my paper

Cassandra

Just When You Thought It Was Safe----16 October 2007

Sharks in museum
As The New York Times reports, an art sample, named “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living” was shown in Metropolitan Museum of Art [Metropolitan Museum of Art], and it was replaced recently. The author tells something about the collecting by Charles Saatchi [Correction Appended] and the making by the famous artist Damien Hirst. “The shark in the tank is a recent replacement of the original, which more or less disintegrated”. The author think the shark, which smaller but more fierce, is worth the trip.
Like us know, sharks do not have bony skeletons, theirs are made of cartilage, which is relatively flexible. That is made the making process difficult. It is know that, sharks are famous for its fierceness, so we could imagine the cool of the status. From these things we had known, the author gives us a vivid image about what he described. In this way, we can know the article better. Context is [set of circumstance or facts that surround a particular event, situation etc.](Dictionary) Accordingly, context cannot be found in article. The author assumes readers would know. Consequently, the context of an article is a commonsense. Just like we all know that the earth is round, the iron is hard and the fire is hot. The context should be widespread information or normal things.
If you know more about the context, you will find the original shark----a 14 footer that was caught and killed by a fisherman in Australia. And Steven A. Cohen paid about 100,000 dollars to replace it. Then Mr. Hirst (reportedly one of the richest men in Britain) began his work in Australia, and three years ago he bought the second tiger shark, which was caught off the Queensland coast. (Swimming With Famous Dead Sharks) This one was shown in the museum now. The context helps readers understanding the article well. Supposed you don’t know the context, you may feel confused, why it is worth visiting and what it is used to do.
Why we went to the museum? Because of we have to enrich our spiritual world except the material life. Modern and contemporary art were popular in 19th century. People pay more attention on art. So more good works were made and shown. Young British artists followed Mr. Hirst done the work “ It is seen in like-minded company”(Just When You Thought It Was Safe). If you know more about the shark and art, the sculpture may show you different images. All your imaginations are all source from the context. Without it, you only could see a huge thing in front of you with no feelings. That will make people becoming numb, no imaginations, no connective thinking. What a dramatic thing if life likes that!