T0ad 0f Truth said:
Wow! I didn't expect such a detailed response to my question, Thanks. The only thing I still wonder about, and this is purely the too deep-thinking annoying philosopher in me talking, is whether its actually symbolism your talking about or applicability/representation. In philosophy, symbolism is, much like language, merely a nominalization of a concept. The words themselves are sounds that arbitrarily represent something. To anyone who doesn't speak the language it means nothing because the word says nothing by itself. Representation is more commonly used in aesthetic language and is essentially a Re-presentation of a concept. It is, in effect, the concept itself in a different form. Your argument for phazon and an anti-violence message seem far less culturally specific than symbolism would imply it to be. Representation has applicability because it allows an experience of, in this case, violence and inner conflict, without actually having to go through it personally. Art, in this Aristotelian idea of it, is like a "training mode" for life. Aristotle's Poetics explains it better if your interested.
This whole thing might be me arguing semantics though. I don't know how symbolism is used in a literary context, so it might mean exactly the same thing as representation in philosophy
Like I said, I love your work and look forward to seeing more of your videos. I will spread the word of your awesomeness as best I can. Keep it classy
Good question! How shall I put this...
Each writer can make their own 'language' of symbolism. And the same thing can mean something completely different depending on who wrote it.
In Lord of the Flies, Masks are symbolic of people forfeiting their own identity and humanity: Giving themselves up. It also symbolized descending into primitive human behavior, were as the characters who didn't wear masks stayed relatively merciful and sane.
But then in Majora's Mask, wearing a mask represents seeing things from a different person's perspective. You wear the mask of a Goron Hero, and everyone see's you as the hero, and treats you the way the would treat that character. You then get to see how close he was to his family and friends, and learn more about his world.
The main theme of Lord of the Flies is "The Evil of Man vs. the Fragile Good of Man."
The main theme of Majora's Mask is "Sympathy for your fellow Man."
The symbols change depending on the narrative. So even without cultural influence, each writer builds their own language. Some symbols are universal, but not everyone uses them the same way. Again, Majora's way of using masks is very theatrical: Wearing a mask lets you assume the identity of a new character, thus you're acting. That's not a distinctly Japanese concept, and I've seen similar symbolism is a lot of western animation, like kids finding masks and pretending to be someone else.
Modern works are also HEAVILY influenced by external cultures. Japan and America constantly influence eachother now. I know a lot of american writers and artists who are more influenced by Japanese myth, literature and anime than western fare, and several Japanese studios and artists create stories focusing on americana. Cowboy Bebop was a japanese anime, but was very much made with American folklore and music in mind. Avatar the Last Airbender doesn't just LOOK like an anime, it's architecture, elemental symbolism and philosophy was heavily influenced by a combonation of Western and Eastern cultures world wide.
Cultural context is still important in modern works, but we've all started to be more open-minded and have started to embrace the philosophies and artistic trend of different nations and time periods. Some stuff is still very western, like Harry Potter. And some stuff is still very Japanese, like Naruto. But we're seeing more and more stuff that lies somewhere in between.
Does that help?
Oh, and thank you for spreading the word. Always appreciate that
