After reading “Ways of Seeing,” by John Berger, my entire outlook of the world around me was altered significantly. Not only did my immediate perception about the way I analyze and interpret different things change; but also, more importantly the way I saw my future and all it encompasses was drastically modified. For example, in our Monday class, we interpreted the Mona Lisaby Leonardo Da Vinci. At first glance, it seemed to me as if the subject painted and the background contrasted greatly. This is because the colors and shades used didn’t exactly flow coherently with one another. However, I quickly began to look at the particular painting as a whole, instead of critiquing minuscule fragments of the artwork.  Therefore, there is deceptiveness when comparing the complexity and simplicity in both the person and the background because they do embody characteristics of being plain as well as being quite arduous to fully comprehend. The focal point in this piece of work is her eyes, which divides the background. It left me quite puzzled as to what occupies the space next to her left shoulder. Personally, I perceive it as a miniature cliff of some kind and the river flows around it connecting the line back to her eyes. By doing this, it makes the subject’s eyes even feel more central. It’s ironic how the background of the painting is as mysterious as the person herself. The audience is quite befuddled when asked the question if she is smirking, frowning, or even smiling. However, something clearly that I noticed was the common geometric shape which happened to be an oval. For example, her body, her eyes, her hand shape, and even the shapes below the bridge all epitomize an oval.  Akin to all magnificent works of art, music, and dance a formula must be followed and once the foundation is laid, imagination must take over, expanding one’s horizon. The Mona Lisa is a clear-cut example in which at first glance, it seems quite prosaic and dull; but when I delved deeper into it, I formulated various conclusions, assumptions, and contrasting ideas concerning the background and the subject painted.  The next artwork we looked at was Nighthawk by Edward Hopper. Contrasting greatly from the Mona Lisa, the overall geometric shape present was a rectangle. The idea of the difference between light and dark, I believe was the foundation for painting this piece of artwork. The reason I feel that way is because the light that was beaming on the middle-aged woman made her look quite unappealing and clownish due to the heavy eye makeup and bright red lipstick. This tells me, as the interpreter, that maybe the artist wanted to assign a negative light on women during this time. Clearly, the men portrayed represent a positive persona, in which they are conversing with each other and epitomize a mysterious side to them. All in all, after reading Mr. Berger’s book, the way I see and think is like never before. I begin to make connections I never thought of before, which definitely will benefit me later on in life.