Absolutism And Romanticism

The main art movement of the 18th century was the Romanticism movement that originated in Europe. The movement placed strong focus on the veneration of past and nature, individualism and emotion. This came partly in response to the Industrial Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment. Some key artists include Jane Austen, who wrote the Pride and Prejudice, William Blake with his notable work Songs of Innocence and of Experience as well as Victor Hugo with this famous novel Les Miserables. The key ideas of art then revolved around liberalism and radicalism, emphasising emotions such as apprehension and awe. Some works employed the narrative technique of free indirect speech and underscore the reliance of women on marriage as an outlet of securing

Although Austen did not give a stand on the debate of nature versus nurture as there was a mix of characters with changed character and others that had a fixed character moulded by changing situations, this is highly relevant to today’s society. The debate of of nature versus nurture remains a hot topic of discussion today. Common points of contention revolved around which, nature or nurture, played a bigger role in their lives. Secondly, it was mentioned in the play that the purpose of marriage then was to serve people’s practical needs. In today’s evolving society, there are more people who marry out of love, though some still seek the practical needs that come with marriage. This makes the theme of purpose of marriage, for practical benefits or love, still relevant. Lastly, the theme of fitting into a social class is largely not relevant to today’s society. In the past, people’s lives were governed by their social class as their social class determined their occupation, way of life and dressings. Although social classes still exist today, such as the distinction of people based on their social incomes, the division that exists between social classes has declined in importance. People are no longer restricted to marry only within their social classes and there is no longer any strict code of conduct that people of the various

However, Mary, coming from a wealthy family, hesitates in proceeding with marriage as she disapproves of the low income Edmund earns as a clergyman. This suggests that the level of income took a very prominent role in the decision making process of marriage. Mary rejects Edmund on the basis of his low paid job and this emplifies the fact that wealth took precedence over true love and affection. This is evident in our re-interpretation where Abimbola, like Mary, expresses disgust at Ednest’s (Edmund) poverty and inferior status, pitching herself at a superior level over him by stating the fact that she works at a high profile company, while Ednest has no means of attaining any form of material wealth. She aligns to the belief that money can buy happiness, suggesting wealth as the sole yardstick for true contentment, which reflects the shallow practical beliefs of the Victorian society then. Furthermore, marriage then was centered around the idea of the practical benefits. Mary callously wishes that Edmund’s elder brother, Tom, would die after becoming critically ill, so that Edmund would be able to inherit the baronetcy and estate and forming a union with him would result in Mary having a share at the wealth. This very materialistic and practical mindset plagued many people then, who valued the practical advantage over love as a basis for marriage. It trivialises marriage as an institution