Thinking Activity- An Artist of the Floating World

 Hello Readers,

I am Hinaba Sarvaiya, student of the English department MKBU. And here is my blog in thinking activity given by our prof Dilip Barad sir. And topic is "An Artist of the Floating World" novel by Kazuo Ishigura.

About author:-

Kazuo Ishigura is British novelist, Screenwriter, Musician, and short story writer. He was born in Nagasaki, Japan and moved to Britain in 1960 with his parents when he was five. He was one of the most celebrated contemporary fiction authors writing in English. He writes about human memory and human thought. He was the winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in literature.

His notable Novels:-

-An Artist of the Floating World (1986)

-The Remains of The day (1989)

-The Unconsoled (1995)

-When we were Orphans (2000)

-Never Let Me Go(2005)

-Klata and The Sun(2021).

1. 'Lantern' appears 34 times in the novel. Even on the cover page, the image of lanterns is displayed. What is the significance of Lantern in the novel? 

 According to, Japanese tradition Lanterns considered good luck and many Thai people belived they are symbolic of problems and worries floating away.

Here we see the cover page of this novel and image of the linternse is displayed. Lanterns in the novel are associated with One's techer Seiji Muriyama and also known for Mori-sun, Who includes a lanter in each of his paintings and dedicated himself to trying to capture the loon of lantern night. In Indian tradition we used the linternse in social events and religions festivities same like Japanese tradition. We used lanterns in Diwali and Makkar Sankranti festival and connected our happiness and next journey became lightness and forget about the bad memory. Here we find the lantern symbolises the transience of beauty and the important of giving careful attention to small moment and details in the physical world, Lantern symbolise an outlook on life, an old fashioned, aesthetically focused, and more traditional way of viewing the world.

 Write in brief a review of the film based on the novel

Set in post-World War II Japan, “An Artist of the Floating World” is Japanese pubcaster NHK’s adaptation of the Kazuo Ishiguro novel of the same title. It stars Ken Watanabe in the lead role of Masuji Ono, a renowned artist looking back on, and coming to terms with, his life against the backdrop of a country being rebuilt after the war.

Masuji Ono is burning his problematic paintings. But we not find in any sceen for the novel he tries to burning his  problematic painting. But film version show the burning of his paintings. It means some time he accepted his mistake and guilt about his action but now we understand through the film but here actually he not realy buring his painting but he tries to burn his ego or something else.

Second frame is again burning painting but here masuji painting not burning but  his student Kuroda painting burn. Police is burning Kurodas painting. Here masuji Ono tell the police, his student Kutoda something plan against for the Government and police arest his and after burn his painting.

Here we see most famous paining for the masuji Ono. "Eyes to the Horizon" was indeed a reworking of "Complacency", though with such differences as might be expected given the passage of years between the two. For the lower, more dominant image, the three poverty stricken boys had become stern-faced soldiers; two of them held bayoneted rifles, flanking an officer who held out his sword, pointing the way forward, west towards Asia.

Here we see the film is very faithful for the novel. If u just read the novel that time so many confusion but we will watch the film that time understand for the novel sequence. This novel protagonist masuji Ono, some time tells the present story after past and young life of his but it not clear tells the stroy after creat a confusion but film also presented the proper way or sequence for the novel. It easy to understand this novel.

Debate on the Uses of Art / Artist (Five perspectives: 1. Art for the sake of art - aesthetic delight, 2. Art for Earning Money / Business purpose, 3. Art for Nationalism / Imperialism - Art for the propaganda of Government Power, 4. Art for the Poor / Marxism, and 5. No need of art and artist (Masuji's father's approach)

Art for the aesthetic delight, art for the art sake and it give to pleasure principle. Here we know that the writer and poet any person write a something for his or her passion or any interest. Something writer their and share some work, that time we not think about how is effective or changeable but they always tries to fulfill your desire and write for delight or sake of art. Sometime art show for the voiceless, poor and downtrodden people. Now I give to example... George Orwell write novel not for the sake of art but he always show the reality through his work and he tries aware about the present time.  Another angle of Art  for nation, monarch, imperial power, powerful positioned people. Now I would like to share same interesting example like the John Dryden also write the monarch or powerfull positioned people like (King David)and he bacame favorable person by King.and he became a poet laureate. It means we desire to became the power and famous person then we staring for sharing a good side of the powerful people and then spread the propaganda for the other. And another art for the Business, capitalist, profit and livelihood. So many good writer or artist, painters actor... famous personalities person invest their skill and their art give to profit. Amitabh bachchan sir is good actor, talented artists and he performed as a good actor and earn money. It means not only art for the sake of art, art for the earning, art for business or art for government propaganda for power. And masuji Ono father also desire to his son became a businessman but masuji one not like any business but he interesting for the painting and he's desire to became famous artist. Here we see the no value for the art or any artist in the world but only value for the business. 

What is the relevance of this novel to our time?

In this novel protagonist of Masuji Ono, the deepest desire to bacame the famous artist and pursuit of style that will earn him acknowledgement as a great artist. He joined the Takeda's firm and after he joined at the Villa of Seiji Muriyama and bacome favourite student. After he leave and begins to create paintings with political messages. And here we see the Masuji Ono not create a own way of style of painting but he following other's ideas and cannot point to any unique contributions of his own. But, infact, he was only one of the many artist of his time who painted derivative work in styles invented by others. 

In this time Everyone find the easiest way to completed your work and other things. This time was faster on one can't find in unique ways to works and  easy way  to copy to other. And another thing is intergeneration gap and no one can change their style to create uniqueness. The novel shoes how the world in which Ono was an important artist is already floating away, superseded by new current, ideas, events and artist.

Here we find my understanding of this novel "An Artist of the Floating world" If you think any changes or any added then we write in a comment section. Thank you for Reading. 

Thinking Activity- Nineteen Eighty four George Orwell

 Hello Readers..

This blog is my academic writing blog and it given by our prof Dilip Barad sir. And here we find the details of Nineteen Eighty four novel by George Orwell. 

Here his picture..

Let's tries to light on author details:-

 Born- 25 June 1903 

 Died- 21 January 1950 

Eric Arthur Blair known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, biting social criticism, total opposition to totalitarianism, and outspoken support of democratic socialism. 

About novel:-

Nineteen Eighty-Four  is a dystopian social science fiction novel and cautionary tale written by English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and final book completed in his lifetime. Thematically, it centres on the consequences of totalitarianism, mass surveillance and repressive regimentation of people and behaviours within society. Orwell, a democratic socialist, modelled the totalitarian government in the novel after Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany. More broadly, the novel examines the role of truth and facts within politics and the ways in which they are manipulated.

What is dystopian fiction?

According to the Oxford English dictionary:

"An imaginary place or condition in which everything is as baf as possible"

Dystopian term derives from Latin 'Bad place'. The word 'dystopia' is opposite to Thomas More's 'Utopia'. Dystopian is a term there has come to big applied to works fiction, including science fiction that represents and unpleasant imaginary world in which ominous tendencies of over present social, political and technological order are projected In to a disastrous future culminations.

Characteristics of a dystopia:-

Corrupt government,

Extreme social class gaps,

Environment disasters,

Oppression,

Loss of individualism or personal identity,

Propaganda and control,

Surveillance and loss of privacy,

Fearful citizens.

 

Is1984 a dystopian fiction?

Nineteen Eighty four is a dystopian fiction. And here we see the  character of Winston Smith is one of the member of the ruling party in London in national of Oceania. At the beginning of the novel, Winston feels frustrated by the oppression and firm control of the party.vwhich prohibits free thought, lovr and sex. He dislike the party and he purchased a diary illegally to write his thought about the party. And here we find the citizens are also taught a language named Newspeak, which is a simplified version of English used to control how the citizens thinks and express themselves. There is no privacy, independence, or self identity in Oceania. There is only misery, dear and control. It is reason to say the Nineteen Eighty four is distopian fiction.

