Visual Rhetoric Project

A Story beyond the Roots

Brian Ingebretsen

ENGL 1A

This project required me to think outside the box to cultivate an impressive idea about the subject to my last essay which was the connection between science and literature to create Romanticism. At first I brainstormed many ideas but as more time went on and more rules were added, these ideas seemed to be futile until I arrived at one idea that I felt to be a fantastic interpretation. This object was a flower that had the natural look on the outside and the literature on the inside to further support the idea of the underlying connection but the final product fell flat and I had to begin again. The flower was a great idea but the way it was created gave it an infamous image of Kindergarten status work and tackiness with no representation of actual natural life so I decided on another, entirely new project. I decided on exploring the correlation between a tree and the written word and thought of ideas such as having book pages for leaves and so on, however, there were no perfect ideas. I wanted the literature to be effective and the nature to be believable and practical which ties into my secondary theme of simple complexity because my view on the correlation is in fact simple complexity. You can have a subject as simple as a forest but in order to create a world in and around that forest, you need to use complex structures and imagery to completely teleport the reader because without this complexity, they won’t really see the depth or the actual beauty of the forest. Though I could not do what I really wanted to do, I tried my best with the materials I’ve commandeered and the ideas that I have put to practice. Using two coffee cups, I created the base of a tree and used construction paper as the color source even though I wanted to use actual bark at first. The bark would have given it the natural aesthetic feeling but I decided to make that with the leaves instead which also include strips of a story that I had written myself. The leaves for the tree are actual leaves from a tree, however since they are killed right when they are pulled off; I have to replace them so the project still has its natural beauty to it. The story I wrote  is a Romantic themed short story about keeping in touch with your past and never forgetting it as you strive to the future which I thought was appropriate because in a way that is how we, as college students, are feeling now. The tree has a mixture of story pieces and natural leaves to fully combine the two ideas into one grand impression which is what my topic is entirely about. Though obviously my item connects nature and literature, it needs to be supplemented to contrive the actual meaning which is simply that you cannot have Romanticism without a combination of science and literature. It relates to my previous essay in regards to message and tone by showing how both nature and literature go hand in hand with each other and how a simple idea can have a complex message. The tone itself is simple and joyous, it is far from beautiful but it gives the looker a sense of mystery as they use their own interpretation of what they believe to be the correct view which is what my plan is. My topic cannot be answered in black or white, it can only be answered by interpretation by others and how well they critically think about it because there really is no right answer. My object would serve the best purpose if it were hung outside to really be one with nature and really be a part of the message it is trying to send.

While making my project I had to overcome a few obstacles that would’ve doomed it in the beginning and actually served to be learning purposes for myself. I had to think of a clever and practical idea that the audience would understand just by looking at it and also have that underlying theme that I’m looking for. Next I had to think of creative ways to create my object and by using critiques that I received in class; I was able to fully create my object though I still used construction paper. I learned a lot throughout the making of this project and I’m glad I was able to experience a project like this. It is the first project of this caliber that I have completed so it offered many new and fun challenges that I had to overcome using cleverness and logic. I learned the significance of combining an idea on paper with a real tangible object to help supplement the message. Grade-wise I believe that I should receive a B because though the project may not look the best, the idea is there and helps fill out the rest of the message. My subject was hard to create an object for just because it is such an opinion based topic that anything I create will be open to interpretation which is what I recommend for my topic.

Rhetorical Visual Project (Idea)

Brian Ingebretsen

3/17/14

ENGL 1A

Beneath the Rose (Idea)

For my visual rhetoric project about how science and romanticism go hand in hand, I will make a symbolic rose that will serve as a metaphor for what I am trying to convey. The rose will be made out of red, white, and green construction paper and inside will include romantic writing. My plan is to make a white rose and on it I will inscribe Romantic writing, whether it will be a poem or short story I’m not sure, and around it I will place red petals “peeling” off. This is to symbolize the scientific aspect of my paper because roses are usually seen as red but with the red being peeled off, the Romantic literature part becomes present making them one in the same. My goal is for the viewers to get that science has an underlying Romantic literary aspect and that you can find it anywhere. 

