Narrative#5

I never realized how much I could change in one year in the city. I didn’t even realized how different I really was until someone called me out on it. Is it really possible to change so dramatically in such a short period of time without even realizing it? It couldn’t be, it just seems so farfetched. Obviously I’m wrong.
I graduated from high school around two years ago. Everything about my high school years was perfect. I went to a small school in a small, countryside town and graduated in a small class. Everything was small, but everything was perfect. I remember how I used to simply lie down in the open fields with my friends on the summer days. We would sit there, listening to the birds, and just relaxing. I could never not love the people and environment around me, I was sure of that.
I knew that I would always love the small, country town life, but I still wanted to experience life in the city. So, in September, I started my freshman year of college at NYU. It was so far away from the life I knew and loved, so my mom convinced me to stay up in New York for both semesters. I couldn’t believe how homesick I felt when winter break started. I stayed with one of the friends I made in New York who had an apartment all to himself. I would constantly be in contact with my friends and family still in my small town, and I almost never left the apartment to explore the city.
When the end of my second semester came in May, I felt uncomfortable leaving my new home in New York. I called my parents and persuaded them into letting me stay in New York for the summer. It took close to an hour and a half to finally get them to agree. I moved back in with my friend, but this time, I didn’t stay in the apartment. In fact, now that I think about it, the only time I was in the apartment was when I was sleeping or just waking up. I explored the city with my new friends everyday. I was so accustomed this fast-paced life, and I couldn ‘t imagine living any other way.
When winter break came around for the second time, I just assumed that I would be staying up in New York again. However, my parents called, begging me to come home and celebrate Christmas with them. It took them a good two hours to convince me to take a break from the city life. When my plane landed in the airport, I was greeted by everyone in my family and all of my high school friends. It was great to finally see them all again. My parents drove me home where a welcome home party was waiting. I sat on one of the lawn chairs and texted my New York friends while everyone I used to know celebrated around me.
When dinner finally came, only my parents and my closest high school friends stayed. We all ate dinner together as they threw stories at me about the country life and what I’ve been missing. I was only half listening while stuffing my face with all of my old favorite foods that now tastes unusual after eating Easy Mac and Hot Pockets for so long. The next thing I knew, everyone was staring at me.
“What?” I asked, my mouth half full with mashed potatoes.
“How has life in New York been? We haven’t heard from you in a while,” my mom said hopefully.
That was my invitation. I put my fork down and ranted about how much better New York was than life in the county for a solid half hour. After, everything was silent. “Well, that sounds nice, honey,” my mom finally said without lifting her eyes from the empty plate in front of her.
Everyone finally left after another half hour, and I saw everyone off by giving them a handshake and a pat on the back. “See you later, Michelle,” I said as the last of my old friends was leaving. “We must catch up soon.”
“I don’t think I can do that,” she whispered slowly. “You’ve changed, Michael. You’ve really changed, and I don’t like it. None of us do.” And with that, she turned around, walked outside, and closed the door. I stared at that closed door until I head her car pull out of my street.
At first, I was furious. How could she say that I’ve changed. I’m still me, I’m still the old Michael that she knew and loved two summers ago. Then I decided to really think about what I’ve been through in the past couple years, and then I saw it. I adapted to the city life too much too quickly. I forgot about how much I loved lying down in those open fields. I forgot how much I loved these people and this town and this life, and it was all because of the fast-paced life that I expierenced while attending NYU.
How could I have changed so drastically?

