The Romantic Heart
H. A. Black
ENG/106
October 19, 2015
Debora Aubuchon

The Romantic Heart Romanticism and Enlightenment were two viewpoints that culminated in the 17th and 18th centuries. These ways of thinking are varied in certain characteristics and aspects when compared side by side, but they also share some similarities. Many literary works from this era reflected the traits of one or both of these philosophical structures and often reflected or built upon earlier works of the same caliber. As most classical masterpieces do, the particular works that display attributes from the Enlightenment and Romantic philosophies have lent a proverbial stepping stone that - intentionally or unintentionally – led to influence on the modern world. First it is important to note the differences between Enlightenment and Romanticism. These two philosophies have always been at odds, one (Enlightenment) teaching that faith inhibits reason and the other (Romanticism) teaching that creativity and intuition allows individuals to unlock their true potential. Romanticism sought to celebrate people as individuals and encouraged the followers to express themselves, their point of views, and explore the different facets of their personalities. Enlightenment on the other hand saw people as a group and encouraged applicable rules and theories to fit one and all. These differences set the scene for some interesting literary works in the Enlightenment and Romantic era. Classic literary works such as Goethe’s Faust, Voltaire’s Candide, and Jonathan Swift’s The Lady’s Dressing Room provide what could be considered a fun look into the satirical nature evoked by both Romantic and Enlightened philosophies. Faust depicts the story of a demon or the devil that has been given permission to tempt God’s good and noble servant. This, however does not end as anticipated as God’s servant, Faust, does not give in to temptation, but instead begins to rival the power of the Lord. This could be considered a comical take on the Enlightenment movement and attempts to point out the ridicule in assuming that God is infallible. Swift does this in a similar fashion, but he is not poking fun at religion in his satiric poem The Lady’s Dressing Room. Instead he is presumably making a farce out of the expectations men feel women must adhere to such as looks and hygiene. When Strephon sneaks into Celia’s room and begins to snoop around, he finds more than he bargains for, which causes him see the image underneath the makeup and pretty dresses of every woman he sees. It causes him to witness the grime in life where it is assumed there is none. Candide, a work by Voltaire follows the same sort of satirical nature, but is aimed at the optimistic believers of the world. When “Murphy’s Law” (anything that can go wrong will) is in effect, the characters try to justify their situations and look on the positive side of life. Ultimately Candide decides that optimism is “…the madness for maintaining that everything is right when it is wrong.” (Voltaire, 2015) Works such as these provided a basis for modern satire. One could say the authors paved the way for many instances of humor that led up to our era. With the ridiculous characters created by Voltaire, Swift, and Goethe, the political humor of the Enlightenment and Romantic period was brought to culmination. It is amusing to think that modern news show farces such as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report would not have been as entertaining if the political satirists of the past had not opened the door for the demand of these genres of literature. While earlier works did provide somewhat of an outline for the works of Voltaire, Swift, and Goethe, the more modern tales were more widely received, therefore making them more popular. In the 17th and 18th centuries, following the Renaissance came the period of Enlightenment and Romanticism. The two philosophical views were comprised of different theories and beliefs that opposed each other. For all their differences, both of these philosophies encouraged a change in the perspective of society and sought to break through the already established authority and normalcies. Enlightenment endeavored to change the perspective of the public opinion towards the importance of science over faith, while Romanticism taught followers to allow their feelings to rule their lives. The new attitudes towards feelings and science worked together to create a melding pot of the philosophies of today’s society.

References:
Ben Florman and Justin Kestler, LitCharts Editors (2015). LitChart on Candide. Retrieved October 20, 2015 from http://www.litcharts.com/lit/candide