wollstonecraft in her work “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”

In chapter 2 of this work of criticism, Mary discussed the prevailing Opinion of a sexual Character and defend the ingenious argument that the two sexes in attainment of virtue ought to aim at different character.

Following are the matters discussed in this work

Strength of Mind:

Mary present his vindication against those men who don’t think that the women have enough strength of mind in attaining a virtue

Men ignorance:

According to men, women should be remained innocent in the rest of their lives. Men satirizes the women of their follies because they could not hold the passion of women. She called those men having unstable mind.

Education of women from infancy:

Women are being taught from infancy a very little knowledge and what the knowledge is about? It’s about the behavior for temptation of men. This includes cunning, softness of temper, and outward obedience. They are being taught that if they follow it then they will get the protection of men

Individual education:

Mary focuses on the individual education that a child should be given attention to his senses, so that the passion started to generate in him. According to Mary “important task of learning is to think and reason”

Private Education:

Mary was against the private education because it is like spoon feeding. One cannot build his thinking ability. According to her “men and women must be educated, in a great degree, by the opinion and manners of society they live”. She was in favor of both sexes education in a way that the society in which they live, they must be educated about their society. She presents her purpose that only by reasoning, one can become virtuous. So the question arises that how one can become virtuous by reasoning. The fact is, when you are blindly doing things which are not right, then your acts are not virtuous. You are not doing things by rational decisions. It’s also possible that your virtuous act with one can harm the other. And that what private education does, it’s damage your thinking abilities.

Perfect education:

Mary gives her opinion on perfect education. The education makes you independent by the exercise of understanding is perfect. She asserts that the women didn’t endeavor to attain the qualities that men have. Women who got education of temptation is so intoxicating. It’s the curse for women that they degrade themselves for the illegitimate power.

Criticism on writers:

Mary criticizes the writers like Rousseau who wrote on the subject of female education of manners and portray them a weak character. She condemns that type of writers as the useless members of society.

Causes contribute to enslave the mind of women:

Mary raised a voice for women. She discussed the causes which spoil the understanding of women. Women who don’t raise their voice for injustice and equality. Women were supposed to do everything in orderly manners which is the result of disorderly education. They were not supposed to educate equally with men. The only method and education they got is to observe. So, the knowledge gained by observing is lacking in purpose than the knowledge men got.

Where women are lacking?

According to Mary,

                        “women do not pursue any one branch”

Pursuing one branch gives vigor to faculty and clarity of judgement. Then they can see thing clearly and judge well.

Present state of society

Mary draw the comparison between the education of boys and girls. Boys were obliged to spent few years in discipline to be a gentleman while girls are only educated about bodily accomplishment which shows their modesty. If the women were wise intelligent, they had ignored and their faculty is swapped by learning manners. A strong faculty is substituted by weak exercises for simple and so called principles.

Comparison of women with military men:

She cites the example of military men to prove that the education women got is useless. Soldier like women got the knowledge about the world. They both practices the little virtues by showing great attention to politeness. Mary questions the sexual difference, if the education is same why men consider superior. She discerns that the only difference is liberty which men enjoy.

Political remark:

Mary gives her remark by observation on officers. She compared standing armies with the machines who are devoid of depth of understanding. She ridiculed them that they only show gallantry. Just like a woman, they are subjected to please and only live to please.

Misfortunes and consequences faced by both women and military men:

Mary discussed two misfortunes faced by both sexes. Firstly, before acquiring the morals, they got education of manners. Secondly, in spite of getting deep into human nature, they got knowledge of life through observation. Consequences of these misfortunes is that, people got prejudices about them. Authority use them according to their purposes and they blindly obey them without analyzing the problem beyond the surface.

Devaluing the women:

She still carries the argument by blaming the riches and hereditary who makes the women value zero through despotism. She also condemned the men who tyrannize their women like wife, mother, daughter in order to keep their mistress happy.

She gives the solution to end blind obedience which is only achieved by strengthening female mind.

