The article “In these days of scrolling and outrage, have we lost our ability to discuss art?” by Sam Byers addresses the public’s response to Maggi Hambling’s sculpture for early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, which is a naked “everywoman” on top of a hilly column of silver. The online responses were mostly critical. How does the connotation for the word fertile contribute to the author’s point of view?

Question

The article “In these days of scrolling and outrage, have we lost our ability to discuss art?” by Sam Byers addresses the public’s response to Maggi Hambling’s sculpture for early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, which is a naked “everywoman” on top of a hilly column of silver. The online responses were mostly critical. How does the connotation for the word fertile contribute to the author’s point of view?

Answers:
The negative connotation supports the author's opinion that are public should not respond to artwork in an online forum because it breeds conflict.
The positive connotation reinforces the authors view that the sculpture represents Mary Wollstonecraft better than any other depiction of the early feminist.
The negative connotation highlights the author's view that the online response should be negative in nature.
The positive connotation contributes to the author's view that the online response should embrace abundant responses to art.

Answer 1

The negative connotation supports the author's opinion that the public's online response to the artwork was overly critical and lacked nuance. It suggests that the public's ability to have a meaningful and thoughtful discussion about art has been lost, replaced by immediate and often negative reactions. This reinforces the author's point of view that our ability to discuss art has diminished in the age of scrolling and outrage.