Sunday, November 11, 2018

Emotion: What Makes War "Romantic"


The idea that Romanticism was very much intertwined with World War I is a new one for me. I suppose this is because of the modern views on what is "romantic". When I think of war, I think of death, anger, blood, heartache, worry, etc. These types of things aren't typically what I associate with romantic. However, when considering the essence of the romantic period and all of the ideals that romanticism embodies, it is clear that war and romanticism can and have been intertwined.

Image result for a very long engagement
Romanticism in war is demonstrated in
the happy and the sad times
A Very Long Engagement is a film that demonstrates these ideas. It is the story of a young woman named Matilde who anxiously awaits the return of fiance who is at war. Through the film, there is plenty of love and "romantic" ideas as we understand the word today. Matilde's deep love for this man who most likely has been killed in battle causes her to deny it and cling to any hope she can imagine.

True, one big part of romanticism as demonstrated in A Very Long Engagement is that of undying love between two people. But beyond this, war brings about new opportunities, hope for the future, adventure, the opportunity to make a name for yourself and gain respect, and demonstrate your bravery by killing the enemies and protecting your homeland. It presents the opportunity to be a part of something that is bigger than you, and therefore when you come out of it at the end, you are bigger than you once were. It presents reason for hope for a better world and to be able to make a difference in the world. Romanticism during World War I was young men diving head first into something they didn't understand, but that they believed would shape them. It was joining a movement without hesitations, and becoming unified in a goal. It was raw emotion, good and bad.

Image: https://www.google.com/search?q=a+very+long+engagement&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS767US767&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwiw6Yunm87eAhVNvlMKHd2yDOsQ_AUIFCgC&biw=1242&bih=569#imgrc=UyuX0qL3x_ig9M:
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1 comment:

  1. Kelson AndersonNovember 13, 2018 at 12:19 PM

    I always thought it was so very interesting how war can be romanticized. It certainly brings out the best in some people, with heroic acts of bravery and sacrifice, bonds forged in struggling to keep alive. However in focusing on these ideals, there are always people who fail to understand about the terrible things that occur far more often. One of the ways I am to realize this was while reading a book by Terry Prattchet. In one section he mentions a young man who had run off to fight, only to be surprised by how gruesome war was, and that it looked absolutely nothing like how it was depicted in the pictures.

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