Narrative #4

The past year has been the hardest year of my life. Sure, I was created only about a year and a half ago, but I can guarantee you that this year will be the hardest of them all. I have not had a single day where I can just rest in my case. He’s always going to the races, every day for the past year. How did I get stuck with this man who loves horse races and has really bad eye sight? He sits in the tenth row, and he still needs binoculars to see. I also never understood why he went to horse races so often- they seemed pretty boring to me. Thankfully, he always gets loads of money from these races, so there’s still hope that he’ll buy someone else who’s better than me sometime soon. It’s unlikely, but there’s always hope.
Before and after every race, he and his friend always walk down the dirt hallways around the outside of the stadium. They discuss the horses, the bets they made or planning to make, and the racers. Their conversations are always so dull and redundant, so I can never fully focus on what they’re saying. One day, before the races, a small man that I recognized as one of the racers approached the two men in matching suits. He seemed agitated, and his restlessness was obvious.
“I can’t do this anymore, it’s so wrong,” the small man said when the three finally all met up. “I can’t keep on going like this.”
“Just relax,” said my owner coolly. “You’ve been doing this for a while now, there’s no need to back out now.” He was clearly annoyed with this man, for reasons I didn’t understand.
“No, no, I can’t, it’s wrong, people depend on me, people trust me,” the small man stammered, slowly backing into the stadium.
“Look,” said the other man in the brown suit sharply. “We need you. We trust you to keep throwing races. We depend on you to do whatever you can to make whoever we bet on win. We don’t care how you do it or how awful it may be, we just care if you do it. Don’t forget our deal.”
“When I was racing, I was pretty much exactly like you. I thought it was wrong, but the men who were in business with me were so confident and so dependent on me that I couldn’t say no, and look where that got me! I’m one of the richest men in the city! Do you want to be like that when you’re my age?” explained my owner.
“I do, I really do, but why don’t you just bet on me? I can win races; it makes more sense, just bet on me. We don’t have to cheat anymore, just bet on me,” the small man pleaded.
The two men in the brown suits sat in silence for a small amount of time before bursting into uncontrollable laughter. My owner almost dropped me since his hands shake furiously when he laughs. Another one of the reasons this year has been so hard.
The small man looked furious. He crossed his arms and looks up to the other man in the brown suit. “I’m not cheating anymore,” he stated firmly.
The other man looked down at the small man and simply said, “I don’t think you realize how much power we have over you. If you stop, we can break you apart while everyone else just turns their heads. You will continue to cheat and you will continue to listen to us, or you’ll never race again. Do you understand?”
The small man’s head dropped. “Do I still get 15%?”
“I’ll answer that question after I see Gibbs cross the finish line before anyone else today.”
The small man turned around and headed back towards the stadium without saying another word. The two men in the brown suits watched him go. “Good thing he’s so weak,” said my owner. “I thought he was seriously going to stop for a minute.”
“Don’t worry, he depends on us and the money we give him, and we depend on him and the money he gives us. It’s a deal you can’t possibly break.” The two men started laughing again, but thankfully not as hard as before.
I really need to start paying attention to these conversations they have.

Table of Contents

1. Declaration
2. 10 color copy images
3. Narrative #1
4. Critique #1
5. Narrative #2
6. Narrative #3
7. Critique #2
8. Critique #3
9. Narrative #4
10. Narrative #5
11. Example of Existing Criticism #1
12. Example of Existing Criticism #2
13. 20 Additional Images
14. 5 Examples of Literature
15. 20 Examples of Literature
16. 10 Relating Websites

Narrative #3

Even though their voices were muffled by the sliding glass door in between them, he knew what they were talking about. They argued a lot, they always had, but they only step outside when it’s something they really don’t want him to hear. They usually argue over things like dinner, money, or work hours inside, since it doesn’t really matter if he hears, but when they step outside he knows what it’s about. It’s about him.
His father was always very stubborn; he didn’t change his mind about anything, even when he knew he was wrong. He would have made a great lawyer if he decided to stick with law school, but instead, he was an accountant who dreaded his decision to drop out since the first day out. He always encouraged his son to be a lawyer, to stick with law school, and to lead the life he wish he had. He used to always say, “Don’t make the same mistake I did, John, because you don’t know how much you’ll regret not taking that chance.”
His mother was almost the exact opposite. She didn’t care if he became a lawyer or not, as long as he was happy with his decision. Of course, she also didn’t want him to live in the same regret that her husband was, but she didn’t care what career he wanted to pursue. She was a therapist, a great one, and she always thought that parents should not pressure their children into making decisions that they don’t want to make.
“I just don’t want him to make the same mistake that I did,” John could hear his father say.
“If he doesn’t want to be a lawyer, then he won’t be living in regret. He can pursue whatever career he wants to,” his mother replied in a tired voice. This was an argument she was beginning to grow sick of.
“I know, but I just feel like he would be great in court, and I think he should take the opportunity of a life time.”
“Will you just drop it?” his mother hissed, “He can do whatever he wants.”
They both had good points to John. He saw the pain that his dad goes through almost every single day, and he knows that that’s not something he wants to live with. Also, maybe being a lawyer won’t be the most terrible thing in the world. There are some jobs that are much worse, and John knows that. Maybe being a lawyer and leading the life his dad always wanted to isn’t such a bad idea.
At the same time, however, his father’s mistakes shouldn’t influence John to make the decision about his career. Just because he didn’t pursue the career he wanted to doesn’t mean John should. He’s only 14-years-old anyway- he has plenty of time to make the decision. His father doesn’t have the right to pressure John into making decisions, just like his mother said, it’s just not right.
Both of his parents obviously make a pretty convincing point. At this point in the never-ending argument, John doesn’t know what he wants to do. He doesn’t even know what to do in general.
“Fine,” he suddenly heard his father say. “Let’s see what he wants. John, can you come out here please?”