Genre Analysis Draft 3

Brian Ingebretsen

3/12/14

ENGL 1A

 Natural Crossroads: The Division of Romantic Science

Nature, in its entirety, can entice a beauty that cannot be fathomed by a lone, living creature and is equally, in every way, mysterious. Nature provides some with a sense of solace and escape while for others, a scientific playground where one can learn about the Earth and enjoy its benefits in the process. This fundamental aspect of nature is often viewed by scientific storytellers who strive to explore the mystery of life while the beauty and elegance of nature is captured by storytellers who see it for its tranquility, sanctuary, and wisdom. These authors and painters would soon help give rise to what literary and art scholars call the Romantic Age of the 19^th Century. This was an era of simple enlightenment and natural freedom, an era that showcased the majesty and simplicity of nature. Authors, artists, and scientists, ranging from the past to the present, have all basked in the tranquility that was and still is the natural world. Though some perceptions are different, the overarching idea of mysterious serenity combines writing, artistry and science and creates something so remarkable that its natural bliss rivals even that of Mother Earth herself

The perceptions of Romantic nature come in a plethora of different ideas and are drawn from different experiences which are how this movement began. The Industrial Revolution was in full swing as cities began to cultivate dirt, slime, and unattractiveness that scared away many and gave the world a completely new and disgusting image. The pioneers of Romanticism valued the beauty and simplicity of nature over the dull and gray of industrialization and did everything to raise awareness of the travesty. Did they stop industrialization? No, they did not but it is not what they failed to do, it is what they successfully accomplished and that was bringing on a new genre of storytelling. During the era, the world was omnipresent with these storytellers and came about in different shapes and forms: writers, artists and philosophers, and with each story written or art piece perfected, a new idea would find its way into the overarching Romantic world. The idea of majesty and power made its way to artist Caspar David Friedrich and his famous painting entitled Wanderer above the Sea of Fog as it depicts the powerful scope that nature offers viewers.  The painting is of a wanderer who looks out onto a sea of clouds which hide mountains and other natural mysteries with the metaphor usually being that he is looking into the unknown of a future that is not too far ahead. This idea is delivered in regards to perspective of the figure to the environment making it seem that he is far closer than he really is. Taking this into mind, this piece provides the viewer with a sense of elevation as they are pulled into fantasy and, like the wanderer, look into the face of their not so distant but heavily clouded future. The painting is a marvel of Romantic design and clearly conveys what the artist was trying to showcase, it shows power, beauty, and the unknown which were frequent ideas used in the storytelling. Though these ideas of power and beauty were commonly used, how they were used were very seldom the same.

There was a hazier Romantic movement that had cast a shadow over the known spiritual and serene idealism, a quixotism that focused not on the simplicity and elegance of nature but on the complexity and darker depths of human nature and emotion. These stories told tales with an abundance psychological undertones and a strange, gloomy elegance that combined fear and beauty; these fictions opened up an entire new realm of fantasy. Dark Romanticism delved deep into the minds of the human and portrayed temptation, sin and self-destruction, shedding a metaphorical, but sometimes real, light on the hardships and aggravation faced in everyday life; Edgar Allen Poe is the quintessential example of a man who quite literally had been through hell and back. Poe, who is one of the most famous of the Dark Romantics, absolutely loved writing about psychological paradigms and other dark subjects including death, mourning and decomposition. A story written by Poe, which is entitled The Fall of the House of Usher, ensnares this ideal of psychological darkness and uses it to convey a form of mystifying, yet creepy, splendor. In contrast to the painting, the story depicts nature as “…an unredeemed dreariness of thought which no goading of the imagination could torture into aught of the sublime” as the story takes the reader into the dreary and melancholic House of Usher (Poe). There is a certain magnificence to his descriptions as he speaks phrases of vast imagery including “the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit” and “with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the after-dream of the reveler upon opium” with each line containing glorious amounts of detail and description (Poe). There are some grand and obvious contrasts between the painting and this story but one mustn’t forget that there are comparisons too including the amount of detail in each of them. They both incorporate the power of nature and the effect it has on the real world; in one case it is seen as an empowerment to self-will and in the other it is a force of strange and demonic powers, which one has no control over. This contrast also divides the readers, crating those who choose dark over light; those who are intrigued and curious will walk into the shadows rather than reach for the stars. Though Poe deals with tough subjects such as death and illness, the audience is, in every way, mystified by the subtle calmness and eloquence of the work; so much so that they may even find themselves exploring psychology to test themselves to see how powerful emotions can really be and how severely they affect their lives.