Criticism on the work of Rousseau:

Mary condemn Rousseau by alluding the example of Sophia who is the character of Rousseau work Emile. He portrays the woman as dependent and seductive slave. For Rousseau, woman is the object of desire. And for man, woman is no more than obedient companion. Mary disparages his conception about women by saying that “virtues must be same in quality”. As virtuous are same for both, their conduct should be founded on same principles. Men should not consider women to be inferior. She asserts that if anyone acquire the dignity of conscious virtue, they will be satisfied by their true self. Because life did not provide intense happiness to immortal soul.

Female are subservient to love:

Mary questions that why female always be ready to obey unquestioningly to lust whenever male want? Where is the feeling and desires of women? She said “youth is the season of love”. But after marriage, her charm doesn’t affect the husband. The only education of pleasing is not useful anymore after youth has gone. She said “love, perhaps, the most evanescent of all passions, give place to jealousy and vanity”

Conclusion:

She concludes her work of criticism by saying, it is worthless to learn the art of pleasing. Women should make herself respectable. Only in this way she can live a happy life instead of taking difficulties in order to make others happy.   

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From The Critic as Artist by Oscar Wilde

 

Concepts underlying in the essay “from the Critic as Artist” by Oscar Wilde (Part 1)

This work of criticism is the dialogue between two character who are friends. One is Gilbert who is mainly the mouthpiece of Oscar Wilde. He, as flamboyant character, will present his philosophy of Criticism and second Character is Ernest who questions to Gilbert where he feels ambiguity and also summarize the previous argument. Oscar Wilde uses Dialectical method as Plato used in his book Republic.

Worth of Criticism

Their discussion starts from the Ernest as he was reading a book. Ernest claim that the creative faculty is higher than a critical. But the Gilbert renounce by giving an argument, Artist creation is worthy because the work of criticism makes it a worthy. If there is no criticism, nobody knows the beauties and fault in work of art. And the artist work is not worthy at all.

Spirit of Choice  

There is the discussion on the spirit of choice and Gilbert gives name to it “delicate instinct of selection”. He says that artist give their work of art a fleeting perfection through this spirit. But he gives a witty remark that spirit of choice is a critical faculty. If a person did not possess it, he cannot create anything in art.

Work of art is a self-conscious effort

Ernest said to Gilbert that all great work of art is unconsciously done by artist. Gilbert argues that the all fine imaginative works are self-conscious and well planned. Gilbert gives illustration with the example of poet. Poet did not sing because he wanted to sing but he chooses to sing. Here again spirit of choice comes in a way which artist possess. He then criticizes by defying orthodoxy that the greatest poet who introduces Greek gods of nature as the muses and Apollo has merely introduced the artificial century which they fancied it. He says that “self-conscious and critical spirit are one”.

Imaginations of individual

Ernest asks question from the Gilbert that the greatest poems written in earliest times were the work of imaginative individual or race became it a great work. Gilbert answers in favor of individual that art is not possible without style and style come from unity which the individual hold. He gives the example of Shakespeare that he takes a rough material from Greeks work and give it a style. The age in which Shakespeare wrote now called the Shakespearean age due to his individual style. As gilbert says

“it’s not the moment that makes the man but the man who creates the age”

Critical Age

Gilbert introduces about the critical ages because critical ages also the creative ages. He hits the ground of critical age by saying that when no criticism is produced then an age work is very static, immobile, unmoving and formal type. It means that age possess no work of art at all. According to him creative age depends upon the critic and critic doesn’t depends upon on creative art because critic found new forms in work of art.

He appreciated the work of Greek because they were perfect and invented the forms like the epic, the lyric, and even drama. He deliberately extracts the forms which were not produced in the Greeks like sonnet, American Journalism and ballad. He again gave an honor to critical faculty for finding something new in creative artist. Because creative artist also doesn’t know that he creative at all.

Mediocrity in modern Criticism

Ernest asked about the most modern criticism that it is perfectly valueless why? Then Gilbert gave him a witty remark “mediocrity weighing mediocrity in balance”. And he straightforwardly eradicates the reviewer by saying that he is talking about high class critics who writes papers which are being published.

Cultivation of criticism

According to Gilbert, criticism urges more cultivation then creation. Gilbert is really against reviewers that he tagged them misanthropes who didn’t really read a book and if they read it they don’t have a taste of judging them.