Narrative #2

As soon as Auntie informed us that she was done taking pictures, Mother’s happy expression instantly turned into one of anger and frustration. “Can’t you kids smile for just one minute?” she hissed to me and my little sister through clenched teeth. I looked over at my sister, and she returned my expression of anguish.
“Sorry, Mother,” Lucy whispered, letting her head drop.
“Well, just remember to smile when we get there. We don’t want anyone thinking we aren’t a happy family.” From where I was sitting, I could see my daddy’s hands tighten around the steering wheel.
Now knowing that my daddy was angry about this too, I blurted, “Why do we have to go to this? We never had to do anything like this before!”
“We’re in a new town now, and we don’t want to make a bad first impression, so stop complaining!” Mother snapped, causing me to slouch down in my seat and not say another word.
Mother had not always been like this. She used to be fun, nice, and she would smile all the time, not just for Auntie’s pictures. Moving to a brand new town changed her; she just wanted to fit in with all the other families in the neighborhood. When our neighbor invited us to the town’s annual End of the Summer Cookout, she was so excited. She called up Auntie right away to tell her the good news, since Mother and Auntie are pretty much the same person. I think that’s why Auntie wanted to take so many pictures.
My daddy has changed too. He was the best daddy anyone could ask for. He would always help me whenever I needed anything, and he was just such a fun person. Now he’s very quiet and keeps to himself most of the time. I think he’s a little bit afraid that he’ll upset Mother if he tries to be himself in this town.
Lucy is just sad most of the time. I think she doesn’t like having to leave all of her friends behind. She’s been hanging around me a lot for the past week. It’s nice to have some company, since I’m pretty lonely too, but she’s starting to get annoying.
I don’t like this new town. I don’t like the fact that my family is changing. I wish Mother wouldn’t try so hard to impress these new people, and I wish that my daddy would say something, since I know that he can. I wish Lucy would make some new friends, so she wouldn’t be hanging around me so much. Maybe I could say something, but I’ll be like my daddy and keep quiet so Mother will be happy.
We pulled up to the town’s park in about ten minutes. Mother sighed then put on a smile, turning around to make sure me and Lucy were too. When she was confident that everyone looked happy, she opened her door and headed towards our neighbors.

Narrative #1

As the clock struck 12:30, every person in the sales department got up from their seats and grabbed their lunches. Everybody always brought their own lunch, and nobody ever bought anything from the company hot line lunch. Soon, the cafeteria was filled with men and women carrying brown paper bags, as if they were going to lunch in an elementary school. Everybody moved into their usual seats and took out their sandwiches. They all awkwardly shifted in their seats, waiting for the first person to take a bite of their usual turkey on white sandwich. That person was usually Joe, their boss, and everyone was used to that. It was their routine.
Jim, however, was not used to this routine. As he turned towards his colleagues after filling up his cup of coffee, he noticed that no one else had walked up to buy, well, anything. Embarrassed, Joe quickly and quietly took the closest empty seat he could find, which happened to be right across from his new boss. He quickly drank his cup of black coffee while ducking behind the metallic pillar next to him, since he didn’t want anyone, especially the boss, to notice him. He made a mental note to bring turkey on white to his second day of work.
Meanwhile, Martha was silently scolding herself for being too adventurous. If she hadn’t been tempted to put on that shiny red headband she bought herself last week, she wouldn’t be sticking out so much. No other woman in the office ever wore a headband, especially one as bright and bold as hers, so why should she? Why was she so different? Still, she couldn’t take it off now, because people would notice and she didn’t know what they would think about that. There was no escaping her mistake.
Throughout the half hour the salespeople had for lunch, everybody silently chewed on their sandwiches while looking down at the spot of the table in front of them. Nobody wanted to say anything, for no one knew what the other people would think if they let out a single sound. However, that didn’t stop the people from thinking to themselves. Janet was yelling at herself for not being as brave as the woman across from her who was wearing that beautiful headband. Gertrude, sitting way in the corner, reminded herself to get new glasses that did not have pink frames, or any color that wasn’t black. Nobody was brave enough to put their thoughts into words.
Then, at 1:00, everybody followed as Joe got up from his seat and threw away his trash. They all silently shuffled back into their offices. It was all a part of their routine.

