<p>Prompt: When people form opinions about someone or something, what affects them most is not substance but style. In other words, the way something appears or is presented is more important than what it actually is. This principle affects how people look at their leaders and their lives, the books they read, the products they buy, and even the subjects they take at school.</p>
<p>Assignment: Is style more important than substance? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.</p>
<p>Today's culture sometimes regards substance as secondary to style. It is a problematic path to many thinkers and artists of our age. Art could be viewed as a great example of this overwhelming process that has changed every aspect of our lives. </p>
<p>Nowadays, art (chiefly postmodernism) started recovering from the absolute domination of style over substance and meaning in modernism, however, still bears some resemblence to the way of thinking of modernism. One could recall the "great" masterpieces of modern art, for example, Kazemir Malevich's "Black Square". This painting is a clear illustration of the lack of substance, essentially exibiting only a black square on white canvas. Many critics have stated that "one puts his own meaning into to this painting". However, this means that the artist doesn't guide the person through his work, e.i., art becomes soulless. </p>
<p>Art has always been an indicator of the general public's thought and societal values. If one looks at fashion - a close "relative" of "high" art, he will see that today one judges a person more from the jackets and trousers this person wears, than from his artistic, scientific, and political tastes. One would think: "OK. He wears a blazer, so he is an elitist", dismissing the fact that the subject of this observation is concerned about poverty and comes from a poor family himself. </p>
<p>Style has dismissed substance. It became the new substance, the new meaning. Nowaday, one doesn't express his/her thoughts and attitudes toward issues - he or she buys accessories and clothing, to do that for him or her. </p>
<p>What's your grade? How to improve this essay?</p>