Reuben Goldberg – Art for Heart’s Sake Essay Example

on his silk dressing gown, and asked someone to read his envelope due to tired eyes from painting. These actions were done to achieve a strong effect. The author concludes with the unexpected revelation that the old man had actually purchased the gallery, creating a sense of defeated expectations.

The author skillfully utilized various lexical and stylistic devices to depict all the characters in this text. Rather than directly describing Koppel, doctor Caswell, Swain, and Ellsworth, the author portrayed them through their behavior, speech, and dialogues.

The first character introduced to the reader is Koppel, a male nurse who assists Doctor Caswell in treating the old man. The author describes the difficulty Koppel has in attending to the old man's needs. Through a gradation of examples, the author reveals Koppel's despair (the old man refusing pineapple juice, not wanting to be read to, hating the radio, and disliking everything). Despite Koppel's efforts, he is unable to influence the old man's behavior. Koppel tries to prevent the old man from exhibiting his Trees Dressed in White, as it could lead to him being ridiculed.

Contrary to the anxious and uneasy demeanor of Koppel, Doctor Caswell appeared calm and gentle in front of us. As a professional, he showed great concern for his patients by considering their welfare. Since his last visit, he had engaged in constructive thinking and had a proposition ready for the old man. Caswell even held his stethoscope, prepared for any potential negative impact on the patient's heart that his sudden suggestion might cause. Despite Ellsworth's rude and vigorous responses such as "Rot and Bosh," Caswell managed to persuade

him to pursue art using his professional calm demeanor. Caswell recognized that Ellsworth was not an ordinary case and unintentionally revealed the old man's diagnosis. The author employed zeugma to highlight the irony of Ellsworth having to liquidate all his recent purchases, which greatly affected both his health and his pocketbook.

The doctor chose not to intervene when Ellsworth made the decision to showcase his painting at the gallery. Doctor Caswell was the sole individual who, with great effort, managed to congratulate the elderly man on winning the First Prize, while Swain and Koppel made incomprehensible gurgling sounds. One error that the doctor committed was believing it was safe to let Ellsworth visit museums and galleries.

The next person introduced is Frank Swain. At 18 years old, he is a promising student with similarities to the doctor. Swain is also patient, as illustrated by the drawing on the table that slightly resembles a vase and his reaction of "Not bad, sir. It's a bit lopsided." In addition to his artistic aptitude, Swain is also professional. As he started visiting more frequently, he brought along a box of watercolors and tubes of oils. Showing his concern for the picture "Trees Dressed in White," he even snuck into the Gallery to see it with his own eyes.

Ellsworth is the most inconsistent person in the story, behaving like a child. The author uses slang words like "rot," "bosh," "by gum," and "poppycock" to emphasize the foolishness, confidence, and independence of the character. At first, Ellsworth is unsure about pursuing art, but he becomes more committed over time. He looks to Swain for criticism and

asks him what he thinks. Eventually, Ellsworth asks Swain to come see him three times a week to track his progress in painting. The author also uses personification to show Ellsworth's attitude towards the male nurse, referring to him as "old pineapple juice." Ellsworth's insatiable curiosity about galleries is revealed through his questions about how they are run and how the canvases for exhibitions are selected. However, it becomes clear that Ellsworth has ulterior motives as he forms an artful plan in his brain, driven by his inability to resist buying anything.

Ellsworth completed the painting and used epithets and simile to honestly evaluate it. The purpose was to emphasize how absurd it would be to present such a picture in a gallery. The author also employed an epithet and inversion to highlight the significance of this exhibition as the lifetime dream of every mature artist, specifically the Lathrop prize.

All the preparations for the events that followed were taken care of by Ellsworth. It was not a coincidence that Koppel, Swain, and the doctor were present in the room when the envelope arrived. Ellsworth's unusually happy attitude during the exhibition indicated his anticipation of this outcome. He effectively demonstrated to them that art holds no value and can be purchased with money. The doctor's efforts and accomplishments were completely disregarded, as Ellsworth cleverly manipulated everyone for his own gain. The question still remains: why did this occur?

The author's distinctive writing style involves using many short and elliptical sentences to effectively express their thoughts and emotions. It is important to note that the author, who was also a skilled cartoonist, paid close attention

to detail and character traits.