Emotions Through Body Language And Clothing example essay topic

Throughout life, clothing and body language are often utilized as sources of emotional expression. These emotions can also be portrayed in literary works and artistic displays, such as those of Poe, Baudelaire, Manet, and Warhol. In Does Man of the Crowd, there are several descriptions of different types of people based on their appearances, but one particular man is focused on by the narrator due to his unique appearance. Baudelaire The Painter of Modern Life emphasizes the emotional expressions of beauty and fashion expressed in art. Manet is an artist who paints scenes to his liking.

All of his works were done in his studio and set up the way that he wanted them. He holds a particular focus on men and women and the relationship between them. The positions and clothing that the men and women are set up in hold strong emotional implications about their feelings towards one another and the emotions involved in the social setting. The opening of The Man of the Crowd, describes the emotions involved in untold secrets and the deepest of crimes; there are internal conflicts, struggles, anxieties, and ago nous results due to the horror of the unsolvable crimes. The possibility of these crimes is introduced through the man of the crowd through his un seemingly unidentifiable expression The narrator describes his thoughts of this man as: There arose confusedly and paradoxically within my mind, the ideas of vast mental power, of caution, of penuriousness, of avarice, of coolness, of malice, of blood-thirstiness, of triumph, of merriment, of excessive terror, of intense - of supreme despair. I felt singularly aroused, startled, fascinated.

How wild a history, I said to myself, is written with that bosom! Although the narrator had never spoken to this man of the crowd, he was compelled to follow him based on his expression that had never been viewed by the narrator. He continued to follow the man of the crowd, noticing his patterns of following people by the mass and his shambled clothing and he concluded that he [was] the type and genious of deep crime. He refuses to be alone. Prior to viewing the man of the crowd, the narrator observed several different types of people, all of which were able to be read through their outward appearances... The most numerous amount of individuals were business men.

The first type of business men [had] brows [that were knit, and their eyes rolled quickly. They were also not distracted nor distraught when they were pushed around by men of their sort. It was concluded by the narrator from these characteristics that those men were content and seemed to be thinking only of making their way through the press. The second type of business men conveyed a different type of body language; they were restless, had flushed faces, and talked and motioned to themselves. Their motions would increase in number in addition to an overdone smile, when they were jostled and they would bow apologetically to the j ostlers. Their movements indicated to the narrator that they felt alone as a result of the large crowd surrounding them.

These movements sounded to me as though the business men were insecure in their actions and motioned to themselves for purposes of reassure ment. Their apologetic motions were for purposes of acceptance of themselves to the rest of the crowd. Both types of businessmen were concluded to be independent, decent, and men who were responsible for conducting their own business. These mens professions were also identified as noblemen, merchants, attorneys, tradesmen, and stock-jobbers through their actions and body language. Clerks were other individuals who were able to be recognized through their outward appearances. The junior clerks were young gentlemen with tight coats, bright boots, well - oiled hair, and supercilious lips.

They were also perceived as frequently working at desks and it was concluded that they were the cast - off graces of the gentry. These men appear to be well groomed and wearing the latest fashions. They are trying to impress others and the desk ism described by the narrator shows that they are hard workers. The supercilious lips of the clerks places an emphasis upon the clerks mouths. This is important because the clerks use the words from their mouths to sell and to make an impression upon others. They appear to be aggressive because of their supercilious lips and their bold clothing.

They also appear to be ambitious due to the appearance of them constantly working at desks. The upper clerks were "known by their coats and pantaloons of black or brown, made to sit comfortably, with white cravats and waistcoats, broad solid looking shoes, and thick hose or gaiters. They had all slightly bald heads, from which the right ears, long used to pen holding, had an odd habit of standing off on end". They also always used both hands when handling their has, and wore watches, with short gold chains of a substantial and ancient pattern.

The upper clerks are older men and also wear older clothing. Because their pants were made to sit comfortably, they appear to be relaxed men. Their solid looking shoes imply that they want good durability and that they are sensible in their clothing, and probably in life. Their overall appearance is one of responsibility and stability; they dont need new clothing because they have already established themselves. The gamblers were easily identified through their clothing and body language. The first type of gamblers wore the clothing of the desperate, thimble - rig bully, with velvet waistcoat, fancy neckerchief, gilt chains, and filagree d buttons.

They also had long locks and smiles. The clothing of the first type of gambler was seen as desperate, thus describing a negative emotion of gamblers. Their elaborate clothing can be viewed as an effort to display their ostentatiousness and a method of hiding their shame. The second type of gambler was described as that of the scrupulously in ornate clergyman. He is probably one who is more reserved and possibly less fascinated with the night life of gambling or less willing to show his involvement in gambling. Both types of gamblers were able to be distinguished by a certain sodden swarthiness of complexion, a filthy dimness of eye, and pallor and compression of lip.

