the world may look the same to everyone...

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This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.

I titled this "The World May Look the Same to Everyone..." because I think that is a very true concept of everyone living in today's world. The world appears to be a sphere with geographical landmarks and continents to everyone, but not everyone has the same views and beliefs of the world. This is something that has occurred to me that is present in all of the texts we've read. These different views and ideas have been around ever since the world began and it is something that will never become extinct. There will always be different ideas or religions practiced by different people and I think it is important to realize and understand these differences, specifically by exploring the views and beliefs of the characters we have read about. A brief overview of some characters beliefs is the particular belief from The Daodejing is that people should not try too hard and let things come naturally, Pangloss’s philosophy, Sigmund Freud’s belief that one cannot live fully unless they have a feeling of complete oneness with their thinking and themselves as a whole, and the view of the world from Georg’s friend living in Germany from “The Judgement”. By looking at the differences of views and beliefs from these characters’, it makes us realize that is still how the world is today. No matter how similar the world looks physically, it is made of up many different beliefs and views that make our world seem different to everyone.

Globe, Unknown, Early 20th Century, From the collection of: Pera Museum

Simplicity or Purity (ermine), Paolo Caliari detto Veronese, 1575 - 1578, From the collection of: Doge's Palace

In The Daodejing of Laozi, one of the main themes is to value simplicity and take things as they come. One should not try to over-achieve or try to hard to gain knowledge. "Gaining the world always is accomplished by following no activity, As soon as one actively tries, one will fall short of gaining the world" (Deodejing 51).

Death Turned Pilot, Thomas Rowlandson, 1756–1827, British, between 1815 and 1816, From the collection of: Yale Center for British Art

This image reminds me of Pangloss's philosophy of "things cannot be other than as they are: for, since everything is made to serve an end, everything is necessarily for the best of ends" (Candide 4). This picture reminds me of an image that could actually be illustrated in the book Candide.

Death, Teodors Ūders, 1914/1914, From the collection of: Latvian National Museum of Art

"Antigone attempts to consciously declare her actions despite her fate having been predetermined. Similarly, death has already been decided for the individual who attempts to walk into the waters of life" (Sophocles 6). This picture and description also reminds me of Pangloss's philosophy

Mid Ocean, Frederick Judd Waugh, 1875/1945, From the collection of: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Sigmund Freud talks about an "oceanic feeling" in which someone has a complete feeling of oneness with their thinking and their actions, or "it is a feeling of an indissoluble bond, of being one with the external world as a whole" (Freud 25). I think this relates to an ocean and makes sense of this "oceanic feeling" because an ocean is one whole body of water with no separation.

Seated Woman with a Parasol (study for "La Grande Jatte"), Georges Seurat (French, 1859-1891), 1884/85, From the collection of: The Art Institute of Chicago

This image reminds me of Franz Kafka's "The Judgement" because of the isolation of Georg's friend living in Germany. The way his friend sees the world appears to be like looking at the world behind closed doors. It seems that his friend hasn't really experienced the world because of his fear of actually taking part in society.

Paths Of Glory, Nevinson, C R W (ARA), 1917, From the collection of: Imperial War Museums

Susan Sontag talks about how people interpret pictures and what emotions certain images evoke. When specifically talking about understanding war, she believes that "The understanding of war among people who have not experienced war is now chiefly a product of the impact of these images" (Sontag 21). So for Sontag, some worldly actions are better understood and expressed through pictures.

Youth Mourning, Clausen, George (Sir) (RA), 1916, From the collection of: Imperial War Museums

This image demonstrates the feelings of sorrow and pain that this picture evokes according to Sontag

Gassed, Sargent, John Singer (RA), 1919, From the collection of: Imperial War Museums

Sword, the hilt of which depicts Gilgamesh and Enkidu slaying Humbaba, Unknown, 1200 BCE - 800 BCE, From the collection of: The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

I chose this image just because this sword depicts the fight between Humbaba and Enkidu. Enkidu also had a very different view of the world. Enkidu viewed the world like that of an animal. He did not know any humans existed or that he could become a human himself with human qualities and morals.

Feminine anthroporphic figure in clay and fabric - Culture Paré, Unknown, 19th century - 20th century, From the collection of: Fundación Alberto Jiménez-Arellano Alonso - Universidad de Valladolid

This image to me, symbolizes Enkidu as an animal-like creature.

Credits: All media

This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.

Imperial War Museums

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Latvian National Museum of Art

Doge's Palace

Yale Center for British Art

Fundación Alberto Jiménez-Arellano Alonso - Universidad de Valladolid

The Art Institute of Chicago

Pera Museum

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem