Art as a Mirror

Art is able to do many things. It can tell a story or be a mirror of society. Art is a mirror of society because what people choose to paint is what they think is important. When people paint something extremely important in real life, it shows that they care about real life events. Paintings are also able to paint a picture of someone in someone's mind. Art is able to show the real side of someone. It shows what they think about. If you look at art real closely then you can see if the artist used his brain or not while making the painting. Art can be thought about in many ways. Sometimes people who make paintings depict their feelings and not a lot about what they think is important. Art is also able to depict what is happening in the group of people. If something evil is painted in the painting then something bad is happening within the group. If something nice is painted in the painting then something good is happening within the group. Art is a key thing in everyone's life. It is especially important to tell stories and show the emotions or thoughts of a painter.

Myself in "The School of Athens"

The two men in the center of "The School of Athens" are the focal point in the painting. The focal point is the main part in the painting and the artist leads your attention to that exact spot. The two men in the painting are Plato and Aristotle. I feel more like Plato because he was a mathematician. I connected to him because I feel that one of my strongest subjects is Math and I am always trying to be the center of attention, like he is in the painting. Plato was also referred to as a very smart man. I find myself smart in some subjects but in others I still need some work on. In this painting you are able to see Plato teaching one of his students named Aristotle. I enjoy teaching people things or helping people out. It makes me feel good to teach someone something and it makes me stand out like the focal point in the painting.

Da Vinci. Is he a Genius?

The Renaissance time was the "rebirth" of Europe through many concepts. Da Vinci was one of the main people in the Renaissance because he helped with the "rebirth" of Europe through art. Many of his paintings told the story of Europe in the past. Since Leonardo da Vinci made many art pieces he was revered by many other people because his paintings were genius. Da Vinci also helped out in making military engineering. During the Roman Empire there were many wars and Leonardo wanted to make more war devices so that he could bring back the Roman Empire into the Renaissance ages. He helped out a lot during the Renaissance and many people looked up to him because of this. Without Leonardo the genius then the Renaissance would have no use and people wouldn't look back to it as something important.

Mona Lisa - Leonardo da Vinci

Dreams

I have a dream,
by Martin Luther King Jr.

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

The Subway by Palmer Hayden

Racism had been going on for many years until a unique individual stepped in a showed his side to things. Martin Luther King's speech was inspirational to many people around the world. It taught other individuals that racism wasn't right and that we should fight against it. Martin was fighting against racism for the African American people and was trying to teach others to not treat them any differently. This speech shows that everyone is the same no matter what skin color we are or how different we are from other people. Everyone should be treated the same and if they are not then we can never make peace in the world. Before African Americans were treated as slaves and told what to do. Ever since Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech everything has gotten just a bit better. People do not have to live in a community where racism is encouraged but we live in a society that encourages anti-racism. I find this great because I believe that everyone should be treated the same, just like what Martin Luther King Jr. thinks. He has inspired me to think greater and to see how I could help out in the world. I have a dream that we can fight against racism and that we can all be one!

Universal Language

Love

Love strolled out of his heart

Encasing him in stone

A cold statue moans, “Come back!”

The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli

The theme love is a feeling that everyone feels at least once in their life, no matter what race, gender or skin color. Love is a great feeling, and when someone finds it, they will never want to let it go. The message behind love is that everyone should share it and that love is able to make peace around the world. Love sends a message to people all around the world that people should look for it and try to keep searching for love in order to be happy. The one similarity between all cultures and time periods is that all people show it to other people in the same way. One person tells another that they love that person. This feeling of love began when the world was created. In the alchemist, Santiago shows his love to Fatima by saying that he wants to stay with her. Santiago is always trying to convince the alchemist that he should stay with Fatima because he said everything led him to being with her. Love is a very common feeling that everyone shares. It is just like destiny. People are in search of it and may never find it. They still keep on looking for love no matter what gets in their way.

Striving for the Best

The Epic Journey

“You already know about alchemy. It is about penetrating to the Soul of the World, and discovering the treasure that has been reserved for you.” (Coelho 130) Santiago, the main character in The Alchemist, met an ancient alchemist and through his guidance fulfilled his quest to reach the pyramids of Egypt, only to return to his home. While on this quest, Santiago learned that alchemy isn’t only about concocting potions, but more deeply about discovering the Soul of the World. The alchemist had been waiting for this special pupil, Santiago, in order to pass on his special wisdom to guide him to his destiny. Santiago started his journey in Andalusia, Spain and ultimately ended it in Spain. Throughout the book he traveled through many areas in North Africa and ending most importantly in Egypt. During this journey he met exotic people and found love. Santiago’s quest tested his courage and ensured he was able to become a grown man. Ultimately, what made Santiago the unique person that the alchemist had been waiting for, were Santiago’s special qualities. Santiago, the protagonist of The Alchemist, was able to successfully uncover his destiny because he was adventurous, determined and insightful.