Discussing the theoretical nature and psychological nature had made the Romantic form quite popular but some followers were seeking the bigger canvas; the connection between fantasy and science. Science is a grand motivator of Romanticism because it acts as a stimulant to the fantasy: it brings the poetry to life, aids the viewer in locating the original inspiration for what they are observing, and calms them with its omnipresence of natural spiritualism. The two complement each other in such a way that if one factor is altered or removed then the entire piece would be demolished; think of a bridge being supported by two ends. The science of Romantic storytelling teleports its audience into a paradise of solace and solitary by freeing the mind to explore the image shown in depth, just as if one were on a mountain looking out or in a dilapidated house feeling ill. According to Algis Valiunas, who wrote the article entitled Scientists Fallen Among Poets, there are many storytellers who provided a larger portal into the understanding of both science and romance. These contributors include Mary Shelley and Humphrey Davy: both who are on opposite sides of the Romantic bridge but share the same idea in that science and romance simply go hand in hand with each other. Valiunas continues his understanding by defining what science really is which, according to him, is

“…driven by impulses of imperious ferocity, indifferent to ordinary human needs and moral structures, defying Heaven itself in the quest for knowledge, and enjoying ecstatic moments of revelatory apprehension in which the great questions receive their answer” (Valiunas).

Science focuses on deciphering the secrets of the wild and untamed nature, delving into the depths of what a naturally occurring substance really is. Romantic writing takes this idea and exemplifies it to a degree of beautiful and heavenly art by providing context to the audience about what specific part of nature is being discussed and then leaving room for the story to take ahold of the imagination and investigate the broad new world. This idealistic bridge connects the audience to the beauty of nature and an aptitude for science and everything in between leaving that gray area open to however much imagination can be freed. There are two ways to view the scientific perspective of the romantic art dividing the spectators into two groups: those whom are fans of the theoretical and fantastical nature and those whom relish the idea of internal emotion and spectacular darkness. These journeyers walk a fantastical bridge and even though there may be two versions, the reader will always find their way to the other side.

I too am on this bridge connecting fantasy with science and I plan on making my journey across the Romantic bridge as long and slow as I can because there is so much to grasp and if I go any faster, it may just slip from in between my fingers. All three of these storytelling techniques speak out to me and I adore the direction they are going and how they are written but in terms of whether I’d choose between Transcendentalism and Dark Romanticism, I have to say that I prefer the Wanderer painting over the Usher story. I chose the Wanderer painting because it speaks to me on both an emotional level and a spiritual level because it symbolizes how I live my life; in the clouds and ready to face the unknown wonders ahead of me. As for the least effective, I would have to say that the Usher story and all of its psychological undertones fits because there is a sort of claustrophobia that attributes to this genre, the sense of inescapable darkness that just pulls you in and doesn’t let go which may be troublesome for those who want to feel free and at the highest point of their imagination. The tone of the painting is that of majesty, it feels like you are really standing on that mountain and feeling the breeze while looking out at your unknown destiny. This being said, all three of the stories have different messages once encoded and they are all each made to hide that certain enigma; for the painting it was a metaphor on destiny and for the Usher house story, it was the decay of a world; for the article it was an informative piece on the combination and virtue of both science and romance. Though these stories are of the same subject, they are all quite different in a very obvious manner which includes the lightness of the painting, the darkness of Usher, and the science of the article. As stated before, there are many different styles of Romanticism: the transcendentalist view, the dark view and the scientific view which are each written and shown differently from one another.

