Here is an example of work in progress:  Applying the 4 Levels to a painting

Excellent, except summary, which does not recreate the picture for someone who has never seen it.

Grade: A-

At 02:22 PM 11/5/99 PST, you wrote:
>Here is my second attempt. Your comments are at the bottom.
>
>The Nut Gatherers
>I.     Literal Comprehension
>In The Nut Gatherers, Bougeureau illustrates the innocence, beauty and pure
>joy of youth. These young girls are relaxing in a beautiful, natural setting.
> They look as though they are truly enjoying each other's company and their
>surroundings.GOOD, BUT YOUR TASK IS RECREATE THE PICTURE FOR SOMEONE WHO NEVER SAW IT. THIS DOESN'T DO IT.
>II. Interpretation
>Bouguereau is showing us the innocence and vulnerability of youth as a
>reminder to us that we should appreciate, respect, and nurture the child
>within all of us so that we do not miss out on moments such as the one being
>shared by these "Nut Gatherers." These girls are totally enraptured in the
>moment of being with and sharing with each other and nature. GOOD
>
>III.    Critical Evaluation
>The Nut Gatherers is unmistakably a truly beautiful work of art. It is
>difficult for me to understand how anyone can make a painting look so life
>like. Bouguereau has made a painting that looks almost like a photograph. I
>feel as though I could actually reach out and touch these beautiful, bright,
>pure and innocent faces. The scene is one that brings a sense of serenity and
>joy to the viewer. It reminds us to slow down and enjoy all of the beauty
>around us and to take time to enjoy each other as these two girls are doing.
>On the other hand, Bougeureau is showing us a reality that does not exist for
>all youth. It is easy for these two young girls to relax in a beautiful
>glade and enjoy their day together with no distractions. Other children are
>not so fortunate and do not have the opportunity to enjoy such surroundings.
>They may be living in the streets and having to steal and scrap for their next
>meal. In this painting, Bougeureau is illustrating the idealistic lives of
>the more privileged and neglecting the reality of the underprivileged.
>
>IV. Assimilation
>    As I look at these beautiful, bright, pure and innocent faces, I can easily
>see that these girls are totally enraptured in the moment of being with and
>sharing with each other. It reminds me of my own childhood. How important my
>friends were, I could sit for hours talking and truly being with them. As I
>get older, I find myself with so many responsibilities and distractions that
>it is difficult to have moments such as these. The "Nut Gatherers" reminds me
>to take more time to truly be with the ones I love without any distractions
>because nothing else really matters.
>
>
>Moti Nissani <mnissani@cll.wayne.edu> wrote:
>Dear XXX
>
>This is beautiful, but not just the assig I had in mind. So I must ask you
>to slightly revise. You are not writing an essay, but applying the 4
>levels. You confused the two. What I need is this:
>
>I. Summary of the NG: What do we see? Give, as you did, all essential
>details.
>II. Interp of the NG. You gave it, but you need now to convince me that
>that is what the painter is trying to do. So, point to elements of the
>text which support your view.
>III. CE of the NG. What's nice about it, well-done, what's not.
>IV. Assimilation
>
>At 11:59 AM 11/2/99 PST, you wrote:
>>Here is my first attempt at responding to the painting The Nut Gatherers.
>>
>>THE JOY OF "BEING"
>>
>> In The Nut Gatherers, Bougeureau illustrates the innocence, beauty and
>>pure joy of youth. These young girls are relaxing in a beautiful, natural
>>setting. They look as though they are truly enjoying each other's company
>>and their surroundings. The lesson that can be gleaned from this beautiful
>>painting is that we should all try to slow down, appreciate, and enjoy each
>>other and nature as we once did as children.
>>
>> In this essay, I will argue that Bouguereau is showing us the innocence
>>and vulnerability of youth as a reminder to us that we should appreciate,
>>respect and try to capture some of the innocence and vulnerability we had as
>>children so that we can better appreciate and enjoy the world and each
>other.
>>As we look at these beautiful, bright, pure and innocent faces, we can
>easily
>>see that these girls are totally enraptured in the moment of being with and
>>sharing with each other. The viewer gets a sense of being an "outsider"
>as we
>>look in on this very private moment. If we were standing in the glade with
>>these young girls, I'm not sure we would feel any different. Childhood is a
>>time of deep friendship like no other time in our lives. When we were
>>children, friends were so important that we never took them for granted. As
>>we grow older, however, it is too easy to take family and friends for
>granted
>>because we all get wrapped up in our own little worlds. There really is not
>>much time for nurturing friendships. As these "Nut gatherers" remind us, we
>>must try to nurture and appreciate all of our relationships including those
>>with our children and spouses. It is much too easy to get tied up in all of
>>our responsibilities as adults in a world where we are getting things
>>accomplished at a more rapid pace than ever and yet have a sense that we
>never
>>get anything done.
>>
>>In the painting, the two young girls sit and lie barefoot on the ground,
>>scooping up the earth and nuts in their hands. They are experiencing each
>>other and nature without any preoccupation or distractions. As adults, we
>>might have a few glimpses of these moments from our past in between work,
>>school, meetings, bill paying, keeping up with housework and taking care of
>>the children. When we "schedule" time for our children, and ourselves too
>>often we are thinking about when and how we are going to get everything
>>accomplished to truly enjoy these precious moments. This painting can serve
>>as a reminder to stop every now and then, sit on the ground barefoot, look
>>directly into our children's and/or spouses' eyes and truly be with them.
>
>>
>>
>>These children are oblivious to the perils of the world and the
>>responsibilities they will encounter as adults. We all need to nurture this
>>wholesomeness and innocence in our children for as long as we can. Today,
>>children are exposed to so much more than they were during the 1800s when
>this
>>painting was created. Many of our children do not ever experience moments
>>such as this. They are stuck in front of televisions and computers so that
>>their parents can accomplish as much as possible or deal with whatever needs
>>to be dealt with at that moment with no distractions. We all need to stop
>and
>>try to put ourselves into this painting and experience life and each other
>the
>>way that it was meant to be experienced. It is something that I need to
>>constantly remind myself of because nothing else really matters.
>>