The author seems to go back and forth on his opinion; he states that not every artistic aspect of Chelsea is good, in fact, many are downright awful.  He compares one bad Chelsea day to “a season in hell.”  Then, he writes that every city has bad shows and art.  It is unclear about his opinion on Chelsea in comparison to other cities around the world.  Does he like Chelsea better?  Does he consider London, Berlin, and Los Angeles artistically superior to Chelsea?

How exactly do different hues and saturations affect a person’s psyche?  How do different structures and designs within art contribute to the psychology that is behind it?  The reading did not go in-depth in that particular area.

-Why does the delivery of the play seem so rushed?  It appears that Dolly and Philip Clandon meet Valentine and are quick to ask him a barrage of questions about personal subjects.  The question of their father is brought up to Mrs. Clandon almost as soon as we are introduced to the main characters.  Gloria Clandon and Valentine’s relationship is very sudden as well, and even Philip compares it to the fleeting relationship in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (Act II).  Is Shaw’s work deliberately this rushed?  Is it used for an additional comedic effect?  Is it reflective of the time period?

-Language is considered an essential sensory response in theatre (46).  Due to the descriptive nature that can set the entire atmosphere of the play, would language itself be considered an art form?

Why do the authors contend that most art stems from fear?  For example, Frida Kahlo’s “Diego in my Thoughts” displays her fear of her husband’s control, as she paints him taking up the majority of her mind (6).  In a similar fashion, Robert Mapplethorpe’s 1988 piece, “Self Portrait,” is a glimpse into his struggle with AIDS and how he must deal with his “inevitable death” (7).  Those who practiced religion used art to appease the gods because they feared what might happen in the afterlife (8-9).  Is this notion of fear inspiring artwork true, or is it a bias on the authors’ parts?