The question is "what work of art, music, science, mathematics or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way?"
The subject matter that I had chosen is pictures & images that made use of optical illusions. What I am going to talk about is that there is a need for us to look beyond the surface and not be misled by what our eyes see. What we see might not be the reality; it might be illusions, like how the images have deceived us. Also, it is important for us to look at things from different perspectives. For example, there are some pictures that may give completely different images depending on how we look at them.
I would like to know if this is a good approach to take for this essay and whether there is a need for me to specify a certain image or can I just use the general term.
Any comments or suggestions are very much appreciated :) Thank you very much!
Your essay will be stronger if you focus on one specific illusion for at least part of the essay, especially given that the prompt asks you to do that. You might start by talking about the first one you ever saw, then discuss how that led you to seek out others, for instance. You could then conclude by talking about what your interest in optical illusions has taught you in general.
Nice, if you have not read Plato's Allegory of the cave, you should read it to prepare for this.
Great idea.
Thanks Kevin and Sean for your opinions :) Regarding Allegory of the cave, I have actually read that. So which one do you all think is better for me to convey my idea in the essay, Plato's Allegory of the cave or the optical illusion images? Will it be too profound and abstruse if I use the Allegory of the cave?
Thank you again!
I'd go with which ever approach seems more natural to you. Either topic has potential, so its just a matter of which one you think you can write better.
Hi, I'm done with the first draft of my essay and I decided to go ahead with the optical illusion images idea. I would like to seek some general comments on the content of my essay (whether it answers the prompt). I would also need some critique on the grammar and language of this essay. I feel that my language is not very proficient, thus any editing will be very much appreciated.
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What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way?
Looking down the aisle, a black and white picture which depicts the side profiles of two heads facing each other, in front of a white background, caught my eye. At first glimpse, I thought this was just another image of two people; however, as I walked closer and looked into the picture again, I was surprised to find myself looking at a white vase on a black background.
I later found out that the face/ vase image is known as the Rubin's Vase, a famous cognitive optical illusion developed in 1915 by the Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin. After this experience, I developed an interest in images made up of optical illusions. After some research on the Internet, I discovered that some images are generated by making use of the illusion created by our eyes which leads to misinterpretation by our brains. While others form shapes of various contours depending on which side of the line is regarded as the part of the figure.
Before I came into contact with these optical illusion pictures, I perceive reality as things that I see or I knew; something that was limited to my knowledge and experiences. However, nowadays, I came to understand the need for us to look beyond the surface and not be misled by what our eyes see. Indeed, ideas behind optical illusion question man's visual representation of the world around him and man's perception of reality. What we see might not be the reality; it might be illusions, like how the images have deceived us.
Moreover, just as the face/vase image may give rise to two completely shapes depending on how we look at them, it is also important for us to look at situations and issues from different perspectives. Now whenever I am confronted with a problem, I will no longer only consider the usual conventional approach but I will try to think out of the box. This concept, in a way, has broadened my thinking and increased my aspiration to search for perspectives and solutions beyond the obvious.
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In addition, do you think it's appropriate if I want to expand on this idea to answer the essay prompt as below:
Write an essay that explains why you've been intrigued by an idea, concept, or theory you have encountered. This idea can come from either a traditional academic discipline - such as history, science, philosophy, or mathematics - or from fields such as film, engineering, art, or politics.
In planning your essay, bear the following in mind: we are looking for evidence of your specific, first- hand response to an idea or theory. Your essay should identify and explain if you have a personal, unique, or notable relation to it. Then, analyze the concept with as much detail and depth as possible, explaining how your engagement with this idea changed or broadened your thinking.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
At first glimpse, I thought this was just another image of two people. However , as I walked closer and looked into the picture again, I was surprised to find myself looking at a white vase on a black background.
(above) this is just my suggestion; your way, with the semi-colon, was okay too!
However, I came to understand the need for us to look beyond the surface and not be misled by what our eyes see. Indeed, ideas behind optical illusion question man's visual representation of the world around him -- and his perception of reality.
Okay, and about expanding it for the other part of the prompt: I think it is a great idea, as long as the two essays are going to different schools. You can expand it, and I would also recommend looking very closely at every sentence of their very detailed prompt:
Write an essay that explains why you've been intrigued by an idea, concept, or theory you have encountered.
This idea can come from either a traditional academic discipline - such as history, science, philosophy, or mathematics - or from fields such as film, engineering, art, or politics.
We are looking for evidence of your specific, first- hand response to an idea or theory.
Your essay should identify and explain if you have a personal, unique, or notable relation to it.
Then, analyze the concept with as much detail and depth as possible, explaining how your engagement with this idea changed or broadened your thinking.
So, you have a lot of work to do in making it fit the prompt!! I can't wait to see it.
:)
Kevin
I just have another question regarding the essay that I have written. Do you think it fits the prompt and is there any part of the content that needs improvement?
I will start working on another essay, and will take note of the above points that you have mentioned.
Thank you!
The essay fits the first prompt, the one you wrote it for. As for the second one, Kevin is right, you have a lot of work to do if you want to use the same idea for it. As it stands, you start by talking about a specific work of art, rather than about an idea or theory. You then briefly discuss a couple of theories concerning optical illusions, whereas you would presumably want to discuss only one. For instance, you might talk about the most recent theory about optical illusions, which is that they are a result of the fact that what we see isn't the way the world is. Instead, what we see is our brain's best guess as to what the world will look like in 1/10th of a second, the time it takes our brain to translate visual signals into an image. Many optical illusions have lines positioned in a way that indicates movement. So, when we see them, our brain shows us what the images would look like in 1/10th of a second, if the movement that was indicated actually occurred. Of course, the images are static, so the movement that is indicated never happens, so that there is a discrepancy between what we see and what the image really looks like.