The transcendentalist view is more imagination oriented meaning that there is a lot more descriptions of the tranquility of a subject while the darker side tackles and forms a certain beauty around psychological aspects such as fear, regret and melancholy. The science genre takes on a more academic route because it describes the significance of the two together as a whole and how separating them would destroy the concept meaning that the tone of said style would be more informative rather than story oriented. This is the reason why the idealist movement was so successful, with the combination academia and fantasy the reader is pulled into a fantastical world of both the fundamental and artistic forms of nature. Feelings like this implore the belief that reading can have a personal effect on the reader or could even change the reader to some degree. Changing the reader simply means altering their perspective on the world, reading something with different ideas may open the readers mind to new thoughts that would never have been thought without the push. Romantic storytelling does this by opening the imagination to the possibility that beauty, mystery, and science are all the same and coexist well with each other.

 Romanticism conveys the image of the beauty of the natural world and how a simple life can always be a better life. It brings about peace and preaches the message of solitude and completeness and also brings the mystery of science and mixes it with the power of storytelling. There are types of Romanticism that follow different patterns, whether it is about power, nature, or even fear they all combine into one overarching subject; the human. Humans want to see the beauty in everything even if it deals with death; humans convey emotions about many different things which are what the movement was trying to show. Humans are individuals, not machines, they do what they want and they follow their emotions wherever they take them. If one is to find true beauty they need only look within themselves at their emotions and what better way to let your emotions out than by looking at a painting or reading a story and just let it take them away. Your mind is a meadow and you are allowed to plant any seeds you want; so go ahead and plant the seeds of discovery, scientific mystery, and the eloquence of life at its fullest.

                                                             Bibliography

Valiunas, Algis. "Scientists Fallen Among Poets - The New Atlantis." The New Atlantis. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.

Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Fall of the House of Usher." Poestories. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2014.

Friedrich, Caspar David. "Wanderer above the Sea of Fog." Artble: The Home of Passionate Art Lovers. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2014.

Genre Analysis Draft 2

Brian Ingebretsen

3/4/14

ENGL 1A

Nature and the Ingenuity of the Romantic Vision and Scientific Mystery

Nature, in its entirety, can entice a beauty that cannot be fathomed by a lone, living creature and is equally, in every way, mysterious. Nature provides some with a sense of solace and escape while for others, a scientific playground where one can learn about the Earth and enjoy its benefits in the process. Though the fundamental nature is looked at through the scientific perspective, the beauty and elegance of nature is captured by authors and painters who see it for its tranquility, sanctuary, and wisdom. These writers and painters would soon help give rise to what literary and art scholars call the Romantic Age of the 19^th Century. This was an era of simple enlightenment and natural freedom, an era that showcased the majesty and simplicity of nature. Authors, artists, and even present day scholars have all basked in the tranquility that was and still is the natural world, though some perceptions are different, the overarching idea of beauty and power never left the minds of the men and women who poured their soul into Mother Earth and received her bliss in return.