What according to you is the Central theme of this novel?

Here we find the many theme like, the dangers of totalitarian, psychological manipulation, physical control, control of information and history and technology. Let's discuss about one by one..

The Dangers of Totalitarian:-

Official Slogans of the party are,

"War is peace 

Freedom is slavery 

Ignorance is strength"

In this novel Orwell portrays the perfect totalitarian society. The title of the novel was means to point to its readers in 1984 that the story portrayed a true chance for the close to future. Here we looked it the Winston eyes.

Psychological manipulation:-

Psychological manipulation like the party everywhere put to telescreen and signs reading "Big Brother is Watching You" and here we find the party undermines family structure by inducting children into an organisation called the junior Spies. Which brain washes and became a spy on their parents and report by the government.

Physical Control:-

Physical Control is in  addition to manipulating their mind, the ruling party also controls the bodies of it subject. By learning the mind of their victims with physical torture, the party is ready to regulate reality, convincing it's subject that

2+2=5

Control of Information and History:-

The ruling party controls every source of information, managing and rewriting the content of all Newspapers and histories for its own ends.

"Who control the past 

Controls the future who 

Controls the present 

Controls the past"

The party doesn't permit to stay of records of thier past, like images or documents. By dominant the current the party is ready to govern the past and in dominant tha past, the party will justify all of its actions with in the gift 

Technology:-

Technology here used it very well. Telescreen and hidden microphones a Ross the city, the ruling party is able to monitor it's members almost all of the time. The technology has horrified, each one of the citizens. The party's official slogan that written everywhere,

"Big Brother is Watching You"

Language As Mind Control:-

One of Orwell most important messages in 1984 is that language is of central important to human thought because it structure and limits the ideas that individuals are capable of formulating and expressing if control of language were Orwell proposed, such an agency could possible alter the very structure of language to make it impossible to even conceive of rebellious thought because no language, no words which think them. This idea manifests itself in the language of Newspeak which party has introduced to replace English.

What do you understand by the term "Orwellian"?

Orwellian is an adjective describing a situation, idea, or social condition that George Orwell identified as being destructive to the welfare of a free and open Society. Orwellian is often to used simply to mean authoritarian. But using the term in this way not only  only fails to fully convey Orwell message. The government of 1984 Oceania controls it's peoples action and speech and create a Newspeak language. Then only for people can't thought about in freely. Orwell urged us to protect our language because ultimately our ability to think and communicate clearly is what stands between us and a world where war is peace and freedom is slavery.

Write in brief about "Newspeak and refer to orwell and Pinter's essay.

Harold Pinter in the noble prize in literature. Pinter noble lecture on "Art Truth and Politics".  He openly take about the political situation and satire the political techniques how to manipulating by people through his work. He explained the political truth. Polititions are not interested to find a truth but in power and their  always tries to maintenance of that power. 

According Pinter..

Language vin art remain a highly ambiguous transaction, a quicksand, a trampoline, a frozen pool which might give way under you, the author, at anytime. But search for the truth can never stop. It has to be faced, right there, on the spot.

Orwell was interested in Linguistic questions and his essay "Politics and the English language" and he mentioned the Central theme of the novel "Newspeak". In the s essay Orwell criticises standard English with its dying metaphors, satirise in the meaningless word, of doublespeak, like Newspeak, the basic vocabulary is classified into three categories like,

Vocabulary (A)

Here we are not use of negative words but use negatives words in positive sence like, 

Bad word but not say bad but say not a good.

Vocabulary (B)

Words which had been deliberately constructed for political purpose words like,  new word but having invented them to make sure what they meant to make sure. Used words like,

Honour, Justice, Morality, internationalism, Democracy, Science, religions.

Vocabulary (C)

Scientific and technological word used it might be necessary to give specialized names to certain sextual.

Ministry of truth, conscious purpose, supplementary to the others and consisted entirely of authority. Here I am wind of writing. Any suggestions please write your comment.

Thank you.