SianyArdila

APEnglish
Period4B
Mrs.Pierce
5/24/16

Appearancevs.Reality
Appearanceistheoutwardorvisibleaspectofapersonorthinghowsomethingseemsto
appear.Realityisthestateofbeingofthingsastheyare,ratherthanasonemightwishthemto
be.AppearancevsRealityisoneofthemostcommonthemesusedinliteratureandwritingsto
dateithasbeenexploredinmanyways.Itisabroadtopic,havingadifferentmeaningto
everyone.Phaedrus,aRomanpoet,said"Thingsarenotalwaysastheyseemthefirst
appearancedeceivesmany.(NewEncyclopedia).Inmoderntimes,itisseenasstereotyping.
Peopleseetheirperceptionsasirrefutablefactanddonotunderstandthateverythingobservedis
coloredbytheiropinions.Asawholesocietyjudgespeople's,motives,objects,relationships,
meaningsandmore.fullyontheirappearancebutinrealitytheymaybetheveryoppositeofwhat
weperceivethemtobe.
Itwouldnotbeanexaggerationtosaythatthedistinctionbetweenappearanceandreality
is,andhasalwaysbeen,oneoftheprincipalfocalpointsofphilosophy.In
TheProblemsof
Philosophy
BertrandRussellreferredtothedistinctionbetweenappearanceandrealityas"oneof

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thedistinctionsthatcausemosttroubleinphilosophy"(Encyclopedia).
Thedistinctionhas
playedanimportantpartinthethinkingofmanyphilosophers,andsomeofthem,including
Russell,haveemployeditincuriouswaystosupportoddandseeminglyparadoxicalclaims.
Althoughthequestionrelatestointricaterelationshipsamong
theoriesofknowledge
,
ontology
,
and
truth
,thechiefquestionraisedbythedistinctionisepistemological:Howcanpeopleknow
thenatureofrealitywhenallthatpeoplehaveimmediateaccesstoareappearances?Broadly
speaking,responsestothequestionfallintooneofthreeclasses:Thosethatarguethatobservers
areunavoidably"cutoff"fromreality,thosethatarguethatthereissomewayof"gettingat"
realitythroughtheappearances,andthosethatrejectthedistinction.(Newworld
Encyclopedia).
WithinGeorgeOrwell's
1984
thethemeofappearancevsrealityisthefocalpointand
backbonetothestoriesplot.Nothinginthebookisasitseems,ateverytwistandurn,anew
discrepancyinthetruthanappearanceofasituationisdiscovered.TheBigBrothertwiststhe
realityofeverysituationtogivetheappearancethattheyarewhat'sbestforthepeoplewell
being."Goodsmustbeproduced,buttheyneednotbedistributed.Andinpracticetheonlyway
ofachievingthiswasbycontinuouswarfare"(Orwell157)saidbyWinston,showshowthe
partyusesthewarasawaytocontrolthepeopleandthewaythedistributefood,theygivethe
appearancethatthewarisbeingfoughtwheninrealitythewarisalieconcoctedbythepartyas
ameanstocontrolthepeople.Throughthewarthepartyismakingthemselvesseemheroicand

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givingthepeopleafeelingofpatriotismbysupportingitBygivingthepeopleacommonenemy
tohatetheBigBrotherappearsmoreheroicandauthoritativetothepeople.TheRoomwhere
WinstonandJuliarentisfirstfelttobesafehavenfortheiractivitiesbutinrealityitisallapart
oftheO'brien'sentrapmentandexperimentastheywerebeingwatchedtheentiretimethrougha
secrettelescreen
Justassituationsarenotastheyseemin
1984
peoplearenotastheyappeartobe."'Have
youdonethisbefore?''ofcourse.Hundredsoftimeswell,scoresoftimes,anyway'"(Orwell
104)Atfirstappearingtobeanothermindlessdroneoftheparty,Juliaisrevealedtoarebelwho
usesherbodyasawaytoactout."Hehadtheappearanceofbeingapersonyoucantalkto..."
(Orwell11)saidbyWinstongivestheappearanceofObrienbeingafriendlymanwhohecan
confideandtrustinwheninrealityObrienaspyforthepartywhowasmanipulatingbrianfrom
thebeginning."'Shehadayoungfacepaintedverythick''whenIsawherinthelightshewas
quiteanoldwomanfiftyyearsoldatleast'"(orwell168),theprostituteappearedtobeayoung
prettywomanatfirstbutundercloseexaminationinthelightshewasoldandugly,reflectiveof
themanipulationfromBigBrother.Throughout
1984
whetherasituationorhumanbeingthe
appearanceofthecircumstanceisnotthereality.
RobertLouisStevensons
TheStrangecaseofDr.JekyllandMr.Hyde
exploresthe
themeofappearancevs.realitythroughthelanguageandstructureofthenovel.Dr.Jekylland
Mr.Hydeexplorestheideasofhowyourappearancereflectstherealityoftheinnerself.Thisis