The gamblers complexion can be thought of as showing the sullenness of their whereabouts. The compression of their lips can be viewed as a repression of decency. The other characteristics identified with the gamblers were a guarded lowness of tone in conversation, and a more than ordinary extension of the thumb in a direction at right angles with the fingers. These characteristics appear to be defensive motions, thus showing their wariness of others. Like Poe, Baudelaire also describes emotions through body language and clothing. In addition, beauty is a trait that is heavily focused upon.

The beauty of the soldier is described because: "Accustomed as he is to surprises, the soldier does not easily lose his composure. Thus, in this case, beauty will consist of a carefree, martial air, a strange mixture of calm and boldness; it is a form of beauty that comes from the need to be ready to die at any moment. But the face of the ideal military man must be stamped with a great air of simplicity; ... soldiers are, in many matters, as simple as children; and like children, once duty has been done, they are easy to amuse, and given to boisterous forms of fun". The beauty that the soldier possesses is primarily through his emotional qualities. The soldier has a facade of courageousness, peacefulness, and lightheartedness. Baudelaire also mentions the martial air of the soldier, which emphasizes the setting and the clothing of the soldier.

He also states that the ideal military man must have a simple facial expression. Although it is difficult to determine the wants and needs of a simple face, Baudelaire does so by determining the personalities and thoughts of the soldier and by comparing him with a child. Earlier on in The Painter of Modern Life, Baudelaire describes children with praise as living life as though they are drunk, with a certain kind of happiness. The soldier is identified with this hapinness because of his simple facial expression. The description of the facial expression is described more specifically by Baudelaire as he observes one of the drawings of the soldier.

Baudelaire is unsure of what mission the soldier is on, but describes him as the steadfast audacious character, even in repose, of all these sun-tanned, weather-beaten faces. Baudelaire then states that this is the expression molded by hard work, afflicted pain, and firmness. He then describes the clothing as: "trousers turned up and tucked into gaiters, great-coats tarnished by dust and vaguely discolored, the whole equipment in fact has itself taken on the indestructible appearance of beings that have returned from afar, and have experienced strange adventures". The clothing is characteristic of the soldier; the tarnished and dusty clothing adds to the soldiers experiences in the battlefield and to the distances that the soldier has travelled. The emotional characteristics of the soldiers are thus bounded by their clothing and facial expressions. Soldiers have a beauty that is very evident to Baudelaire, but women possess a different type of beauty.

In order to elaborate their beauty it is essential for women to wear makeup. Without makeup, women look natural and Baudelaire states that nature portrays all of the evils in humans. Nature is vicious and counsels crime. Makeup brings out the goodness in women and hides the evils of nature. Baudelaire describes virtue as artificial and superficial. He also says that evil is done without effort, naturally, it is the working of fate; good is always the product of an art.

He believes that applying makeup is an art and it is thus decent for women to wear. He also describes makeup as fostering a magic and supernatural aura about her appearance. He also says that they must: borrow, from all the arts, the means of rising above nature, in order the better to conquer the hearts and impress the minds of men. It matters very little that the ruse and artifice be known of all, if their success is certain, and the effect always irresistible. Thus makeup is necessary to attract men in a way that almost tricks them without them even knowing it. Baudelaire describes rice powder as concealing all of blemishes that nature delivers to women and creat [ing] an abstract unity of texture and colour in the skin, and questions if woman then becomes a divine or superior being.

Black eye pencils and rouge add to the dramatic effects of the colors of red and black. The black gives women a deeper and stranger look and red gives to a womans face the mysterious passion of a priestess. Makeup is thus adding a divine or religious appeal to women due to its degradation of nature. Baudelaire also states that makeup is not meant to be applied naturally and should be used as a method of exhibition of their beauty. Although Baudelaire does not describe the actions of women in the section of makeup, he clearly praises women who wear makeup because of their holy nature and un criticalness. Monet is able to express several emotions through his paintings, particularly through the arrangement and the depiction of the subjects in his work.

In In The Conservatory, Manet focuses on the relationship between the man and the woman. The woman is properly dressed with buttons vertically lined up through her dress, thus constricting her presence. She has a fixed gaze and is not looking at the man. Although she is sitting comfortably, the woman has a rigid appearance. The man is leaning over towards her and is dressed like a dandy. The expressions on their faces and the way the man is leaning over the woman and looking at her appears as though he is pleading for forgiveness or attention.

The rims of her eyes are red adding the possibility of her crying and an emphasis is placed upon their hands, which both contain wedding rings, suggesting that they are a married couple with problems.