|
Forster's theory of marital comradeship has been said to be a homosexual viewpoint masked by a heterosexual story. Do you agree or disagree? Forster identified readily with Renaissance figures. Research the Neoplatonist Gemistus Pletho or the Italian mathematician Girolamo Cardano and read Forster's essay on either one. What comparisons can be made between these Renaissance figures and Forster? The Greek Spirit or the Comic Muse are composed of profound human musings. Taking George's book shelf as a guide (Byron,Butler, Gibbon, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche) as well as the novel itself, define Mr. Emerson's understanding of the Greek Spirit. In the novel, the potential liberating effects of art must be guarded against. This is done by aes- thetic education, not censorship. How has the battle over the impact of media on youth changed? What can be learned from Forster on this issue? Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" was celebrated in the novel as a moment of body appreciation— not an example of exploitation. Feminists in Forster's day, and still today, disagree. Research the arguments on both sides using Forster's novel and Lynda Nead's The Female Nude. Which do you find most persuasive? Read Forster's own travel books or early National Geographics to ascertain the conditions a traveler faced in Forster's time. What does Forster believe to be the value of travel? Compare this to the goal of package tours and the ability to eat at McDonald's in any city on the planet. Is Forster's sense of travel possible in, for example, theFlorence of today?
|