The perceptions of Romantic nature come in a plethora of different ideas and are strewn from different experiences which are how this movement began. The Industrial Revolution was in full swing as cities began to cultivate dirt, slime, and unattractiveness that scared away many and gave the world a completely new and disgusting image. The pioneers of Romanticism valued the beauty and simplicity of nature over the dull and gray of industrialization and did everything to raise awareness on the travesty. Did they stop industrialization? No, they did not but it is not what they failed to do, it is what they successfully accomplished and that was to bring on a new genre of storytelling. During the era, the world was omnipresent with these storytellers and came about in different shapes and forms: writers, artists and philosophers, and with each story written or art piece perfected, a new idea would find its way into the overarching Romantic world. The idea of majesty and power made its way to artist Caspar David Friedrich and his famous painting entitled Wanderer above the Sea of Fog as it depicts the powerful scope that nature offers viewers.  The painting is of a wanderer who looks out onto a sea of clouds which hide mountains and other natural mysteries with the metaphor usually being that he is looking into the unknown. The painting is a marvel of Romantic design and clearly conveys what the artist was trying to showcase, it shows power, beauty, and the unknown which were frequent ideas used in the storytelling. Though these ideas of power and beauty were commonly used, how they were used were very seldom the same.

There was a darker Romantic movement that had formed in the midst of the Romantic boom, a romanticism that focused not on the simplicity and elegance of nature but on the power and darker depths of nature. These stories told tales of immeasurable psychology and a strange, dark elegance that promoted fear as well as beauty, these tales opened up an entire new realm of Romanticism. Dark Romanticism delved deep into the minds of the human and portrayed temptation, sin and self-destruction, making them the pure story objective for the storyteller. Edgar Allen Poe was the most famous of the Dark Romantics and absolutely loved writing about psychological paradigms and other dark subjects including death, mourning and decomposition. A story written by Poe, which is entitled The Fall of the House of Usher, ensnares this ideal of psychological darkness and uses it to convey a form of mystifying, yet creepy, beauty. In contrast to the painting, the story depicts nature as “…an unredeemed dreariness of thought which no goading of the imagination could torture into aught of the sublime” as the story takes the reader into the dreary and melancholic House of Usher (Poe). There is a certain beauty to his descriptions as he says phrases of immeasurable imagery including “the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit” and “with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the after-dream of the reveler upon opium” with each line containing glorious amounts of detail and description. There are some grand and obvious contrasts between the painting and this story but one mustn’t forget that there are comparisons too including the amount of detail in each of them. They both incorporate the power of nature and the affect it has on the real world; in one case it is seen as an empowerment to self-will and in the other it is a force of strange and demonic powers, which one has no control over.

Science is a big motivator of Romanticism; it brings the poetry to life, whisks away the reader to a world of unimaginable beauty and wisdom, and enthralls the reader in the majesty and omnipresence of natural spiritualism. The two complement each other in such a way that if one factor is altered or removed then the entire piece would be demolished; think of a bridge being supported by two ends. The artistry of Romantic storytelling teleports readers into a paradise of solace and solitary and really helps them find peace within themselves and within others. According to Algis Valiunas, who wrote the article entitled Scientists Fallen Among Poets, discusses the many storytellers who provided a larger portal into the understanding of both science and romance. These contributors include Mary Shelley and Humphrey Davy: both who are on opposite sides of the Romantic bridge but share the same idea in that science and romance simply go hand in hand with each other. Valiunas continues his understanding by defining what science really is which, according to him, is “…driven by impulses of imperious ferocity, indifferent to ordinary human needs and moral structures, defying Heaven itself in the quest for knowledge, and enjoying ecstatic moments of revelatory apprehension in which the great questions receive their answer” which easily translates into the ideal formula to producing a wonderful romantic story (Valiunas). Science focuses on deciphering the secrets of the wild and untamed nature, delving into the depths of what a naturally occurring substance really is and Romantic writing takes this idea and exemplifies it to a degree of beautiful and heavenly art. These works of pure imaginative art relay a sense of wonder and mystery into the reader to get them excited and curious about what is really out in the wild and gives that wondrous tone and overarching majesty that nature truly has to offer. This Romantic bridge connects the audience with the beauty of nature and an aptitude for science and everything in between.