For him, only ten minutes are enough for a true critic. Critics have a sense of form of any literary work. Critics are instinctive in judging a work of art.

Words vs Action

Gilbert digresses from the topic and then he moves toward the subject of painting. In Gilbert’s view, painter who objects to criticism but there is no intellectuality in their own work because there is no shift in thought. On this point Ernest interrupts him that it is difficult to do a thing than to talk about it. Gilbert disagrees with him and in inverse told him that talking about something is difficult then doing something. He gives an example of historians who makes history. He told him that how the world came to know about them. It the language who wrote their action in elevated form and add emotions through words.

Rewriters of history

Ernest argued with the Gilbert that critics do nothing but rewrite history. Gilbert agreed at that point gave an ironic comment that rewriting history is not least task because they are giving the way. The ways that man of action chooses. They have never known where their action leads to but critic does. By rewriting the history, critics are actually guiding the humanity. Ernest then called this delusion of action and Gilbert admit it. But in opinion of Gilbert, those who are good or virtuous in their age, afterwards they can become worse or worthless and the ones who are considered evil in their age would become good after many years due to their actions.

Critic is itself an artist    

Ernest in favor of creative artist remarks that creative artist remark that creative artist has higher place than critic because artist introduce to common person with the new worlds. He presents the world more marvelous, more enduring and more true than the gloomy world in which we live is the work of creative artist. So, it creates relationship between Art and Life not between Art and Criticism. Gilbert then give the spry and pointed remark that “Criticism is itself an art” that criticism in highest sense is creative and independent also. Artists are dependent because they need perfection. But critics are independent, they can’t be judged by low standards and don’t even need perfection for their work. A true critic can produce a work that is flawless in beauty. A critic can find his motivation anywhere and anything can serve his purpose. It depends upon critic that how he treats a subject. He is creative artist also because he finds any new forms or elements in any piece of work of art. It’s “creation within creation”

Highest Criticism comes from soul  

In Gilbert opinion, highest criticism is the purest form of personal impression. Outer situation can not restrict them from its true nature. One can point out the work of fiction or fact. But, no one can condemn the work that come from soul and that work is Highest Criticism. So, Highest Criticism is more engrossing than history and philosophy. He says in ingenious manner that “it’s only civilized form of autobiography”. It deals with thoughts of one’s life, spiritual moods and imaginative passion of mind. So Criticism deals with the impressive art not the expressive art.

Criticism is more creative than creation

Last concept, which is not the least, upon which the whole discussion is held is the Criticism is more creative than creation. It is the theory of Gilbert as well as Oscar Wilde. His theory believed in the concept that any beauty gives insights to critics. Critics don’t see beautiful things as aesthetic objects. Thousands thoughts came in mind of critics which the painter of beautiful object himself doesn’t think.

Misconception about Critics

Gilbert points out the misconception that some people says the critics love to write about the anecdotage of paintings. It is not true because anecdotage doesn’t agitate the imagination or fascinate the critic. Critics always looking for something that they can escape into the wider world.

 

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Question related to document "on the Abolition of English Department" by Ngugi Wa thiog'o

 Q: What reasons was given by the Ngugi on the abolition of English Department?

After the world war II, many colonies got their independence from the British Empire. But the independence was only political not a social, cultural or economic. Imperialism left his impact and effects the minds which was known as Post colonialism. Further literary education and academic institution helped in promoting the cultural imperialism.

Ngugi first proposal was based on the reason of historic continuity of one culture. He suggests that department that are centered on the English language and Literature should be terminate. He argued that the English tradition are rooted in our conscious. He gave an example that their own African writings are converted in English and added in our courses.

 In the sixth point, he gave a 2nd proposal that instead of historical continuity of single culture which is English, there should be a centralization of African culture. And view other cultures in relationship with African culture. He gave an illustration of Caribbean and Afro-American literature that they have played an eminent role in the African renaissance. African people didn’t want pre-eminence of English Literature due to political advantages. In the third point, the question about orientation was arisen which we clear it in the seventh point. He told about the aim that we should orientate ourselves by centralization of African Literature in our university through Kenyan or East African Literature.

