Essay about Romanticism and George Sands Indiana

George Sands Indiana, is a text that represents Romantic sentiments in France at the time. Sand was independent, individual, and rebellious, she believed in reform more than revolution. This book gives insight into her own personal political thoughts and ideas at the time. It also has its own Byronic hero, a romantic favorite in literature. This book is more than just a read, it is also an historical and political text that lets you read into the thoughts and ideas of Romantic authors in Europe. The Byronic hero in literature is named after Lord Byron and his main protagonist in his poem Childe Harold. The Byronic hero was established during the Romantic period in art and literature as an anti-hero; he is supposed to represent†¦show more content†¦The people often see him as strange and mentally unstable. His dark persona and determination to not become a part of the cultural world sets him apart from the average man. In the end when he realizes that he does not need to shut himself off anymore and that the cultural world will not hurt him, he finally finds the freedom and the words to release all the emotions and thoughts inside of him. It is then the reader sees that Ralph is a glorious, wonderfully emotional man capable of feeling. It is his words that give inspiration and hope to Indiana and saves them both from committing suicide. Sir Ralph began as a man destined to be emotionless and isolated and by the end him and his emotions are all that can save th e weak, emotion wrecked Indiana. The Romantic spirit was one that stressed the inherent goodness of humans and individualism outside of society at this time. They believed that man, through human nature is good and well behaved, but society and so called civilization is what disrupts the minds and emotions of people. The Romantics were mostly in response to the Enlightenment movement and their emphasis of reason over emotion. To a Romantic, if man is inherently sinful, reason restrains his passions, but if he is naturally good, then in the proper environment, his emotions can be trusted. This gives credibility to the idea of individualism and the flourishing of human emotions and needs. They