Romanticism in literature shows the emotion in an imaginative form. Emotion, imagination, isolation, and freedom are all parts of Romanticism. There are many vivid descriptions of nature’s beauty and the elegance it has. Also, individualism is a repeated aspect of Romanticism where there is freedom from rules and responsibilities. Reason was not important in this time period and people got lost in their happy thoughts rather than facing reality.
In Bécquer’s story “The Rose of Passion”, Sara was a rebellious daughter who desired a Christian man even though her father was a strong Jewish believer. Nature is shown through the flower that showed her beauty. Also, in his story “A Ray of Moonlight,” imagination is a strong element of the story. Manrique chases after a woman who does not even exist because he has no reason. The story shows how nature is elegant in the romantic time period with their descriptions. Secondly, Hawthorne and Poe were American romantics who wrote gothic stories. Elements of Gothicism include death, insanity, internal chaos and haunted locations. It was very common to find death among gothic stories including “The Oval Portrait” and “Prophetic Pictures”.
Romanticism is interesting to me because of the deep emotions that are shown through people’s faces. Sadness, anger, joy, shock, desperation are all feelings that facial expression portrays. Reading makes me want to know more about the time period people once lived in. It relates to the reader with the emotions we have all felt as human beings. It is exaggerated, but it is also relatable.
The desire to be free, a characteristic of Romanticism, is seen in Bécquer’s stories. “The young woman, insensitive to the adulation of her suitors and the advice of her father who urged her to accept an offer before she was left alone in the world, maintained a profound silence without giving a reason for her strange conduct other than the desire to remain free” (Bécquer, “The Rose of Passion”). In life, people often do not have a reason for their actions. Freedom is a desired human right in America. People travel to America to find a better life.
Another one of Bécquer’s stories shows another aspect of romanticism. The character, Manrique, lives in his own world and loves the “soledad porque le permite dar rienda suelta a su imaginación y crear un mundo de fantasía» (Bécquer, “A Ray of Moonlight”). Having alone time allows people to live their dreams. The alone time allows them to explore the world and the endless possibilities it has. Romanticism stimulates creative ideas that form in isolation. It easy to feel alone in a big world when no one notices you. This is how I imagine the people in the picture feel.
Angry people crowd, screaming, at a government official. They throw their bodies at him in rage. It is chaotic and the chaos shows madness. The photo reveals the desperation people have with the little supplies they own. Superiority is the government controlling these aspects of the people’s lives, without helping them. Superiority is holding a higher power while those below suffer immensely. Superiority is the reason the man is not apart of the mob. This picture was taken in 2015 and displays the differences between the classes of people. Superiority is shown in many aspects of the world.
If superior officials do not help the poor people, the poor people will die when it is too late. “’This is indeed Life itself!’ turned suddenly to regard his beloved:- She was dead!” (Poe, “The Oval Portrait). If people continue to ignore the less fortunate, they are going to die of bad health. Innocent people should not die because people with power do nothing to help. Every person deserves attention to create an equal system. Equality is a goal to fight for all around the world.
http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2015-Feature-Photography
Perdidos en sus pensamientos 