Truth and Reality

We've already examined "Popular Mechanics," and I've argued that the story takes its devastating power from the fact that it tells the truth about human experience.  The story is difficult to read, not only because of its extreme content, but also because we recognize the "popular" (i.e.: widespread) nature of events like this one.

Tonight, we will look at other representations of human existence: works that depict the world in a less-than-completely-accurate way.  (To be fair to the creators of these works, we should say that this type of accuracy is not their intention.)  We will look at images and at least one film.  For all of the works we examine, ask the following questions:

1. How truthfully are characters, situations, and interactions represented?  
2. In what specific ways do these representations deviate from the reality you have experienced?
3. In what specific ways do the works differ from each other?
4. If the authors are not attempting to accurately represent reality, what are they attempting to do?
5. Do you recognize any stereotypical patterns in the representations you see?
6. What are the consequences of these representations?  How common are they?  How do they affect our cultural identity and behavior?

We will begin by applying these questions to the images below, and then view a film and make similar observations.

More images for 2/19

Various Propaganda Posters:





The Battle of Alexander at Issus by Albrecht Altdorfer


Executions of the Third of May by Francisco Goya


Guernica by Pablo Picasso