The Turn of the Screw

I had begun The Turn of the Screw, and so far I don't know what to expect from it. The story is a frame story that starts with some friends telling tales around a fire a Christmas Eve when a certain person, Douglas, mentions that he has an interesting tale from the written words of a friend of his. Unfortunately, he was not able to begin telling the story until the following day, which all the friends looked forward to with anticipation. Then begins the story inside the frame, the story of a woman who begins with finding a job as a caretaker and school teacher for two kids. So far, the young woman has met the little girl of the family. One thing that does cause concern in me, though, is that she and the servants of their house puts a lot of emphasis in their "innocence," which makes me question just how sweet, kind, and innocent the children are.

Artificial Flowers

C.P. Cavafy's poem Artificial Flowers steps aside from what many people would think about "natural beauty" and turns to man-made creations for sources of beauty. He says that real flowers will not please him and calls gardens containing such "trite and common," though many gardens are unique in their own way, containing their own assortment of featured plants. He is bored of nature's perishable beauty, but some people consider that impermanence of life as a part of beauty. He says his requested works are "neither fading nor decaying, forms unaging." Though artificial works aren't prone to change unless used or altered, the beauty of such work can be lost if the work is destroyed. He mentions his requested works come from a different kind of garden "where Forms and Styles and Knowledge dwell." If I had one guess as to where or what that garden is, I would guess it is or lies in the human mind, the house of creativity and knowledge for every person. Cavafy goes further to say that artificial works are "true Art's true gifts, more beautiful than nature, with perfect leaves and branches." Perfection is one thing that humans always strive for but can never truly obtain, and even if those works are flawless in one's eyes, there is at least one person who will see imperfection in the work in one way or another. "Their charm" he continues, "derives from wise and pure Good Taste; they didn't vilely sprout in mud or dirt." As I mentioned, perfection of art is different between individuals or groups of people, but another thing that makes nature greater for the people opposing artificiality is the satisfaction of growing the plant and keeping it alive. What's more, artificial plants never sprout or bloom like real plants; they are simply made to look like they are in a permanent state of blooming. Artificial plants also lack natural scents; Cavafy's solution: "we'll pour out perfume, burn myrrh before them." Perfume, just like plants, does not last forever, so he would have to waste quite a bit of perfume and myrrh to give his plants a scent, and even if they would have a scent, it might not match the plant. Cavafy's poem is one of controversy and irregularity in the way he defines his definition of beauty versus others' views of beauty, and I would rather prefer to only view artificial works instead of pretending they were the perfect natural thing on the planet.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

In the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Li Mu Bai and Jen's last fight against each other takes place in a forest of bamboo. In China, bamboo symbolizes righteousness, something that Jen, throughout the movie, could not learn until the end. Li Mu Bai, however, knew plenty more about righteousness than Jen through his experience and many battles. Something that especially signifies Li Mu Bai's dominance over Jen in terms of righteousness is the fact that, even with a pose that looked not as sturdy as it should have been, he was able to stand on the bamboo as if he wasn't being moved when Jen started shaking the bamboo stalk they were on. He remained on the tip of the bamboo with his same position, no matter how much Jen jostled it. As for Jen, her purpose for wanting the sword and running away, as well as how she mocked and insulted her enemies as she fought them, exemplify her lack of righteousness. She strove to learn how to be a warrior, but one important lesson she skipped in her lessons was the true meaning of the path of the warrior, the path of the righteous. Her lack of righteousness made her resolve weak and flimsy, making it easier for Li Mu Bai to knock her off the bamboo and claim his victory.