Question Description
Forthis essay I would like you to point out the defining characteristics ofRomanticism both in works from the 1800s and also their legacy inmodern literature. These are notes that I’ve given you already but Ihave added a couple of clarifications (in italics) based onmisunderstandings i saw in your Discussion Board responses.
The characteristics I would like you to look for are:
* Romantics favor emotion over reason. In literature, that means youmight see some plots that are more focused on drama than on makinglogical sense. Do not describe characters in the storyexperiencing strong emotion or acting illogically. The point is thatthe PLOT might be illogical for the sake of the READER’s emotionalexperience.
* Romantics invent the “shocking twist ending” that we might knowfrom M. Night Shamalayan movies or, if you’re old enough, the TwilightZone.
*Romantics invent the “pathetic fallacy”, which is when they usenature to emphasize the emotions of the characters. So for exampleduring a murder mystery you might expect it to be a dark and stormynight. When lovers break up in Romantic stories (and in modern moviesthat they influenced) it often rains.
* Romantics often set their stories in the past, or make referencesto older times like the medieval world or ancient Greece and Rome. Theyusually portray the past in a very positive light (forgetting itsplagues and massacres) and even today you’ll hear people accused of”romanticizing the past”. Do not write about authors talking about their own younger years. They need to be referencing bygone eras.
* Romantics portray nature as a sacred, nurturing force. One groupof Romantics, the Transcendentalists, thought that to get closer to Godyou should forget the church and dwell in nature.
* Romantics do not trust any institutions such as government andorganized religion. Many of their heroes are rebels, misfits, and thosewho refuse to conform to society, like Hester Prynne from the ScarletLetter (a great example of Romantic fiction for those of you who mighthave read it in high school).
*Romantics often hint that supernatural forces (angels, demons,fairies, magic) are at work in their stories. But it’s generally just ahint. You won’t see a dragon or a wizard pop up in a Romantic story,it’s more of a subtle or ambiguous suggestion.
Please identify each of these traits as they appear in the works ofWashington Irving, Lousia May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar AllanPoe, or Herman Melville. You only need to find one instance of eachtrait and they don’t all need to be found in the same story. Pleaseprovide some context as to WHY the character, plot point, or line you’veselected is an example of one of these Romantic traits.
Next, please identify one use of each of these traits in modern (20thor 21st century) literature, along with context. Again, they need notall be found in the same story. Modern literature may include novels,short stories, movies, TV, lyrics, comic books, and even video games.
minimum of 3 double spaced pages (750 words)