TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION OF PLAGIARISM....................................................................................................1
QUESTION 1........................................................................................................................................3
QUESTION 2........................................................................................................................................5
QUESTION 3........................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES.....................................................................................................................................8

QUESTION 1

1.1 Cultural objects differ from natural objects because they are manmade. The most
important difference between natural and cultural objects is that natural objects
would exist even if there were no human beings whereas the existence of cultural
objects is dependent on human beings. Natural objects are not created by
humans and therefore exist without any human interference, they are part of a
physical or natural world. Cultural objects the products of human activity. Cultural
objects exist because human beings created them and they have a close
 connection with human societies as they have purpose and meaning within
cultural groups. Cultural objects often perform function and add value to society.
An example of a natural object is clay that may be used to make cultural objects
such as pottery and sculptures.

1.2 “Beauty is most definitely in the eye of the beholder” a statement that describes
the fact that people see beauty differently because as human we place value on
the aesthetic, which is based solely on what we believe to be beautiful as
individuals. However, this cannot be seen as a description or definition of beauty
for various reasons, according to Marcia Eaton. People often use the word
“beauty” to describe a person or object but never actually know what it truly
means, when asked. We cannot justify our reasons for calling something
“beautiful”. Making justification one of the main problems when defining beauty.
People often have different opinions on whether a specific objector person is
beautiful. I may think the artwork “The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt is beautiful, whereas
another person may think it is strange. What one person sees as beautiful isn’t
what another sees as beautiful, which is where the saying “Beauty is in the eye of
the beholder” comes from. Not everyone can agree on what is beautiful and what
is not. If we cannot agree on when the word ``beautiful'' can justifiably be used
then it makes it difficult to correctly use it for the purposes of communication.
Philosophers have tried to define beauty for centuries, yet no definition has been
universally acceptable. Beauty is directly linked to aesthetics. The definition of
aesthetic is “concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.” However,
defining aesthetic is as difficult as defining beauty. Art is linked to aesthetics, and
contemporary art, is a style in particular that is very hard to evaluate or judge. For
example, “Orange, Red, Yellow” by Mark Rothko (1961), is a contemporary piece
of art that could be seen as aesthetic to some but not to others.

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QUESTION 2

2.1. L
2.2. NEW CRITICISM

Object of study: New Criticism focuses on the relationship between the form and
content of literary text, seeing the text as a whole of both the content and the form of
the language. (Carusi & Olifant, 2007:83).

Main hypothesis: The new critics value the text itself and believe that literature is a
particular form of knowledge and that it expresses universal human truths (Carusi &
Olifant 2007: 84). It is strongly influenced by humanism and as such it criticises
literature through human experiences.

Theoretical terms: New Criticism makes use of close reading of poetic devices such
as rhythm, meter and metaphor. Their focus is on form and content and the universal
human experience.

Short comings(weaknesses): New Criticism ignores the influence an author’s

background and life has upon the text. It also ignores the social and historical
aspects during which the text might have been written. This form of criticism is very
technical as it focuses more on close reading than the overall meaning of the work.
Like the Russian Formalists, they believe that a text is autonomous (Carusi & Olifant
2007:91).

Explanatory value(strength): New Criticism makes science out of literary theory

and while one of its biggest weaknesses that is ignoring the influence the authors life
and history and its impact on literature, this is also one of its strengths. It sees the
work itself as a whole, focusing on the experiences of the reader rather than that of
the author. The universality claim does not exclude the experiences of any group or
community (Carusi & Olifant 2007:91).

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QUESTION 3

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REFERENCES