Final thoughts on Hughes

I must start this final blog by saying that I truly enjoyed reading this book. There were so many things that I found absolutely fascinating, and at times some things I had a hard time wrapping my brain around.

I found when Hughes stated “the idea of a unique imagination producing a unique object degenerates into a play of infinite repetition”, a little sad, but true. It’s sad mainly because as Walter Benjamin stated you have someone who created a “symbol”, a person who poured every ounce of themselves into creating something truly beautiful, such as Monet’s “Water lilies”. Only then, especially in this day and age to have it turned into an “allegory”. Today replicas of that painting among many other paintings can be found on mouse pads, posters, coffee cups and t-shirts. Something that was once original, rare and beautiful is now readily available to any person. The sad part is that most people probably have no clue who originally created the picture on the coffee mug they are drinking out of.