The tone of this essay will now change to the more informal first-person view because I need to discuss which story had the most significant impact upon myself. Both of these stories speak out to me and I adore the direction they are going and how they are written but I have to say that I prefer the Wanderer painting over the Usher story. I chose the Wanderer painting because it speaks to me on both an emotional level and a spiritual level because it symbolizes how I live my life; in the clouds and ready to face the unknown wonders ahead of me. To others this may have a similar affect because, like myself, a lot of other people are visual learners and thinkers rather than arithmetic which makes the painting a lot more relevant. As for the least effective, I would have to say that the Usher story and all of its psychological undertones fits because though it delves deep into the emotions of pain and neglect that we can all attribute to, I like to experience that of wonder not of reality and despair. The tone of the painting is a magical tone, it feels like you are really standing on that mountain and feeling the breeze while looking out at your unknown destiny. This being said, all three of the stories have different messages once encoded and they are all each made to hide that certain code; for the painting it was a metaphor on destiny and for the Usher house story, it was the decay of a world; for the article it was an informative piece on the combination and virtue of both science and romance. Though these stories are of the same subject, they are all quite different in a very obvious manner which includes the lightness of the painting, the darkness of Usher, and the science of the article. As stated before, there are many different styles of Romanticism: the transcendentalist view, the dark view and the scientific view which are each written and shown differently from one another. The transcendentalist view is more imagination oriented meaning that there is a lot more descriptions of the tranquility of a subject while the darker side tackles and forms a certain beauty around psychological aspects such as fear, regret and melancholy. The science genre takes on a more academic route because it describes the significance of the two together as a whole and how separating them would destroy the concept meaning that the tone of said style would be more informative rather than story oriented. To some degree, I believe that reading affects someone personally but in most cases we are already drawn to what we like and stay away from what we don’t. You may enjoy a certain genre or love reading about some important figure but you will always be drawn to a certain type due to experiences in the real world. I live with my head in the clouds and I absolutely adore life, so much so that when I first read a romantic story I was hooked and from then on I have based everything I read and write on the Romantic notion because it feels good to me.

Romanticism conveys the image of the beauty of the natural world and how a simple life can always be a better life. It brings about peace and preaches the message of solitude and completeness and also brings the mystery of science and mixes it with the power of storytelling. There are types of Romanticism that follow different patterns, whether it is about power, nature, or even fear they all combine into one overarching subject; the human. Humans want to see the beauty in everything even if it deals with death; humans convey emotions about many different things which are what the movement was trying to show. Humans are individuals, not machines, they do what they want and they follow their emotions wherever they take them. If one is to find true beauty they need only look within themselves at their emotions and what better way to let your emotions out than by looking at a painting or reading a story and just let it take them away. Your mind is a meadow and you are allowed to plant any seeds you want; so go ahead and plant the seeds of discovery, scientific mystery, and the eloquence of life at its fullest.

Bibliography

·         Valiunas, Algis. "Scientists Fallen Among Poets - The New Atlantis." The New Atlantis. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.

·         Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Fall of the House of Usher." Poestories. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2014.

·         Friedrich, Caspar David. "Wanderer above the Sea of Fog." Artble: The Home of Passionate Art Lovers. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2014.

(SWA) Movie Analysis 3/5

Brian Ingebretsen

3/10/14

ENGL 1A

(SWA) Movie Analysis 3/5

Terror can be influenced by a number of factors; whether it is by sound, sight, or feel. This method is why horror movies are so successful in omitting terror, with the right combination of the factors; one can easily be terrified beyond belief. Of course there is also trial and error that accompanies the horror drama because any wrong mixing of the factors can lead to a bland and boring attempt at horror. Starting with the 1922 German vampire movie “Noseferatu”, the premise relies on visual, throughout the entire movie, the viewer is subjected to shadow shots, quick transitions, and close ups. The films downfall comes at the hand of having too much visual scares and not enough tension build-up which can come from the feeling and sound.