Third proposal has been given in the point twelve over the importance of oral tradition. Oral traditions are based on their songs with dances sung in their traditional practices. For them, art is the living tradition. He gave an example that there are verbal and melodic tones in their music. And it encompasses metrical lyrics which are embedded in poetic text. Oral tradition is the whole field of study which consist tale, dance, songs and myths. To keep alive these traditions in upcoming generations, there is a need of these courses in the department. Study of oral tradition expresses the social reality of that culture.

Fourth proposal was given in 13, 14 and 15 point on Swahili, European and modern African Literature. He demands for the free of choice for the extension of representative courses which can be other than English like Russian, German, American or other European.

Q: Is Ngugi rejecting the cultural stream?

A: He has given three reasons that why the literature should be studied in Department. Firstly, it illuminates the spirit which bring a life in people. Second reason is that it shows how to face new challenges in society and third one is that we investigate the possible areas where the development is necessary.

By understanding the purpose of literature, it will be clear that he is not rejecting the western culture but he is mapping and clearing a direction that why African literature is inevitable. He make it understandable without doubt that in our lives European culture has a lot of influence in one hand and Arabic and Asian culture on the other. But our tradition is alive within ourselves in African Literature.

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On the Abolition of English Department by Ngugi wa Thiong'o

 

Points in the essay “On the abolition of the English Department”

On the abolition of the English Department is the criticism on the paper which was presented in the university of Nairobi. Ngugi Wa Thiongo who was not satisfied by the proposal present an argument.

Title of the document is very captivating but we can understand it after reading the other side of controversy. He presented 20 points in this documents. Overview of these points are given below.

1.     1. Give a reference of the paper on which this document is presented

2.     2.  Proposal presented on the development within the Art faculty

3.     3.  Question was raised on problems of values

4.      4. Question the role and status of an English department in African environment

5.      5. Question the Roots of English tradition in the conscious and cultural heritage

6.     6.  Main question on the historic continuity of single culture not African or any other culture

7.      7. Present the aim

8.      8. Suggestions for the set up of African literature and languages

9.      9. African literature as active and alive force

10. 10.  Give a reason that why language and linguistic should be studied in department

11.  11. Type of literature should be offered in Department

12.  12. Art in form of living tradition

13.  13. Swahili literature

14.  14. Freedom of choice in representative Literature (European Literature)

15.  15. Modern African Literature

16.  16. Drama as an integral part of literature

17.  17. Relationship with other department

18.  18. Suggestion for the specialized courses

19. 19.  Envision for an active Graduate school

20.  20.Question the literary excellence and and give importance to representative work.

Q1. Ngugi Wa Thiogo essay “On the abolition of the English Department” is presented against which paper and what was written in that paper? And why he was against the English Department?

Ans. In the first point, he gives us reference and told us that this whole document he is going to present is basically a comment in the paper. Comment is usually a remark which we express in favor of something or against it. That paper was given by the Acting Head of English department at Nairobi University.It was presented on 20th September, 1968 in the 42nd meeting.

The four proposal was presented in that paper which were related to development in the department. Firstly, that the modern languages esp. French should be given place and taught in the university. Secondly, that English should be given centrality due to his historic continuity and role. Thirdly, Department of literature and linguistics should be established. And last one is that, African language should also be placed esp. Swahili.

The fourth point has importance in the paper because that African Literature and culture is now anticipated. There was a lot of debating on that paper because it raised the important question on value, direction and orientation.

Ngugi raise the question about 2^nd proposal which was about the role and status of English Department in African environment and culture. He quoted from the paper that “English has had the long history at this college”

In the above quoted words, the paper is referring towards the rule of West over the Africa and presenting the embedded culture in the mind of African people. Ngugi disagree at that point and demands the abolition of English Department.  

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Character Analysis of Goliath: Short story by Neil Gaiman

 

Character Analysis of Goliath

1.  Goliath(major)

Goliath is the protagonist and narrator of the story. His body is quite bigger amongst the other human beings. He loved the computers and machine so much that he became the flying officer

His view about the world is pessimistic that this world is cheap, waste, bad and fake and everything in this world is materialistic. He imagined the world around himself that material things are melting and the thing only remain is blackness. He thinks that this world is unreal and we are only a unit of memory.