Example ofExisting Criticism + Image #2

Caillebotte's ambitious modem history painting Paris Street; Rainy Day, much like his Floor-Scrapers, shown the previous year, secured the artist critical appreciation at the Impressionist exhibition in 1877 for its "science of design and arrangement. "According to one reviewer, it was a canvas "that, despite the bizarre quality of some of its details and its jerky handling ... would still figure honorably beside pictures receiving the approval of the Champs-Elysees (official Salon) jury." Indeed, in the relative finish of its brushwork, in the well studied rationality of its composition, and especially in its impressive size, Paris Street--despite the shocking modernity of its subject-must have looked familiarly academic in 1877, betraying Caillebotte's recent study with the Salon artist Leon Bonnat. It even prompted one critic to exclaim that "M. Caillebotte is an Impressionist in name only," because in comparison to many of his colleagues who were being derided for daring to exhibit sketches as finished works of art, this painting demonstrated that Caillebotte "knows how to draw and paint more seriously. . . ."The fact that Caillebotte followed an academic rather than "Impressionist" method in many of the large paintings of his early career is evidenced by a group of preparatory drawings and oil sketches for Paris Street, through which the artist developed and altered his original conception for the picture. These studies and sketches certainly attest to the 'considerable effort' described by the critic Georges Riviere in 1877 in reference to the painting, and "how difficult it was and how much skill was necessary to complete a canvas of these dimensions." Nevertheless, they also demonstrate the lengths to which the artist went in order to construct an image that would appear at once both obsessively ordered and precariously fragile-a construction that constitutes the very basis of the picture's meaning.
http://www.mystudios.com/art/impress/caillebotte/caillebotte-paris.html

Names of Images

Red Coquette by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Pastel on Cardboard
Germany

Confronting Conformity by Alexandra Isaievych
Acrylic, oil on canvas
Ukraine

Village Dance (Dangast) by Erich Heckel
Oil on canvas
Germany

The Waiting Room by George Tooker
Oil on canvas
United States

The House Painters by Gustave Caillebotte
Oil on canvas
France

The Conference by John Brack
Watercolor, pen, ink
Australia

Woman and Dummy by John Brack
Medium unknown
Australia

White Sea Canal by Alexander Rodchenko
Gelatin-silver print
Russia

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat
Oil on canvas
France

Berlin Street by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Medium unknown
Germany

Bathers in Asnieres by Georges Seurat
Oil on canvas
France

Zirkusparade by Georges Seurat
Oil on canvas
France

Three Dancers by Pablo Picasso
Medium unknown
Spain

The Floor Scrapers by Gustave Caillebotte
Oil on canvas
France

Le Pont de l'Europe by Gustave Caillebotte
Oil on canvas
France

Dogs Playing Poker by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge
Medium unknown
United States

Coney Island by George Tooker
Egg Tempera on Wood
United States

Sleepers ll by George Tooker
Egg Tempera on Wood
United States

Embrace of Peace by George Tooker
Egg Tempera on Wood
United States

10 Websites

1.Science News (Science Daily)-http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090114124109.htm
This aritcle reveals the brain activity that explains the exsistence of conformity. The results show that social conformity is based on mechanisms that send off a "prediction error" signal that signals when one is about to make the social mistake of being too different. This relates to my concept because it shows how conformity is actually caused by activity in our brains.


2.Psychology Experiment(PsyBlog)-http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/08/elevator-psychology-and-london.php
This article describes an experiment that took place on an elevator. On an elevator with doors on both sides, one person would confidently turn to the door that no one else was facing, forcing the other passengers to decide to stay with the group or turn around with the confident man. This is an example of conformity because it shows how other people’s behaviors influence a person’s decision.


3.Psychology Experiment(Age of the Sage)- http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/psychology/social/asch_conformity.html
This experiment deals with social pressure. Subjects are asked simply questions that have to do with the lengths of lines, and only one of these subjects is a real subject; the other ones are actors who know what is going on. The experiment’s purpose is to see if the one real subject will give the same answer as the other actors, even if their answer is obviously wrong. This is an example of conformity because it shows how the subject was influenced by the answer all the actors gave so that he or she wouldn’t seem out of the ordinary.


