Generally speaking, the sense of horror should be disliked by people. However, as a matter of fact, in our daily life, we surprisingly find that people enjoy the sense of horror. This is such a paradoxical but common mental situation in people’s mind. A great number of people have the favor of entering the cinema to feel the horrifying factors like the mise-en-scene, diegetic sound, non-diegetic sound and so on, which horrify them but rise the sense of pleasure deep down in their heart at the same time.

There are many horrifying factors which are common in the horror films. Among the common horrifying factors, the mise-en-scene, diegetic sound, non-diegetic sound are found here and there in all horror films. For example, many horror films have their films set in the haunted houses, which people are too worry to go inside. Let’s take the famous Japanese horror film named The Rings as an example. The Rings has scared people to die but win great reputation and then become classics of horror film. The setting of The Rings is a little town and a haunted house, which is famous for ghost and no on dare to live inside. As for the diegetic sound, in the film named The Rings, we can find the sound of the wing, and many other natural sounds, which appear reasonably but horrifyingly. The digetic sounds keep the audiences’ sense of horror. And the great example of non-digetic sounds in The Rings is the special sound which cannot be heart in our daily life. When hearing the special sound, which is not digetic in our daily life, the audience can feel that the ghost is coming and the sense of horror come to the audiences.

The example of mise-en-scene, diegetic sound and non-diegetic sound is common in the horror films so that it is easier for us to understand these horrifying factors bring the sense of horror in the audiences’ mind. Only when all the mise-en-scene, diegetic sound and non-diegetic sound are used in horror films, can the films be horrifying. The mise-en-scene of haunted house can contribute to the audiences’ aesthetic of horror because the setting of haunted house can not only bring the audience into the context, but also rise the interest of the audience because they will be pleasure looking forward to what is going to happen. And the diegetic sound like the sound of wind can scare the audiences because all the audience have heard the sound of wind and they will look back on their experience of hearing the sound of the wind and feel they are right in the film, which can make them completely entered the story and the atmosphere of horror. As for the non-diegetic sound like the special background music which shows the ghost or something horrifying is coming will give rise to the expectation in the audiences. All the factors above can prove that the sense of horror can make people have the sense of pleasure at the same time.

I spent an hour to watch my neighbors- the parents and the girl. The mother wears a simple dress and an apron. Her dress is so simple and clean that I cannot find any spot on it. However, her apron is very old and there are some spot on the apron. She walks in the house again and again to clean the house, the water the plant and prepare for our dinner. She is busy doing household duties. The father just goes back home from work. He is wearing black business suit and a tie. And he also catches a briefcase. The first thing he does is putting down the briefcase and loosing his ties and then sits on the sofa reading the newspaper. The mother gets him some tea. He is totally absorbed into the newspaper. And then he goes to surf in the Internet and do watch some movies. As for the girl, the girl is doing some reading on her room, wearing a beautiful dress. Her fingernails are painted with many colors. When doing reading, she keeps texting with her telephone. Reading the texts, sometimes she smiles and laughs happily.

I believe that the mother is a kind-hearted woman who takes family as the centre of her life. I think that she believes that she should make some contributions to the family by cleaning the house and bring the things which are needed to her husband and children. I feel the father is a man who believes in male chauvinism. Maybe he thinks that his duty is to make money for the daily expense of the family. After working, I feel that what he needs to do is relax. As for the girl, I think that she is an outgoing girl who cares about others’ opinions to her. Meanwhile, I believe she want to perfect herself as well.

As all of the parents and girl are the yellow race, I believe that they are traditional family. I assume that the mother is middle age housewife who is not well educated but virtuous because her dress is so clean but her apron is old. I think that the father is a middle-aged highly-educated man because he wears a black business suit and tie. I believe that the relationship between the parents is good. And the girl is well-educated because she likes reading. Meanwhile, as she wears beautiful colorful dress and plaint colorful fingernails and laugh a lot while texting, I believe she is a happy out-going girl.

According to my assumptions, I find myself think people of yellow race tend to be traditional. And I also think that the well-educated people should go out to work while the people who stay at home tend to be poor-educated.