Throughout his journey, Santiago benefited from his love of adventure and what followed from it. At the beginning of the novel, we learned that Santiago’s family wanted him to become a priest. They had entered him into the seminary and he had a very comfortable life there. However becoming a priest didn’t match his adventurous spirit. “But ever since he had been a child, he wanted to know the world, and this was much more important than knowing God and learning about man’s sins.” (Coelho 8) This reveals that Santiago wasn’t as connected to learning about God, as he was in traveling and observing new things. While he was traveling as a shepherd, Santiago arrived in Tarifa to have his recurring dream interpreted by a gypsy. Even though he was a bit frightened by what he had heard about gypsies, he still pursued having his dream interpreted. The gypsy revealed that he had to travel to Egypt. Santiago was quite disappointed with what he heard because it seemed like an impossible mission. In addition, the gypsy asked for 1/10th of the treasure that he would excavate. Despite these challenges Santiago accepted the gypsy’s mission (which was confirmed by Melchizedek) because his sense of adventure was so strong. A final example of Santiago’s adventurous spirit is that he traveled alone with the alchemist during a war. Even though Santiago and the alchemist knew that there was a war going on in the desert, they still set off. They were seeking adventure and they knew that by waiting they may never achieve their destiny. When Santiago was captured by the army, his real challenge emerged. The fact that he continued to the pyramids alone (without the alchemist) after this trial showed how truly adventurous he was. He started in Andalusia, Spain and journeyed all the way to Egypt and back in search of his treasure. Because of his adventurous nature, Santiago was able to find his treasure, and fall in love with Fatima.

One of the most important qualities that Santiago possessed was being determined. To begin with, an example of Santiago’s determination was when his money was stolen in the plaza in Tarifa, but he still didn’t give up. Santiago trusted a stranger with the money that he had earned from selling his sheep. He thought that the young man could look over his money while they were searching for a passage to Egypt. However the young man stole Santiago’s money. After sleeping alone in the market he decided not to give up and to continue on his quest. A second example was when he had money again, the money he earned from the crystal merchant. He gained enough money so that he was able to return to Andalusia, Spain. When he sat in the same bar that he did with the young man, he started to question his decision about his return. “Yet the boy felt that there was another way to regard his situation: he was actually two hours closer to his treasure…” (Coelho 61) Santiago ended up choosing the path that would lead him closer to his treasure which showed his determination to carry on. Finally, the ability of Santiago to leave Fatima and the oasis even though he was so in love with her showed his determination. When Santiago met up with Fatima he suddenly fell deeply in love with her and realized she was the girl of his dreams. Even when Fatima told Santiago to forget about her, he couldn’t because he was determined to stay with her for the rest of his life. When he managed to leave her because of his determination to find his treasure, they still knew that no matter where they were, the desert was a sign of hope and his return. Determination was the key to Santiago’s success. Because he possessed this trait he was able to survive and actually learn along the way.

The final character trait of insightfulness is one of the best qualities that someone can have, because it helps them make wise decisions. One of the wisest set of decisions that Santiago made was creating ideas to help the crystal merchant. The moment Santiago followed through on his first insight and cleaned the glass in the store, two couples entered the store and purchased crystal. Further ideas that Santiago brought to the crystal merchant helped both of them become more successful. This aided Santiago and provided him with enough money to continue on his journey. Subsequently, Santiago showed his insightfulness by following the omens of the hawks. He believed that the hawks were signs that an enemy army was going to invade the oasis. The residents of the oasis were distrusting because they believe that no one attacks an oasis. However, through his insights Santiago was able to protect them. The ultimate example of the boy’s insightfulness was his ability to become the wind. Santiago had to think about what to say to become the wind. It showed that he learned on the way because he thought of many ideas on the spot. “The boy reached through to the Soul of the World, and saw that it was a part of the Soul of God. And he saw that the Soul of God was his own soul. And that he, a boy, could perform miracles.” (Coelho 145) This quote signifies the insightfulness of Santiago. During his entire journey he was able to learn about one main concept, The Soul of the World. Santiago’s insightfulness led to some of the most critical decisions he could have ever made.

Throughout his journey, Santiago learned about the Soul of the World and that alchemy doesn’t only include learning about potions. By following the alchemist, Santiago discovered more than he would have expected. Because Santiago was adventurous, he was able to start his journey. Being determined helped Santiago to persevere through harsh events in order to achieve his destiny. When Santiago had the insight for new ideas, he became more successful and was able to achieve his destiny and ultimately reach through to the Soul of the World. During his journey Santiago adapted to a harsh environment and ultimately ended up where he started. That is where he found his treasure and Fatima, his true love. Anyone with strong attributes may also be able to find their own personal treasure if they listen to their heart.

TrueWhisper.com

Determination is a key to life and I find that I use it every time I feel down or when I feel like giving up. I am determined to become a professional tennis player and I am also determined to improve. If I do not try to become better every time I play then I could never achieve my true destiny and I would try to find something else to do. Just like in "The Alchemist", the alchemist teaches Santiago to listen to his heart while pursuing his destiny. I try to do the same every time I play tennis. I listen to my heart that tells me that I can make the shot or win the point. My heart keeps me going and doesn't ever let me down or give up. Throughout the years of my tennis playing I have been able to listen to my heart more and more, just like when Santiago started to listen to his heart when he really needed to use it. Whenever I play harder matches I listen to my heart more, so that I am able to succeed in winning the match. Being determined never lets me feel down and never lets me give up. I always strive for the best in myself and I am willing to succeed.