He thinks about himself very rationally that people like himself die before reaching the age of forty due to his size. He told an another guy at the same time at the age of nineteen years, his height is seven feet he scares children. He himself was not the devil minded but his huge figure scares the pure and innocent children. It also suggests that he was not living a normal life.

He married two times in his life. He first married to Sandra and have two kids. She left her when he was in his late 20s almost 27 years old. His second wife was Susan with whom he has boy. But he left her wife because he has to go in his mission.

He sacrifices his life to save the Earth.

2.   Horn-Rimmed spectacle man(major)

He is the only man in the story whom the Goliath encountered every time. Writer did not give him any name. Writer has given a description of this man through his voice and dressing. He is the RAF recruiting officer. A well-dressed man with American accent.

He first time met with the Goliath when he was sixteen years old. Then he encounters with him in street and gave the information about the attack of enemy and also warns about him that we can anytime be eliminated from Earth.

Third time when alien sent missile to earth, he appeared in railway train to Euston when Goliath was also there. They met after years. It’s seems more like Goliath’s hallucination whenever alien attacks the Earth.

3.  Sandra (minor)

Sandra was the first wife of the Goliath. Sandra met with Goliath at swimming bath. But when she was on her pregnancy state having two kids. She easily gets annoyed on small things. She easily become stressed. So, she left her husband in that state. Sandra has a minor role in this story.

4.  Susan(minor)

Susan is the second wife of Goliath which he announced at the end of the story in the voice note.

He has the one son from Susan. Susan is the lovely black girl with a nice temper. She gets frightened very easily. Goliath met with her first time in train. She fell in love with Goliath and moved in the same apartment with him. Goliath sends his last voice to Susan because he loves her so much and Susan also love him that she doesn’t want to listen from him the things which takes him away.

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Summary of Goliath: Short story by Neil Gaiman

 

Summary of the Goliath

Goliath is story written by Neil Gaiman. Goliath as a protagonist and narrator started to narrate his story. He gives his view point about the world and then introduced about computers and their functions.

He met a man wearing horn-rimmed spectacle who told him about the attack that enemy missile had taken CPU and two hundred people had died in that attack. He also threatens him and narrator did not take it seriously by saying that are you a God?

As the time passes he got different jobs and also married a woman name Sandra. He blessed with the couple of kids but his marriage not remains the happy one. His wife left him and also taken with her their children. In 1986, he got new job afterwards and this job is related to computers. He liked computers because of their working and their business went very well.

One day, he was in the railway train at Euston. Another attack occurred which staggered the train. The black girl who was sitting next to Goliath was so frightened that she passed the note. She was asking from him Are we dead? And he said I don’t know. Goliath this time again encountered by the man who was wearing horn rimmed glasses. He told goliath that enemy is not the other country like U.S.S.R or Iranian but the alien. Goliath asked from him the solution. He told the only way is to counter attack and we are working on machine.

The girl who met with the Goliath in the train became his lover. Her name was Susan and they started to live with each other. Goliath has shared his idea about world that it is unreal and we are only memory, she became so upset. So, he stops sharing his ideas her in order to avoid hurting.

In 1975, when Goliath was the sixteen years old, he first time encountered the horn-rimmed glasses man. He was actually the recruiting officer who asked from him about his wish that you want to fly and he agreed with him. After many years he became professional in his field and above that he became Graceful Clearance Flying officer which was the highest rank. It was the time when he married to Sandra who has left him. Sandra did not like his ideas about the unreal world and attacking of the aliens. These things make her mad.

Horn Rimmed glasses man again appear with the news that he is going to piloting the PL-47 which was the spaceship. He wanted to leave the note for Sandra but man did not allow him to do that. Horn rimmed glasses man gave him all the instruction and told him that it’s specially built for you according to you size. After the fifteen minutes, bombardment of asteroid has going to be started and he has to fight against alien. He finally became successful in shooting the nucleus of alien in space and he destroy it.

