Theodore Gericault, Raft of the Medusa, 1819

The Raft of the Medusa depicts a group of poor people that are left afloat in the middle of the ocean trying to survive. Gericault’s focus in this painting seems to be all of the people reaching up to something or someone that might be there to come and save them; it is emphasized because the light is focused on them. In the background there are dark and ominous clouds almost there reminding the men of their impending death.This piece was created in response to an event that had happened a few years earlier. Sailors were stranded on an unstable raft and they even resorted to cannibalism, it was every man for himself. When the painting was revealed to the people of France, everyone knew was it was based on.

I think that The Raft of the Medusa ties in nicely with my theme, “Survival of the Fittest” because it has various aspects that have to deal with it. There are men striving to survive, starting to starve, and begin to eat their own men. Only the strongest and toughest of the group that are able to sustain the conditions of the ocean, and lack of food will come out alive.

Excerpt from "The River of Bees" by W.S. Merwin

“On the door it says what to do to survive

But we were not born to survive

Only to live”

          The full poem tells of a man’s dream in which he walks around a house of some sort. He goes to each room in the house asking questions about what he should say, and how he should live, but never really gets an answer. This man seems a bit upset by it, but still keeps walking, searching for answers in the next room. He asks for directions on what he should do and still no answer. Finally, he reaches the last room and “on the door it says what to do to survive, but we were not born to survive, only to live.” 

          These lines relate to survival, but the real meaning isn’t "try to survive" or anything like that, but to enjoy your time and live and be happy. This poem was not very influential in history, but I feel that its meaning is influential no matter what time. It is more of optimistic advice that everyone should take. It's not about thinking what is going to happen next or what the outcome will be. People should live in the moment and not worry.

Julia Margaret Cameron, Charles Darwin, 1865

     One might ask why this random man with a beard is featured in a “Survival of the Fittest” gallery. Well, this is a photograph of Charles Darwin taken by Julia Margaret Cameron in 1865. 

          This is a different kind of look at “Survival of the Fittest”, the photograph itself doesn’t necessarily relate to it, but the man depicted does. Charles Darwin is widely known for his lifetime dedicated to science and his important discoveries.  Charles Darwin is the creator of the concept of natural selection. What the concept of natural selection is defined as, is the process by which traits become more or less common in a population due to consistent effects upon the survival or reproduction of their bearers. It is a key mechanism of evolution.

    The photo is very serious and dark and very fitting towards Darwin's character. Charles Darwin was an extremely intelligent man. Always looking for something new, whether it was studying the many creatures of the Galapagos Islands, or in the lab. The way this photograph portrays him seems to fit his persona.