The Role of Art in Our Life: a Brief Exploration

Art is not a necessary part of survival. So why does it matter? This short essay about art tries to answer the question of its importance. Oftentimes art is overlooked and viewed as an unimportant skill or ability to have. However, art has many qualities that one can benefit from. It is a stress reliever that allows people to express thoughts and feelings they may not be able to convey with words. This makes art very important as it is a universal language that can be recognized, understood and appreciated by anyone and everyone. Art can be expressed through film, music or writing. It gives people a platform to express thoughts and opinions on a plethora of issues and subjects such as politics. Any form of art can lead to major changes in the world.

Eveline, a story in James Joyce’s Dubliners tells about a woman who takes care of her father and finds comfort in the familiar. Over the years Eveline grew used to her life in Ireland. Since there is no one in her house to protect her, she takes her mother's role as the victim. She fears her father will physically abuse her like he did to her mother. Domestic violence was not out of place during this time and was ignored by the public. This can be used to form a link between the citizens of Ireland and how the threat of violence England pushed with soldiers was ignored.

The movie BlacKkKlansman delves deeply into politics and race issues. Through the art of film, allegories and knowing when to be comedic or serious are two very powerful things this movie nails on the head. The character David Duke represents Donald Trump and how even though he is a KKK member, he talks with a gracefulness and calmness that might make people want to join the klan. Spike Lee clearly makes parallels with how both of these figures managed to rise to power and gain widespread support despite saying things that many people would consider atrocious. In a society filled with so much hatred and so many divisions. Democrats versus Republicans, liberals versus conservatives, and black lives matter versus the KKK. The real solution and the real harbinger of peace will always be the man in the middle. The man who stays away from extremes and tries to find relatively peaceful solutions. Someone who works with the system to take down the unjust aspects of the system rather than try to tear it all down.

Joyner Lucas knows how to make a song directly political with words that still stick to a flow and make sense. In his song I'm Not Racist he records his song and plays it over a video of two men arguing using the lyrics of his song. One man is white and round and is wearing a MAGA hat and the other is a young black man with braids. The two go back and forth for each of their halves of the song. At the halfway point of the song the camera angle positions a pillar splitting the two apart. And at the end of the song both men hug it out and put their differences aside after they've seen each other's point of view.

As seen from the essay, Aat affects the lives of many people and has given them a voice and somewhere to go when they need to break from their busy day to day life. Although art is not a necessity when it comes to survival, it plays an important role in our culture and our everyday lives. Whether one considers themselves an artist or not, art surrounds us and is an essential part of living and not just surviving. Poets and artists might not be the savior of human society, but without them, there's nothing to save.