But spaceship was not meant to return. There were not enough resources to bring it back. When he came to know about this information, his spaceship was revolving around the moon. He has given a fifty-seven minutes in which he sends a voice note to Susan that the best time of my life is last twenty minutes with you.

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Themes of Word processor of Gods

Words processor of Gods By Stephen King

Themes

1)    Bringing Dream into existence

Richard always longed for money and happy life. For the money he wanted to write lucrative novel and for the happy life, he wanted to marry Belinda, but he failed in his own. His brother’s son Jon play a very important role in bringing his dream true. He gifts his uncle a computer which is more like Wand Word Processor. But his brother family die in accident. He used Execute key each time to make his wish true like rubbing ewer in Aladdin.

First wish he typed for money

“Twelve twenty Dollar gold pieces in small cotton sack”

These coins appear as he wishes. These golden coins are heavier than the Rolex watch. The symbol of Eagle is carved on it with date 1871. Date suggest that word processor work like a time machine which bring coin from the past.

Second dream of Richard was that he led a happy married life but in reality he was too cowardice to fight for his beloved. He typed on screen

“I am a man who lives alone except for my wife Belinda and my son Jonathan”

Wife and son of his brother which become dead in accident. This machine brings back to them in this world again. It also suggests according to writer that machine can defy the God power.

2)   Deleting things from reality:

Richard life is not a happy life. He has an ignorant son and wicked wife. This family in his life is a burden on Richard. Richard was only a money bank for his son, who waste time in playing guitar and with the group of his friends. While his wife who do nothing just reading sexually explicit Romantic novels and eating. There is no love between Richard and his wife.

First of all, he vanishes his son from home by typing command on machine.

“My son is Seth Robert Hagstrom”

Then he clicked on Delete button. One of his hurdle is removed from his life. But the other one remaining, who is his wife. He becomes relieved that he read many times the melodramatic phrase “I have no son”. Because he experiences first time the feeling of not having irritating one.

Richard always feels embarrassed due to his wife in front of his friends because she served them anything. He always criticized by her for not writing a noble prize winning short story while she does nothing.

As she says

“Why don’t you write a noble prize winning short story or something?”

So, that’s reason he wanted to get rid of wife foe not being happy with him.

He typed command on computer

“My wife is Adlina Mabel Warren Hagstrom”

And then click on Delete button. He gets command over his life by using a machine which was only a set of wires. He deleted things from his life which only gives him a sadness

 

3) Fate vs Technology

  Richard life was the ill-fated life and his brother who is older and bigger always get what he wanted by force even his girlfriend Belinda. In real life, Richard was cowardice, timid and weak to fight for his love. So, he uses technology which he called magic dream machine, to defy and to go against his fate. By the use of technology, he makes his dead brother’s wife and son in the possession of himself.

4) The corruption of Mankind

The theme of corruption of mankind is prevalent in the story. Human always wanted that the bad and useless people who are closed ones to be vanished from their life instead of making them better ones. In the story Richard also done this with his verbally abusive wife and bratty, disrespectful teenage son. Vanishing the real one is not less than to murder someone. So the happy ending in the story is attained by annihilating moral values.

5) Human Shortsightedness and greed

Richard after getting the temporary and Godlike power, he only fulfils his few wishes which is also in reach of human powers. There are many ways to attain wealth and led a happy life. But human being as shortsightedness and greed only think about little thing in spite of having a huge purpose.

6) Indignant hate for bullies

Stephan King really hates bullies and it is manifested in many of his stories. In this story Richard’s brother bullies him, writer show it through flashback technique that he was viciously cruel to Richard throughout in his childhood. Depiction of teenage cruelty are terribly effective in making us sympathize with victim.

There are two places in story where Richard become victim of bully. Firstly, when Roger breaks the Magic Eight Ball which is the toy of Richard

“Roger had thrown it onto the sidewalk as hard as he could, breaking it”

And second time, he bullied for his beloved Belinda. Richard was first who dated with Belinda. But they broke up due to the threat given by his brother. And later Belinda becomes wife of the Roger.

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