art and the artist Essay

Art, the Artist and Society
Surprising similarities between opposite artists can become apparent with the realization of one similar topical area.   Ralph Ellison’s, “On Becoming a Writer,” Stephen King’s, “On Writing,” Marianne Moore’s, “Poetry” and Barbet Schroader’s, “Barfly,” convey unrelated topics.   Once one takes a step back, and focuses on the truth-telling and role purpose of these artists, the similarities are detected.   Ellison, King, Moore, and Shroader are, indeed similar in a broad sense, but unique as well.                                                                                                              
Truth-telling is exhibited in all of these artists, but most effectively in Stephen King and Ralph Ellison’s writing.   King’s use of honest becomes blatantly apparent right from the beginning of “On Writing.”   He begins to describe an event that happened to him in the eighth grade.   After reading a story, he came to the realization that it was “a story populated by paper-thin characters and driven by outlandish plot developments”(367).   King even goes as far to point out the author whom which wrote this story, Murray Leinster, and describes him as “uneven”(368).   King’s outspoken opinion could be considered incredibly harsh, but one has to remember that this example was used for aspiring writer’s benefit.   In reference to writing like his own, King states that “rudeness should be the least of your concerns”(369). He learned exactly what not to do from Leinster’s writing, demonstrating that bad writing can be beneficial and shared this beneficial experience with others.   Ralph Ellison used the same honest writing style to create a realistic outlook on life.   Ellison states that “Negro-American life” was depicted with a “sense of wholeness” that rendered “it bearable and humane and… desirable”(377).   Racism was at an incredible height during Ellison’s childhood, and depicting the African American life as an almost desirable state of being...