The text “Art for heart’s sake” was written by Reuben Lucius Goldberg, an American sculptor, cartoonist and writer, who was born in San-Francisco. Introduction: The action began with male nurse Koppel’s words for Collis P. Ellsworth, who didn’t want to drink his juice. Ellsworth was not an ordinary patient, he was a shopaholic in global case. If he buys something, he will suffer from heart attack. Complication: After that came a doctor named Caswell, who offered old Ellsworth to take up art and called a young student Frank Swain from the Atlantic Art Institute to make Ellsworth concerned with art. The old man didn’t make any progress in painting, actually he was an awful painter, but suddenly Ellsworth send his “god-awful smudge” picture named “Trees Dressed in White” to the Lathrop Gallery, the biggest art exhibit, and was awarded a prize. Falling action: The young student, male nurse and doctor congratulated him with winning and recovery. Resolution: But suddenly Ellsworth said that he bought the Lathrop Gallery last month. The theme of the story is loneliness that influences on human’s behavior. It’s represented with Ellsworth’ behavior, his speech, his attitude to people and his attitude towards things that he buys. It is difficult to find out real theme of the story.
Each of us can find his own cause and theme, because the author forces it upon the story. The story takes place in hospital room, art exhibition in the course of a few months. It’s represented with last words of Ellsworth that he bought the Lathrop Gallery last month. There seems to be an impression, that the author didn’t want a reader to see the setting, but to feel it. The author doesn’t show the setting of time directly, but it’s important because it helps the author to pierce the story with a humour. The conflict of the story is internal. The plot turns on loneliness of old Ellsworth that influences on his behavior and how he fill his inner emptiness. The chief episode is when doctor Caswell offered old Ellsworth to take up art. The development of the plot is not strictly chronological, because in the end of the story we find out that old Ellsworth bought the Lathrop Gallery, that means before he start to take up art. The plot is unified. The individual episodes logically relate to one another.
The Essay on “Art for Heart’s Sake” by Reuben Lucius
... purchased the Lathrop Gallery. Written in a combination of third-person narrative and direct speech, the story brings Ellsworth and his experiment with art therapy ... “Art for Heart’s Sake” is a short story written by Reuben Lucius “Rube” Goldberg, an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor, who lived ...
The plot is plausible. There are two main characters: Ellsworth and Swain, and two minor characters: doctor Caswell and male nurse Koppel. Old Ellsworth is protagonist and no one is antagonist, because old Ellsworth develops through the whole story. He is dynamic and round character. And all the rest three characters are flat and static characters. The role of minor characters to show a reader what kind of person old Ellsworth is. The author uses indirect method of characterization by old Ellsworth actions and behavior. The actions of the characters are simply consistent and properly motivated. The author didn’t use so many stylistic methods. He used an irony in cases. For example in the end of the story we find out, that Ellsworth bought the gallery last month.
And some simile, for example, the Swains’ comparison of Ellsworth’s picture to a salad. The language of the author is concrete, formal and literal. The message of the author is to be attentive with old lonely people. The central idea is to be more human, than give all your time for your work and you won’t be a lonely old human like Ellsworth. I think, it’s very impressive story that the author didn’t use as many stylistic methods as others, and he succeeded showing a reader the inner condition of this old lonely man Ellsworth. Not everybody can reach to the readers’ hearts without using such number of stylistic methods. It’s brilliant.