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mostclearlyseeninDr.JekyllandMr.Hydeasheisabletophysicallyseparatehimselfintotwo
differentbeings.Thetwodifferenceoutwardlyappearancesrepresenthowinsocietyappearance
isthemostimportantfactorthatotherpeopleusetojudge.ThelawyerUttersonisshownasthe
perfectvictoriantheyseehisgoodappearancebeingaloveablemanwhoiseminently
human.FromthislanguageandimagerywecanclearlyseethatUttersonisportrayedasa
respectablelawyerintheVictoriansociety.Uttersonsrealselfsubtlybydescribinghis
repressionHewasstrictwithhimselfdrankginwhenhewasalone.Fromthiswegatherthat
Uttersonsrealityisperhapsanalcoholicorapersonwholikestodrinkshowinghisrealself.
Thetheme
appearance
vs.
reality
canberelatedtoMr.Hyde'sdisappearance.He
disappearedsuddenlyafterDr.JekyllpromisedUttersonthathewouldnotletMr.Hydemurder
otherpeople.Then,Dr.Jekyllbecameopenandbright.UttersonthoughtthatDr.Jekyllbecame
comfortablebecauseMr.Hydeisgone,butinreality,Dr.JekyllandMr.Hydeweresameperson.
Also,Dr.JekylltriedtokeephimselfawayfromchemicalwhichmadehimMr.Hyde,that'swhy
hecanpretendthatMr.Hydeisnotmurdererortroublemakeranymore.Anexampleofathemeis
appearanceversusreality.WhenUttersonandEinfieldlookedthroughthewindow,Jekyll
seemedunnecessarilydisturbedbutinreality,hewasturningintoHyde.
TheSettingin
TheStrangecaseofDr.JekyllandMr.Hyde
initselfcontributestothe
themeofappearancevs.reality.Thesettingisintroducedinthefirstchapterthestoryofthe
door,whereStevensonportraysthestreettobeaquietstreetwhichshoneoutincontrasttoits

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dingyneighbourhoodwithsmilingsaleswomentherethefeelingofahappyandsafeplaceis
portrayed.Incontrastlaterinthenovelitgoesontodescribeacorneracertainsinisterblockor
buildingthatshowednowindowsnothingbutadoorwhichportraysthefeelingsofmystery
anddarkness.
WithinMaryShelleys
Frankenstein
,thethemeofappearancevsrealityistheprominent
themewhenitconcernsthemonster.Thisisreflectedwhensocietyunfairlyassociatesphysical
deformitywithmonstrosity,Thecreaturelooksterrifying:sosocietyassumeshemustbea
monster.ThecreaturefindscomfortandsafetyintheshedattachedtotheDeLaceyhome.There
helearnstoread,write,speak...andloveothers.Old,blindDeLaceyhasnofearofthecreature.
Whenthefamilyseeshim,however,theytreathimlikeamonster:Atthatinstantthecottage
doorwasopened,andFelix,Safie,andAgathaentered.Whocandescribetheirhorrorand
consternationonbeholdingme?AgathafaintedandSafie,unabletoattendtoherfriend,rushed
outofthecottage.Felixdartedforward,andwithsupernaturalforcetoremefromhisfather,to
whosekneesIclung:inatransportoffury,hedashedmetothegroundandstruckmeviolently
withastick...myheartsankwithinmeaswithbittersickness...overcomebypainand
anguish(Shelley162)Later,whenthecreaturesavesthelittlegirlinthewoodsfrom
drowning,hisappearancefrightensherfather,andheshootsthecreature.However,thecreature
himselftellsuswhatliesbeneathhishideousexterior.

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Thethemeofappearancevsreality,alsoreflectsagainstVictorFrankenstein.Victor
appearstobegood,andethicallygrounded.However,whenhegoesawaytoschool,hebecomes
involvedwiththeteachingsofProfessorM.WaldmanwhoencouragesVictorto:...unfoldtothe
worldthedeepestmysteriesofcreation.Indoingso,thisethicalyoungmanpondersquestions
deemedbetterlefttoGod.Heistoldthatmanwasnevermeanttocreatelife:onlyGodshoulddo
this.WhileVictormayatfirstbemotivatedtohelpmankind,helosessightofthefoolishnessin
hisactionshisegotismdriveshimtoachievewhatnomanbeforehimhasbutheis
irresponsible.Hebringslifetohiscreature,andVictor'sreactionisthefirstweseethatjudges
thebeingonoutwardappearanceratherthaninwardsubstance.Seeingwhathehascreated,
Victorflees,abandoningthecreaturetotheworld.Victorisnottheonlymemberofsocietyto
behaveso.Victorstartsoffthenovelbeingportrayedasagood,ethicalorientedmanbutwhen
thenovelcontinuesontherealityofVictorsrealpersonalitycomesthroughwhenit'sevidenthe's
drivenbyhisego.
Inconclusion,Societyneedstotakeacloserlookatsituationstodeterminewhatisreally
thereinsteadofbeingblindedbyourperceptions.Allourthemesrevolvearoundhidden
messagesormisinterpretationsandSocietyneedstobeabletoputthoseasidetoviewthetruth.
Appearanceversusrealityopensthemindtoconsideringhowthingsweseeisnotreallyasthey
seem.Forexample,thetermloveblindusedineverydaylifecanbeincorporatedinthis
situation.Thepersononeisinlovewithseemsflawlessbecausehe/sheiseverythingonethinks

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theywant,butinreality,thatmightnotbethecase.Weseethetipoftheiceberg,butnot
everythingaboutit.("AppearanceVersusRealityOpenMind.").