Art as Experience in The Goldfinch (2013) by Donna Tartt
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31185/wjfh.Vol22.Iss1.1410Keywords:
Aesthetic, Antique , Art, Experience , TraumaAbstract
This study draws on John Dewey's aesthetic philosophy as expressed in his book Art as Experience (1934) to analyze Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch (2013), exploring how concepts of aesthetic experience are manifested in the novel. Dewey's theory is based upon two main pillars. The first one: art is not an isolated activity, or restricted to museums and theaters, but rather a natural extension of daily life and its sensory and emotional manifestations. The second one: aesthetic experience is not limited to the artists alone, rather it can be undertaken by any individual, provided that he is consciously engaged in a vital interaction with the world around him. In The Goldfinch, the protagonist, Theodore Decker, undergoes a complete aesthetic (artistic) experience—though he is not an artist in the literal sense—revealing his true identity and preferences and facilitating his social reintegration after the shock of his mother's loss.
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