According to The Oxford Dictionary, the word Romanticism has two meanings. The first definition says that it’s a movement in the arts and literature that originated in the late 18th century, emphasizing inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual. The latter one defines it as “the state or quality of being romantic.”
Many of the reading text in the class were from authors inspired by Romanticism. For instance, Mary Shelley with “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus”, her mother Mary Wollstonecraft with “Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark”, and her father William Godwin with “The Adventures of Caleb Williams” were some of them.
The Oxford Dictionary states that the Romanticism was originated in the late 18th century. However, I disagree with this statement. “Caleb Williams” was published in 1794, a year after of his other book “Enquiry Concerning Political Justice.” Both books are directly related to the Romanticism because they were based on the importance of equality of rights, rejection of unfair governments, worth of an individual before society, and the imposition of an ideology related to moral and ethical values.
Romanticism also encloses heroism, sense and sensuality, sensitivity to nature, sublime and redemption. For instance, Mary Wollstonecraft in “Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark”, was trying to find herself and this was only possible by making a journey to a far-away place with cold and dark scenarios. Also, her daughter Mary Shelley in “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” showed how society judges other individuals by their appearance. In this novel, the main characters scape and went to cold places to find a solution for their problems.
It’s noticeable that the definition of Romanticism is very broad. However, the main characteristic is the interest and importance of men before society.
Works Cited:
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/romanticism
