Use the story to answer the question. What message about perspective does the author convey in this passage?Once upon a time an artist who had painted a small and very beautiful picture placed it so that he could see it in the mirror. He said, “This doubles the distance and softens it, and it is twice as lovely as it was before.”
The animals out in the woods heard of this through the housecat, who was greatly admired by them because he was so learned, and so refined and civilized, and so polite and high-bred, and could tell them so much which they didn't know before, and were not certain about afterward. They were much excited about this new piece of gossip, and they asked questions, so as to get at a full understanding of it. They asked what a picture was, and the cat explained.
“It is a flat thing,” he said; “wonderfully flat, marvelously flat, enchantingly flat and elegant. And, oh, so beautiful!”
That excited them almost to a frenzy, and they said they would give the world to see it. Then the bear asked:
The author conveys the message that perspective can greatly influence how something is perceived.
The message about perspective that the author conveys in this passage is the idea that different individuals have different perspectives on beauty and art. The artist in the story sees his small picture in the mirror and believes that it doubles the distance and enhances its beauty. However, when the housecat relays this information to the animals in the woods, they become excited and curious about what a picture is. The cat describes a picture as a flat, elegant, and beautiful thing, which further excites the animals. This shows that each character has their own understanding and interpretation of what is beautiful and valuable.
To come to this conclusion, the reader analyzes the dialogue and actions of the characters in the story. The artist's statement about the mirror doubling the distance and enhancing the picture's beauty suggests his perspective on the artwork. The animals' excitement and curiosity about the picture, as well as the cat's description of it as flat, elegant, and beautiful, provide further evidence of differing perspectives. By observing these interactions and interpretations, the reader can infer the underlying message about perspective and individual perception of beauty.