4.History(Visions of Perfection)-http://library.thinkquest.org/27648/cgi-bin/ais.cgi?display=html&type=html&page=5
This article focuses on Hitler’s concept of the Aryan Race during World War II. To him, if everyone had blonde hair and blue eyes, then everyone would be happy and perfect. He wanted to have this Aryan race dominate the majority of Western Europe.This is conformity because it shows how Hitler wanted everyone to look exactly the same, and how anyone different was not accepted.


5.Sociology Guide-http://www.sociologyguide.com/basic-concepts/Conformity.php
This article is all about the social aspect of conformity. It states the sociologists have been trying to find the answer to why social activity always ends in order and not chaos. To explain this, they study social conformity. This is an example of conformity because it shows how conforming to a mass group in society can actually cause order and stability.


6.Book Review of Hello, I’m Special by Hal Niedzviecki (City Lights) http://www.citylights.com/book/?GCOI=87286100021260
This review is of a book called Hello, I’m Special: How Individuality Became the New Conformity by Hal Niedzviecki. In the book, Hal calls out the thousands of people who try to stick out so that they can finally fet their fifteen minutes of fame. He points out that it’s not indviduality if one purposely tried to dress and act the opposite way that the people around that one person. This shows conformity because it shows how other people’s appearance and behavior influences other people to stick out more. Also, it shows how other people are influenced by these people who are displaying individuality to do the same.


7.History (The Flow of History)-http://www.flowofhistory.com/readings-flowcharts/the-world-since-1945/the-post-war-world-1945-60/fc142
This article explains the different kinds of pressures to conform the people living in the 1950’s experienced. It talks about how millions of men were pressured to join many of the large cooperations that were a huge part of the economy of America. People were also pressured to get married, start a family, and move into the suburbs after the war. Several other events are brought up throughout the article. This shows conformity because it explains how millions of people were pressured to join mass groups in work and in their personal lives.


8.Psychology Experimenthttp://www.spring.org.uk/2007/02/stanley-milgram-obedience-to-authority.php
This psychology experiment mainly focuses on obedience to authority. Normal people were asked to give a subject (who was really an actor) different levels of electric shock. The point of the experiment was to see how long these people would stay and obediently issue the electric shock, even though the person didn’t know that no electric shock was actually being given. This shows conformity because the person giving the shock would just listen to the man in the lab coat, even if he or she thought it was wrong.


9.Editorial by Carol Noble (Associated Content)-http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/468398/is_conformity_within_society_a_good.html
This editorial addresses whether or not conformity in society is a good thing. The author talks about how people conform as a group or even as a nation to create order and stability. She says that people have lost the idea of indivuality over the years because of this. This is an example of conformity because it shows how people just go with what other people are thinking or doing just so there won’t be any chaos, and how they lose their individuality because of it.


10.George Tooker Biography-http://www.leninimports.com/george_tooker.html
This is a biography of the American artist George Tooker. In this biography, it states the George once said that he was more of an observer of society, not an interpreter. In several of his paintings, all of the people in them look exactly the same. This shows conformity because it states the Tooker thinks he observes society in a way where nobody is their own individual.

25 Excerpts

1.“Don't think you're on the right road just because it’s a well-beaten path. “
-Author Unknown

2."Beauty is power the same way money is power the same way a gun is power. We’re all such products.” -Chuck Palahniuk (Invisible Monsters)

3."Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it's not because they enjoy solitude. It's because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them."
- Jodi Picoult (My Sister's Keeper)

4.“I allowed myself to become a peculiar, unlovable ghoul because first my mother left me, to be raised primarily by the public school system and secondarily by my father, who hated me. Then my father left me, to start another, I assume better, family abroad. But I didn’t mind because I had love, a beautiful new wife, a beautiful new home. And then my wife left me and I decided that I no longer wanted to be left. I made a freak out of myself, Joanne, to keep everyone away.” -Lisa Jewell (Roommates Wanted)

5.“If you don't control your mind, someone else will.” - John Allston


6.“Toby was glad not to be a teenager in the twenty-first century- it all seemed so stifling, so conformist. Young girls all looked the same to Toby these days. They all had the same strip of stomach showing between the same jersey top and low-slung jeans, their belly buttons all studded with the same flashy gems. They all wore their long hair in the same side-parted style, their lips sticky with the same glossy gel, their complexions the same shade of Balearic brown all year round.” -Lisa Jewell (Roommates Wanted)


7."Here is the story of Tom and Betsy Rath, a young couple with everything going for them: three healthy children, a nice home, a steady income. They have every reason to be happy, but for some reason they are not. Like so many young men of the day, Tom finds himself caught up in the corporate rat race - what he encounters there propels him on a voyage of self-discovery that will turn his world inside out.” –Sloan Wilson (The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit)