The next movie that we watched was “The Shining” and this film added a sense of depth that we didn’t receive in Noseferatu. This depth created an intense claustrophobic feel to the film which was a great way of developing tension that leads to the payoff scare. That being said however, it failed to fully build tension because alas the music was a bit too upbeat for the movie to be taken real seriously and some of the visuals were just laughter inducing.  The final movie was “The Conjouring” and this movie utilized all three factors however the biggest payoff came from the sound that the movie omitted. The sound would differ from being completely vacant to a sudden high pitch screech which brought up the tension in a fast way. The downfall to this film was that they didn’t utilize the combination to its fullest extent, in other words they went a little soft on the scare factor.

Peer Review Follow-Up Script

Brian Ingebretsen

3/6/14

ENGL 1A

Peer Review Follow-Up Script

A) The classmates’ whose papers I read had some interesting ideas but need to work on the flow of their writing. Their sentences stop too abruptly and are usually there as filler which isn’t bad but they do not have a sentence to fill.

B) I received one omnipresent gripe and that was that I had failed to put an academic article, the whereabouts of which are currently pending. Other than that I only have a few punctuation errors and some awkward lines and also my conclusion needs work.

C) They did help a lot because my essay is far from perfect, I know that, and they had some pretty good, yet obvious advice that I will definitely use in my revision. My main mission right now is to find an article.ft

This Side of Paradise Response

Brian Ingebretsen

3/2/14

ENGL 1A

This Side of Paradise Response

The novel I chose to respond to is one that I have not even finished yet but is so good that it deserves some recognition: the novel being This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This novel tells the story of Amory Blaine who grew up under the care of servants, prosperity, and culture but is moved into the real world when the mother develops a sickness. Culture shock hits Amory so fast that he has little time to adjust, leaving him as a spoiled, mannered, and confident in a suburb in Minnesota. It is a story of growing up and readjusting to successfully thrive in society, it tells us of the good and the bad of growing up groomed and also the good and the bad of growing up in a normal suburb. Amory attends college and has an elated confidence so grand that he will do whatever he wants and assume the results will be triumphant. In a way this novel connects with everyone who is going to college for the first time, going to high school for the first time, etc. We all receive these new rules on how to act in public, on how to behave and how to be successful but we really lose out on actually being himself just as Amory has lost himself to his changing personality. Amory deals with love and loss, social awkwardness and social reverence, feelings we all encounter and are too naïve on how to act or live by them. What I love about this book so far is that it is so romantically written that you cannot look away; by romantic I mean that Fitzgerald uses descriptions and emotion to turn a love scene into a majestic happiness that the reader develops, this includes me. There was a scene in the novel that I can read over and over again because it is so beautiful that I cannot help but look back, it is the scene where you look up from the book with a big smile on your face and just relish in nature and the world. This feeling is why I picked the topic for my research paper, not because it was a fancy period of writing and art but because there was so much emotion and heart put into it that you cannot help but develop a feeling of elation once you finish with the writing or art piece. I read these novels to emphasize my love for the world and all that it has to offer, they help me love and relish nature in all of its glory, physical and emotional nature. Physical nature, being the outdoors and foliage that blankets the landscape but the nature that really affects me and my life is emotional nature. Emotional nature includes the natural emotions you express when you are in love, saddened, fearful, or just plain happy and each of these have an infinite grip on your life. These Romantic novels emphasize these natural emotions which leaves a lasting impact on you and how you see the world and all of its people. The novel will make you happy to love someone because of its beautiful descriptions and will make you happy that there are people in this world that can make you happy. You will side with Amory, you will hate Amory and you will love Amory just because of how Fitzgerald writes him, being a young adult before the flapper era was something to behold as told by Amory, you will want to live there yourself because of all the imagery that is put in place to stir up emotion. I, without-a-doubt, recommend this novel to the highest level because it displays beautiful imagery, wondrous emotion, and majestic description which, if done right, creates a masterpiece of coming of age fiction. Though I have not finished the novel, I can still promise that it is all good from start to finish with a brilliant author at the helm. He understands emotion and nature and in this day of age, where technology rules with an iron fist, it’s never a bad idea to lift your head above the clouds and love life.