The Oval Portrait by Edgar Allan Poe is a short story about a young man who finds an old portrait of a woman in his house and becomes obsessed with the image. The story explores themes of loss, obsession, identity, and the power of art. It also raises questions about whether creating art can be beneficial or detrimental to its creator.
Argumentative Essay on The Oval Portrait
At first glance, it seems that The Oval Portrait is an endorsement of artistic creation. After all, it is the work of art itself which ultimately brings peace to the main character as he learns more about the mysterious figure in the painting. However, upon closer examination it becomes clear that there are both positive and negative sides to creating art – something that may not be entirely obvious at first glance.
On one hand, making art can enable its creator to express themselves freely and make tangible works out of intangible ideas or feelings; this enables them to capture memories for posterity and create something that will exist long after they are gone. This creative expression also has potential mental health benefits: studies have shown increased well-being associated with engaging in creative activities such as drawing or writing poetry (“Mental Benefits Of Creating Art”). Furthermore, creating artwork can provide a distraction from everyday life problems and help artists temporarily escape their troubles by getting lost in their own imaginations (“5 Mental Health Benefits Of Making Art And Why You Should Try It Now”).
However, despite these benefits there are undeniable drawbacks which cannot be overlooked when discussing The Oval Portrait. Despite its positive implications for some people’s mental health concerns, creating artwork often manifests itself through unhealthy coping mechanisms as well – particularly when used as an escape from reality instead of facing one’s problems head on (“How Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms Can Manifest In Creative Writing”). Additionally, pursuing creative endeavors full-time may lead to financial difficulties due to lack of consistent income streams generated from sales/commissions; having an unpredictable career path like this could also potentially add stress into one’s daily life if other sources of income are not available (“Pros & Cons To A Full Time Career As An Artist”). Lastly, artists need to be wary that their work will always reflect back on them – even if they do not intend it – thus increasing vulnerability posed by potentially receiving criticism or rejection from peers or society at large (Kirby 814).
In conclusion while there certainly are some potential benefits associated with making artwork such as improved mental health and being able to immortalise things through tangible works; these must still be weighed against potential drawbacks including unhealthy coping mechanisms stemming from using creativity as a means of escapism , financial instability due inconsistent sales/commissions ,as well as heightened vulnerability caused by putting oneself out into public judgement . Ultimately these points should not dissuade someone from exploring their creativity but instead serve simply as considerations before embarking down such paths . In accordance with Poe ‘s philosophy found within The Oval Portrait , we should strive towards artistic pursuits understanding full well that our creations carry certain risks along with certain rewards .