8."Surely you remember the boy in your own school class who was exceptionally ‘bright,’ did most of the reciting and answering while the others sat like so many leaden idols, hating him. And wasn't it this bright boy you selected for beatings and tortures after hours? Of course it was. We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. Each man the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against. “ -Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451)

9."She didn't choose this role / But she'll play it and make it sincere” –Panic At the Disco (Time to Dance)

10.“You are a good man, but misguided. These people do not appreciate you or your generosity. They are holding you back. My greatest fear for you, Toby, is that you will end up like me, alone, misunderstood, unappreciated, and I fear this could happen all too easily.”
-Lisa Jewell (Roommates Wanted)

11.“You don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note.”
-Doug Floyd

12.“One who walks in another's tracks leaves no footprints.”
-Proverb

13.“When I was four years old they tried to test my IQ, they showed me this picture of three oranges and a pear. They asked me which one is different and does not belong; they taught me different was wrong.”
-Ani Difranco

14.“What we call human nature in actuality is human habit.”
-Jewel Kilcher (Pieces Of You)

15.“Just because something is tradition doesn't make it right.”
-Anthony J. D'Angelo (The College Blue Book)

16.“And what is a good citizen? Simply one who never says, does or thinks anything that is unusual. Schools are maintained in order to bring this uniformity up to the highest possible point. A school is a hopper into which children are heaved while they are still young and tender; therein they are pressed into certain standard shapes and covered from head to heels with official rubber-stamps.”
-H.L. Mencken

17.“Common experience shows how much rarer is moral courage than physical bravery. A thousand men will march to the mouth of the cannon where one man will dare espouse an unpopular cause.”
-Clarence Darrow (Resist Not Evil)

18."We all believe that we are a certain kind of person, but we never know until we do something that proves otherwise, or until we die."
- Chuck Klosterman (Downtown Owl)

19."In and of itself, nothing really matters. What matters is that nothing is ever in and of itself.”
- Chuck Klosterman (Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs)


20.“Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everybody I’ve ever known.” .
- Chuck Palahniuk (Invisible Monsters)


21.“Old Man Warner snorted. ‘Pack of crazy fools,’ he said. ‘Listening to the young folks, nothing's good enough for them. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work any more, live hat way for a while. Used to be a saying about 'Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.' First thing you know, we'd all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There's always been a lottery,’”
- Shirley Jackson (The Lottery)


22."No question now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."
- George Orwell (Animal Farm)


23.
They say the poet is unique,
At others he won't stoop to peek
To learn just how his pen must tweak
His words before he dares to speak.
Yet, would the poet still create
If his audience cast no bait
To catch the one who thinks he's great
And thus to seal his sorry fate?
No, his lines would soon abate I
f too long he had to wait
Every time he took a pause
For a round of due applause.
And, would the Muse still amuse
If he was not duly used
To take a big, tasty bite Of the critics' sweet delight?
Surely, no verses would emit
If the pundits threw a fit
Just because they did not get
Rhyme and rhythm that doth fit.
-mckee (Matching to the Beat To a Different Drum )


24.Sometimes we search for the impossible, often we hate what is found.
Sometimes we long for the truth, but when spoken it has an unpleasant sound.
Most people want to be someone, and some people don’t care either way.
Some people hate their emotions, and most are hurt by what others say.
All that I want is some meaning; I have no need for either fortune or fame.
I see my peers all around me, and from the looks of it they all are the same.
Same smell, same hair same, clothes; same wants and needs.
Same walk, same talk, color.
No variety to be found. Same phone, same purse, same ambitions.
Hundreds of minds linked as one.
No wrong, no right, no black, no white; nothing to separate them at all.
They are one in thinking, they are one in breathing.
They are one in hearing, they are one in seeing.
They are one in feeling; they are one in their fears.
They are one in their joy; they are one when the tears fall.
They are one in their pleasure; they are one in their pain.
They are one in their losses, they are in their gains.
They are one in their conscience; they are one in the same…
-Odd One (One)

25.
You've got a great car,
Yeah, what's wrong with it today?
I used to have one too, Maybe I'll come and have a look.
I really love your hairdo,Yeah,
I'm glad you like mine too,
See what lookin' pretty cool will get ya.
- The Dandy Warhols (Bohemian Like You)

