In order for any work of art for example a film a novel a poem or a song to have merit it must be understandable to most people Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning f

Films, novels, poems, and songs, among other works of art are accorded high status in their respective fields due to various reasons. One might, however, choose to measure the work’s impact, aesthetics, or technical mastery on one criterion – that it must be understandable to most people.

Some works of art become understandable to most people on a relative scale because many identify with the narratives being explored. A good example would be the famed musical Hamilton and its many theatrical parts we may casually describe as songs. The musical not only allows for a look into the past of American leaders during its path to independence but includes quotes from important historical American legislature such as the Declaration of Independence. Many who watch the musical or listen to its songs may find the songs reminiscent of a history class, with some errors. Others use the catchy raps to recite the Declaration of Independence at school, and these uniquely American features to the musical have bolstered the songs to high acclaim due to the relevance of the work of art. In this case, we and many others consider the work to have merit.

On the other hand, works not necessarily understandable to most people have value such as marketability. Some works of art are used simply for aesthetic purposes such as wall art or decorative art. Many display simple to nebulous patterns and designs with meaning completely unknown not only to the layman’s eye, but the critic’s eye. However, these furnishing pieces have high marketability due to the lack of copyright fees and trendy designs easy on the eye. We can also consider these works to have merit based on their intended purpose of beautifying a location.

It is understandable why some individuals would only consider a work of art to have merit, in these cases, to themselves and for individual viewing or reading pleasure, if only the work is understandable to them and most people around them. After all, without the help of subtitles translating films the likes of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, a viewer would be lost and hence consider the art to have no personal merit.

Non-translatable concepts, however, appear more blatantly in pieces of literature such as poems. Local poems and local folklore, which are deeply steeped in culture and ideology, involve nuances that cannot technically be expressed in another language. Just as culture and way of life varies from country to country, we cannot expect the languages to seamlessly reflect one another. Since meaning, a pith of the work of art, is lost in translation, we cannot consider it to be understandable to most people. Additionally, we cannot deny the cultural and linguistical significance of the work on local people, giving the art a status worthy of merit.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For audiences who are a minority, yet enjoy the art, it too has merit. For artists who create through catharsis, the act of creating the work itself brings merit. Thus, a work of art need not be understandable to most people to have merit.