This paper deals with the central idea of E.A. Poe's short story "The Oval Portrait", which resides in the confusing relationship between art, life and death. The paper focuses on the ambiguity of the creative process of art and also depicts the effect on both the narrator and the reader.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction: Death as “the Most Poetical Topic of the World
2. The Contents of “The Oval Portrait”
3. Art – Arabesque as a Clue to Deception and Irony
4. The “Life-likeliness” of Art
5. Death in Life – The Rivalry between the Artwork and the Model
6. The Idea of Death in Life in the Framework
7. The Fatalism and the Problems of Translation
8. Conclusion: The Effect of Irritation
9. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
This academic paper explores the intricate, paradoxical relationship between art, life, and death as presented in Edgar Allan Poe’s short story "The Oval Portrait." The research investigates how the creative process, characterized by an artist’s obsessive pursuit of perfection, functions as a destructive force that drains vitality from the subject, ultimately equating the achievement of artistic "life" with the actual death of the model.
- The role of the narrator and the "margin of credibility" in Gothic storytelling.
- The symbolic function of the "arabesque" as a indicator of irony and deception.
- The rivalry between material reality and its representation in art.
- The inversion of the Pygmalion myth within a dark, fatalistic framework.
- The meta-fictional implications of translation, mirroring, and the loss of the original subject.
Excerpt from the Book
Art – Arabesque as a Clue to Deception and Irony
“The Oval Portrait” is remarkable for its dream-like, romantic setting. Even if Poe excises from the story many of the references to the hallucinatory state of the narrator in the earlier version “Life in Death”, he doesn’t completely reduce the obviousness of the narrator’s imbalance of mind which produces an ironic double effect. He establishes “margin of credibility.” ”The Oval Portrait” might be read as a psychological portrait of a crazed mind suffering from pain. The narrator mentions that his immediate fascination with the richly framed pictures hanging in an eccentric manner in the niches of the weirdly constructed walls of the chateau is likely due to his “incipient delirium”( Poe 188). The confusing and deceptive architecture of the chateau provides one of the major clues to the irony of the tale. Poe associates a dreamlike atmosphere with the environment and he uses the word arabesque in connection with a setting of odd twistings, “with manifold and multiform armorial trophies” (Poe 188), with sleep and dreams, and with the eerie play of light from the candles over the filigree of the portrait frames.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Death as “the Most Poetical Topic of the World: Explores Poe’s artistic credo regarding the death of a beautiful woman as the quintessential subject of art.
2. The Contents of “The Oval Portrait”: Provides a narrative summary of the story, covering the narrator’s discovery in the chateau and the tragic tale of the painter and his dying bride.
3. Art – Arabesque as a Clue to Deception and Irony: Examines how the setting and the narrator’s mental state create an ironic distance and ambiguity regarding the reality of the portrait.
4. The “Life-likeliness” of Art: Analyzes the uncanny autonomy of the painting and the struggle between form and formlessness, emphasizing the fatal nature of aesthetic immortality.
5. Death in Life – The Rivalry between the Artwork and the Model: Investigates the antagonistic relationship between the artist’s obsession and the physical reality of the model, portraying the artist as a vampire-like figure.
6. The Idea of Death in Life in the Framework: Discusses how the narrator’s own condition mirrors the themes of decline and death found within the story-within-the-story.
7. The Fatalism and the Problems of Translation: Explores the act of translation as a form of sacrifice and the ways in which the text mediates the loss of the original human subject.
8. Conclusion: The Effect of Irritation: Synthesizes the analysis, concluding that Poe uses the narrative to create an irritating, ambiguous space where art and death become indistinguishable.
Keywords
Edgar Allan Poe, The Oval Portrait, Gothic, Art and Life, Death, Aesthetic, Irony, Arabesque, Translation, Representation, Pygmalion Myth, Narrative Framework, Immortality, Parasitism, Psychological Portraiture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
This paper focuses on the thematic intersection of art, life, and death in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Oval Portrait," specifically analyzing how the creation of art acts as a destructive force.
What are the central themes of the analysis?
The central themes include the rivalry between the subject and the artwork, the irony inherent in the creative process, the nature of Gothic storytelling, and the meta-fictional aspect of translation.
What is the main objective of the author?
The objective is to demonstrate how Poe uses the narrative structure and symbols like the "arabesque" to expose the paradoxical, often fatal, relationship between artistic perfection and physical mortality.
What methodology does the author use?
The author uses literary analysis, examining the text through psychological, ironic, and meta-textual lenses, while also referencing critical theories concerning Poe's work.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The body chapters detail the plot, the symbolic use of frames, the nature of the "lifelike" portrait, the narrator's own potential demise, and the concept of translation as a form of effacement.
Which keywords best characterize this study?
Keywords include Poe, Gothic, Art, Death, Irony, Arabesque, and Aesthetics.
How does the author interpret the role of the "arabesque" in the story?
The author argues that the "arabesque" serves as a clue to the irony and deception in the tale, helping to frame the narrator's perceptions while mirroring the narrative structure itself.
In what way is the Pygmalion myth inverted here?
Unlike the traditional Pygmalion myth where life is breathed into a statue, the artist in "The Oval Portrait" drains the vitality from his living wife to imbue the painting with "life," effectively killing the model.
What is the significance of the "scandal of translation"?
The author uses the "scandal of translation" to describe how the painting (and the subsequent narrative) attempts to capture the original subject but fundamentally fails, resulting in a loss of the original's essence while creating an independent, "autonomously" horrific image.
- Quote paper
- Michael Kratky (Author), 2002, Art and the idea of death-in-life in E. A. Poe's "The Oval Portrait", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/54794