Critique #3

“Street Scene” is a painting done by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner that relates to my concept of conformity. In this piece of artwork painted in 1914, there is a confident-looking woman posing, followed by a long line of people without identifiable faces or characteristics. To either side of this woman is another woman, both with distinct facial expressions. Out of everyone in the painting, the three women in the front of the line are the only ones with noticeable faces.
Most of the colors used in the painting are dark and dim. Dim shades of blue, pink, black and purple can be seen. However, light green and pink are also used in the street and on the small dog by the line, and those colors contrast with all the other dark shades of color. Most of the bright colors can be found at the front of the painting, creating emphasis on the area closest to the viewer. Also, the bright green found on the men’s outfits creates chiaroscuro with the rest of the figures’ outfits, since there’s a sharp distinction between the two colors. The foreground of the painting is clearly the confident woman in the dark teal outfit. The confident looking woman is placed between the two other women with faces, creating juxtaposition. The field behind the three women consists of a line of men that seems to stretch on indefinitely. The texture of the women’s clothing makes the outfits seem soft and feathery. Based on the positions of all of the feet, the figures in the painting all seem to be moving forward. The line is formed at a weird angle, like the people are trying to avoid the carriage near the front of the painting. There is no consistent plane, since the areas in the painting do not appear to be flat, and some parts seem to curve upwards.
The focal point of the painting is the three women found at the beginning of the long line. They are the only ones with distinct expressions and outfits. It seems like the line of figures in back of the women is following them. This might be because of their sharp characteristics and their confidence, and the line could represent that the figures are following the women’s example. This shows conformity because instead of creating their own person, every person in the line of figures is following the women’s example and acting like them.

Museums and Exhibits

http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/johnbrack/

http://www.pafa.org/Museum/Exhibitions/Past-Exhibitions/George-Tooker-Exhibition/130/

http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/painting.html

http://artabase.net/exhibition/1949-jemima-wyman-the-declaration-of-resemblance-and-fluid-insurgents

http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/beardeninfo.shtm

Parade of the Dynamo Sports Club

Alexander Rodchenko

Gelatin silver print

Le Moulin de la Galette

Pablo Picasso, 1900

Oil on canvas

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York

Street, Berlin

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, 1913

Oil on canvas

The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Example of Existing Criticism + Image #1

The Dance Hall in Arles
Vincent van Gogh, 1888
Oil on canvas
Musée d'Orsay, Paris

On 23 October 1888, Paul Gauguin met up again with Vincent Van Gogh in Arles. The two men dreamt of founding a "studio of the Midi" together, in the South of France. But their enthusiasm rapidly waned. Van Gogh's overbearing presence came up against Gauguin's fierce independence. However, towards mid-December, they started working together again during a temporary improvement in their relationship.The two great works created during these few days of renewed collaboration are The Arlésiennes (Mistral) (Chicago, The Art Institute), by Gauguin, and The Dance Hall in Arles by Van Gogh. This painting seems to show an evening at the Folies-Arlésiennes, a dance hall on Boulevard des Lices. Gauguin's influence is clear as Van Gogh scrupulously applies the principles of synthesism and cloisonnism developed by his friend at Pont-Aven. The reference to Japanese art is also evident, with the unusual elevation of the horizon, and in the strange, decorative foreground where the curves and counter curves of the hair are dominant.The multitude of characters, the variety of their style of clothes and the way they overlap, skilfully portray a feeling of crowdedness and saturation. The portrait of Madame Roulin on the right, who alone turns to look at the spectator, seems to express a claustrophobic terror. In Gauguin's Arlésiennes, two female characters also express anxiety and anguish.To escape this latent anxiety, the two men went to Montpellier on 16th or 17th December to visit the Musée Fabre. The arguments that followed highlighted their aesthetic disagreements more than ever. As a result of this day out, their separation became inevitable, and Gauguin prepared to leave.

Link:http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/painting/commentaire_id/the-dance-hall-in-arles-10684.html?tx_commentaire_pi1%5BpidLi%5D=509&tx_commentaire_pi1%5Bfrom%5D=841&cHash=018c7f904b

Paris Street, Rainy Day

Gustave Caillebotte, 1877

Oil on canvas

Art Institue of Chicago

Menswear, John Brack

National Gallery of Australia

The Bar, John Brack

oil on canvas

National Museum of Victoria

Collins St, 5 pm ; John Brack

oil on canvas

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

Lunch, George Tooker

Columbus Museum of Art

Landscape with Figures, George
Tooker

Location unknown

Teller, George Tooker
Location and medium unknown

Critique #1

Conformity is displayed in "The Subway", which is painted by George Tooker. In the painting, there is a frightened looking woman walking down a brightly lit hallway. On either side of her, she is surrounded by people who look very much alike. The exits out of the hallway all seem to be barred off, leaving no escape.

