"The Computation" By John Donne

• One of the possible interpretations of the poem is that the speaker is wishing that he could see a woman that he loved long ago. he is still in love with the illusion of her, and ignores the truth that she has left him.
• Another possible interpretation is that Donne is talking about the difference between the Gregorian and Julian calendars. He wonders which is the truth.
  

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (whew)/Rivers and Tides

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man By James Joyce

• Stephen spends the entire book trying to find the truth of who he is.
  
• Stephen is mystified by the eerie of the church rituals.
• Stephen idolizes Mercedes, his idea of a perfect woman, but in reality there is no woman that can live up to the standards he imagined.
• As an artist, Stephen is often struck by the odd beauty.
• It unclear whether the girl at the end of chapter 4 is real or not, if in truth she existed. (SHE IS FAKE!)

Rivers and Tides

• The man creates temporal art out of nature, art that will only last for a little while.
• He knows the truth of the temporary quality of his work, but yet it he still continues to create because of its beauty.
  

Playboy of the Western World

Playboy of the Western World by J.M. Synge

• Christy creates a new false, more "beautiful" image and tries to get others to believe him.
• Christy puts on a new set of clothes signifying his new identity.
• The truth is hidden beneath the facade.

Sorry for the short length! If I have any more revelations, I will add them.

Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
(Independent Study Novel)

• The monster feels ostracized because he is so ugly that he thinks people shun him.
• Many, many mentions of the word hideous.
• Frankenstein is inspired by the story of Prometheus, which involves Pandora and beauty...
• One of the themes the rights of the creator over the created.
  

Reflections on Oedipus, Lear, and Truth and Beauty... Oh My!

Oedipus Rex By: Sophocles

• Tiresias was blind but he was the only one who told Oedipus the truth even though it wasn't pretty.

King Lear By: Shakespeare

• Goneril and Reagan tried to beautify the truth by lying about how much they loved King Lear. This leads Lear to be persuaded by their flattery and exile the only daughter that truly loved him.
• The Fool is the only one who can get away with telling Lear what the truth that he needs to hear. He does this by beautifying the truth, obscuring among many songs and riddles.
• Edgar masks himself as a beggar because his father believes that in plotting against him, in reality, his half brother Edmund is conspiring against their father.

Truth and Beauty By Ann Patchett

• The title says it all..
• Lucy's disfigured face often stops people from seeing who she truly is.
• Lucy likes to put on a great show to hide the fact that she is lonely.
• Theme: The truth isn't always beautiful.
  

Personal Reflections

What has made your brain ask this big question?
I have been reading Truth and Beauty for my memoir and it has really raised questions about how beauty affects perception of truth.

How does your family, your community, your school, or your church respond when you ask this question?
I feel like many people would say that beauty doesn't matter, but in reality, the pursuit of beauty is a huge part of our culture. Americans spend a large amount of money in search of the perfect body, something that is unattainable.