As far as I am concerned, I believe that food is an art sometimes. In order to make a judgment whether food can be considered as an art, we need to take many factors into consideration. Before we come to the question whether food is art, we need to figure out what aesthetic reactions are. Aesthetic reactions refer to a species of pleasure to something (pg. 10). Meanwhile, we can find objective judgment when we react to something, without entailing whether these things are graceful or beautiful or not. Meanwhile, the definition of work of art is argument. According to Urmson, in order to figure out whether one thing is an work of art, besides man-made stuff, we need to take the exhibitor’s and maker’s intentions into consideration. The opinion of the society should be considered as the criterion of aesthetic consideration as well.

As is known to all, food is made by human being so that it is man-made stuff. Meanwhile, as some food is made and cooked as a work of art by the cook, there is no doubt that these kinds of food can be considered as an art because the cook’s intentions should be taken into consideration when deciding whether a dish should be looked as an art. Moreover, the smell and taste of the food should also be considered as the criterion of an art as well. Only when the food smell and taste good, can the food be considered as an art. However, there is no doubt that the food is not an art if the smell and taste cannot lead to the eaters’ aesthetic reactions. The food is an art if the cook and maker make the food for aesthetic consideration when making the food. If the cook want to make the eaters have the sense of pleasure when eating the food they cook and they succeed, the food can be considered as an art.

According to Ellen Dissanayake, art belongs to the term of emotion and psychology and it is human being’s inherent biological or universal characteristic. We can conclude that only when the man-made stuff which is made to make others have the sense of pleasure and take the aesthetic reactions into consideration, can the stuff be regarded as an art. In order words, only when the food smells and tastes good enough to give rise to people’s sense of pleasure and the cooks look the food as an art and take the eaters’ aesthetic reactions into consideration when cooking, can the food be regarded as an art.

 

1. Palaeoanthropsychobiological view refers to the view which considers art as a human’s inherent biological or universal characteristic including human being’s history, societies and the idea that art belong to the term of emotion and psychology. The term of palaeoanthropsychobiological is firstly put forward by an American anthropologist named Ellen Dissanayake. And the term palaeoanthropsychobiological comes into being because of her experience of living abroad for 15 years. As Ellen Dissanayake has lived in many countries like Nigeria, Madagascar, Sri Lanka and India, she found that the culture of these countries is quit different from American culture. Moreover, she also found that the attitudes and meaning of art and culture for the people in these countries is extremely different from American. Therefore, she made some research on art according to her experience and released What is Art for?, which is very important to the development of art in the world.
2. Dissanayake refers the phrase of “making special” to one of the universal of human and the most important part of the term Behavior of Art. And “making special” is some behaviors of human which related to ritual and plan and art. According to Dissanayake’s palaeoanthropsychobiological, art is one human being’s inherent universal characteristic. Therefore, “making special” can accord with Dissanayake’s definition of palaeoanthropsychobiological and is the reflection of palaeoanthropsychobiological.
3. According to Dissanayake, the word “art” was first put forward by Greek in the medieval times. But the meaning of “art” is different from the meaning now. In medieval times, renaissance have great impact on the world in many factors including culture and politics. As the articles of renaissance emphasize natural science instead of God, art at that time refers to some subjects of harmony, beauty and so on by using some standard which is like craftsman. And the eighteenth century is an important period for the development of art. In the eighteenth century, talents of different fields get together to communicate and then “modernity” came to the world. And many important changes have great influence on the development of art, including the secularization of the society, the development of science, the interpersonal and the social changes, the great attention on reason and politics (pg. 17). Modernism begin to appear with the “aesthetics” widen the area of art. And the Romantic Rebellion is a great emancipation for people because the people are tend to be more free, regardless of the authority, custom and tradition. And people have more freedom to do whatever they want to do. And fairness and objectivity are encouraged by critical analysis and reason which has been emphasized in the eighteen century.

We should make some research on the personal evaluations and beliefs which have great impact on our daily life and decisions we made every day. By making some study and surveys of our human values, we can hold our life in our own hands instead of living our lives with confusion and muddle. Moreover, by making some research of human values, we can have deeper understanding of how to get along with others and how to see the world. And I believe that the research of human values will make great contributions to the development of the society.