In the painting, there is not constant plane. There are several points of elevation and depression, and there are not many flat areas. However, the hallway behind the woman seems to stretch on indefinitely. The shadows around the people's feet and their bent knees indicate that some of the passengers are moving around. Tooker only uses bright and bold colors in this painting. The flourescently lite hallway creates a cold environment in the painting contrasts with the bold colors of the people's coats. Also, the barred off sections and the bright lights give the subway the appearance of a prison. The emphasis of the painting is clearly on the woman with the frightened expression. She is placed closest to the viewer, strategically positioned between two men who look like clones of each other. Even though the colors of her clothing are the same, her expression is what makes her stand out.

Judging by her expression and her hand on her stomach, the woman appears to be sickened by what she sees. She is most likely sickened by the fact that everyone around her is basically the same. The closed off sections of the subway seem to show that the woman cannot escape her surroundings. I think that the painting is supposed to represent Tooker's fear of conformity and how he feels that we cannot escape it. I feel that Tooker displayed his point about conformity greatly in this painting,. However, it would have been more effective if he made everyone around the woman look exactly the same, instead of having minor differences. George Tooker displays conformity in his painting named "The Subway".

Critique #2

George Tooker displays conformity in a different piece of his called Government Bureau. The painting was done on egg tempera on wood, and it is currently located in The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In the painting, there are lines of men and women that seem to go on forever, and none of the faces of the people are shown. Also, there are workers behind glass boxes that are unidentifiable, and the only visible parts of their body are their eyes and hands, sometimes even their nose or one of their ears.
Only dull and dim shades of brown, pink, orange, green, and beige are used in Tooker’s painting. However, the bright red of the scarves on some of the women’s heads contrast with the dull colors of their clothing and of the building. The light at the top of the painting balances out with the dark found near the bottom. The appearance of the booths that the employees are working in seems to have the texture of wood. The long lines, the booths, the support beams on the ceiling, and the lights make it seem like the space beyond the painting goes on indefinitely. The form of the building is not very distinct, so it basically can be any type of building. Since none of the people in line has bent knees, raised feet, or shadows pointing in a certain direction, it’s easy to tell that none of the people in line are moving. Tooker uses realism in his painting, since long lines are very common in public buildings, such as the one displayed in this painting. The foreground of the painting is a man with short, blonde hair and a brown trench coat who is not standing in line. The foreground is placed close to two men who look exactly like him. Nobody in the painting has their own identifiable face, putting emphasis on the fact that they cannot be distinguished from each other.

The focal point of this painting is the man in the brown coat in the center of the painting. He looks just like the other people in the painting, but the one thing that makes him stick out is the fact that he isn't in a line. This could represent that the man is starting to break away from the conformity that is taking place. At first, the message is not noticeable, so maybe the artist could have portrayed it in a more obvious way. Other than that, this is a powerful peice and an excellent example of conformity.

Declaration

I chose to do conformity as my concept. Conformity is the act in which somebody’s attitude, appearance, behavior, beliefs, or personality is influenced by other people. I chose conformity because I feel that the biggest challenge is staying true to oneself. During the transition from middle school to high school, a lot of my friends have changed drastically to fit into their surroundings. I know that I have let myself change too, and I know it’s because of how the people around me act and appear. It’s incredibly easy to change yourself under someone else’s influence without even noticing.
Conformity can be seen everywhere, not just with me and the people around me. Trends can often influence everyone into buying or thinking the same thing. Those trends don’t just reach out and get a reaction from our town or our state; the entire world is affected by trends. People can be influenced by the persuasive advertisement of the trend, or they can be influenced by the fact that everyone is following the trend. Also, peer pressure is known as a large problem in the country. Peer pressure can influence a person into things that are similar to other people. This being said, peer pressure can be seen as an example of conformity. There are several different examples of conformity, big and small, that can be heard of around the world.
Many artists and writers produce pieces that can be seen as representing my concept. George Tooker is a famous American artist who often paints pictures of people looking the same and doing the same thing. He says that he feels like he is an observer of society, and many of his pieces represent conformity. Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk is a novel that displays conformity at different points in the story. Animal Farm by George Orwell is another novel, and its main themes are freedom and conformity. Conformity is displayed in several different novels and paintings.