0910G【Try Best】第二小组 argument144 by tianshi02

tianshi02UID: 2362794

The role of the critic has long been debated as to whether it gives society some enduring value. Most people might be tempted to agree with the speaker that it is the artist, rather than the critic who gives society something of perennial value, for the ostensible reason that the artist creates the work of art. Contrary to this point of view is my heartfelt opinion that the critic, though incapable of creating works of art and sometimes might restrict the artists, could give society some eternal value.

To begin with, the importance of the artist as to giving society lasting value can never be exaggerated. It is no doubt that the brilliant masterpieces of art, harboring the summit of human wisdom,have profound impact on human beings in any society. Take novels for example. Not only do novels reveal the time and society in which their authors lived in, but they tend to impart the fundamental truth about human beings - our incorrigible foibles,unconquerable character and so on. "The Red Mansion", one of the most famous novels in Chinese literature, lively illustrates the extravagant life of a wealthy family and the demise of this family. Its detailed and sincere depiction of the contemporary society is of tremendous value as a historical source for Qing Dynasty. Moreover, it was written in such a touching way that hundreds of thousands of readers, wary of dissolute life, tend to lead
a temperate life after reading the book. I would not be surprised that many Chinese emperors and political leaders would consult this book and draw important lessons as to how to avoid indulgence and eventual decline of the country. Above all, the lesson behind the novel, independent of time and society, will continue to have a great effect on future societies.

Though unable to create the original workof art, can the critic instill lasting value to the society? One might argue that the critic cannot produce the art himself. However, the inability to invent any work of art doesn’t necessarily mean that the critic cannot give perpetual social value. Obviously, they can help spread the valuable masterpieces of artist. Artists have a good command of art production, but, more often than not, their works demonstrate so profound a meaning that the general public cannot easily understand. With intelligible and helpful comments of the critic, more and more people will have the desire and, more importantly, the ability to appreciate the pieces of art created by the artist. Suppose very few people are willing and able to appreciate the wonderful yet elusive masterpieces of art, how can the potential social value stored in the masterpieces have an effect on the society? A good case in point involves the Oscar films. The directors of those films usually endeavor to convey a deep meaning and value of life. To that end, they quite often use some anomalistic life experiences that normal people won’t experience. Therefore, people tend to avoid those films because of lack of interest. However, the positive comments from the criticwould lead the common people to try the distant yet famous films, and help people to understand the hidden insight or draw important lessons. It is just the critic who helps the great films to exert the positive effect in the society.

Moreover, one might also argue that the critic circumscribes the freedom and thus the talents of the artist, which is undesirable. Admittedly, this is indeed a problem. The well-known music “ode to joy”, by Beethoven, was criticized by the renowned contemporary critics. But everything is a double-edge sword, we shouldn’t overemphasize the defects of one thing and ignore its merits. When asked about whether the critic can give lasting value to the society, I would give a affirmative answer, regardless of the negative effect the critic. The critic also has tremendous positive impact on the artists. Their complimentary comments can encourage the artists to produce more brilliant works. Their critical comments can disabuse the artists’ wrong ideas and help them improve their works. Without the critic, the potential lasting social value from the artists cannot be maximized in the way with it.

All in all, it is certainly true that the artist creates for the society some eternal value, but the positive role of the critic cannot be ignored. Not only do they prompt the wide spread of valuable arts, but they can inspire the artists as well as providing insight on how to make improvement.

seraphy1986UID: 2629743

我觉得你举例子都剖析得很深入，思路很清晰，用的词汇也很到位。我要多多学习了。
在倒数第二段，举出贝多芬的例子不会削弱你的观点吗？为什么不在该段的后部分加强一下呢。