During my holiday, I go back to my hometown with my fellows and meet my parents and many relatives and friends. As family is the root of my life, I cannot help thinking my parents and relatives every day when I am in America. Family and parents are the most important part of my life because it is my parents and my hometown that make who I am. I will never forget my hometown and my parents no matter where I am. As it is very hot there, I go swimming and eat some delicious dinner with my friends. As the old saying goes,” When we are at home, we depend on our parents; when we are out of home, we depend on friends.” Friends are also an essential part of my life. Since the days I entered kindergarten, I realize the importance of friends. My friends are honest and helpful. Whenever I need friends, they stand right by my sides. When I want to cry, they let me cry on their shoulders and encourage me to face the difficulties. Sometimes, I will go to gym in order to improve my body and make me stronger. Health is very important for us. Though we do not realize the importance of health when we are children, we begin to keep close eyes on health when we grow up. At the evening, I listen to music and do some reading. I think reading can improve our wisdom, which is very important to us. We can get more knowledge by reading and be more careful when we have the same problems with the books. Wisdom is to us what water is to plant. And I also write diary before I go to bed. Not only little nothings of daily life are included, but also some novels and articles which are written by me are included in my diary. By writing, I develop my creativity. I think only when we are creative, can we make more inventions to improve our daily life. And creativity can make me happy and I think happiness is very important. Thanks to this assignment, I have deeper understanding of values and I really think it is essential for us to learn more about values.

• Family
• Friendship
• Health
• Wisdom
• Creativity

Security

Personal Accomplishment

Independence

Community

Personal Development

Wealth

Integrity

Leadership

Loyalty

Prestige

Service

Expertness

Power

Location

 

For me, art is what once you have sense of feeling and strong urge to show their deepest inner feelings and thoughts in various ways (music, painting, movies, novels, etc.). Appreciator of art sympathy, touched and inspired, and even changes their own ideas and worldview by watching listening to these works, such works of art reached convey their effect and infect others. Furthermore, everyone is artist in life because people has feeling to things and has desire to express him or herself. It doesn’t matter which way you choose to express your feeling, the important matter is whether the feeling and thoughts are from your inside. I always agree that art is from your inside and everyone could be an artist, the article proves “There, while there is no abstract concept of “art” everyone may be an artist-decorating their bodies and possessions, dancing, singing, versifying, performing-even when some person are acknowledged as being more talented or skillful than others.” (Page 21) On the other side, art is simple and unsophisticated, however, art is misinterpreted or used by some people to boost their personal benefits. For example, in order to be well known, some painter exaggeratedly advocate their work by using inscrutable action to attract public which not only make public misunderstand art but also mystify. Also this kind of art worker gives publics a point of view that artists are strange. In fact, art is hard to understand, and sometimes you barely know what the author is trying to say. However, art is about life, so everyone has right to image it as long as you are sincere to art.

The reading relating to value is interesting to me because it brought me a lot of ideas about values. What one of the greatest idea that I agree with is value is sort of a life standard forcing us to do what follow your belief. Like the article says “Although the term value is often use loosely, it should be synonymous with personal evaluations and related beliefs, especially personal evaluations and related beliefs about the “good”, the “just,” and the “beautiful,” personal evaluations and beliefs that propel us to action, to a particular kind of behavior and life.” (Page 7) People always talks about values, such as personal value, social value and cultural value and so on. Just like my friends and I, we are always talking about our values because it is a way that we try to understand each other. However, sometimes we are more like just saying something rather than talking about value because value should be used more seriously. Personally, value is about what you believe in, it should help people to standardize their actions and behaviors, so when we talking about value, at least we should follow it. I have heard a story says: Someone asked a question “If you were given a piece of paper, how would you do?” Farmer’s answer is “I will use this piece of paper to cover window from sun exposure. Artist answers that I will use this piece of paper to cut into a beautiful picture, and use it to beautify my life. Painter’s answer is “ I will use this piece of paper to create a perfect scenery making people enjoying in this landscape. Scholar answers I will use this piece of paper to write down my study. This story expresses that different people seeks to accomplish their values in different ways, but the way to success is acting as you believe in rather than just saying.