Essay on "Evolution of Self: Romantic Period to 20th Century"
Essay 5 pages (1436 words) Sources: 2
[EXCERPT] . . . .
Evolution of Self Through British LiteratureLiterature moves through phases as writers attempt new ways of dissecting life. The evolution of self is an interesting idea to study throughout literature periods because we see how each writer tackles the issue. Poets and novelists alike took time to study their fellow man and themselves in order to capture the nuances that make man unique. Each writer provides us with diverse stories and ways of looking at characters and ourselves. John Keats, Mary Shelley, Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen and Henry Miller are a few writers that explore the evolution of self and help us to understand humanity better with concepts and characters that make us think. The notion of self is continuously evolving and literature through the ages allows us to learn that with all we know there will always be more to learn.
In the Romantic era, Keats is one of the premier poets when it comes to discovering the self. He was occupied with exploring the imagination and he often lost himself when composing poetry. He believed a true poet could not help but lose him or herself during the process of writing. One poem that demonstrates this process is "Ode to a Nightingale." The poem examines nature from something as simple as a bird's song. This song is enough to inspire the poet to think on things not in this world and, to do so, he must let go of everyday trappings and go deeper into himself. When he does delve into his imagination, his heart "aches" (Keats 1) and his senses become dreamy and numb (1). This brief moment causes him to fall into a sublime world almost indescribable. In this place, he experiences pain as he witnesses the simple beauty of the birdso
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Another piece of Romantic literature that explores the self is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. In this novel, Shelley uses the scientist and the monster to juxtapose good and evil and how these relate to life. The desire for knowledge is generally a good thing but it drives Victor to the brink of insanity as he becomes obsessed with creating life. He says, "I would sacrifice my fortune, my existence, my every hope, to the furtherance of my enterprise. One man's life or death was but a small price to pay for the acquirement of the knowledge which I sought" (13). Here, Shelley is demonstrating the fragile nature of man's psyche. He realizes his mistake and tells Robert, "Learn from me . . . how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how happier the man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow" (38). By the end of the novel, we see how the self has devolved into something that is much worse than the monster Victor created.
In the Victorian era, Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, becomes a novel that traces the life Jane as she becomes increasingly aware of her self and her desires. Her experience is not any easy one but it helps her figure out who she is. Through her experiences, we can see how the evolution of the self leans toward happiness. Jane is to be admired because she stands up for herself and learns to cling to independence early. We see this when she holds her own Mrs.… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "Evolution of Self: Romantic Period to 20th Century" Assignment:
Using the Norton Anthology English Literature Eighth edition volume 2. I need to follow a ***** from each period and at least one work from that ***** from each period, romantic period, victorian period, and the twentieth century and track the evolution of *****"the self*****" through the context of the times as revealed by the *****s through their works.
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“Evolution of Self: Romantic Period to 20th Century.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2010, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/evolution-self-british/439016. Accessed 5 Oct 2024.
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