The Romatic Period: A Few People of Consequence

William Pitt And Napoleon. Pitt, the British Prime Minister from 1783 to 1801 (and then again from 1804-06) was a tight leader, suppressing freedom of speech in Britain. Napoleon was equally as notorious in his hunger for power. Both were pretty stuck up and power-hungry. What sort of leader is a good leader? I think of King Benjamin, of the Book of Mormon: a leader who did everything he could for his people, served with compassion and set an example of love and charity. His people, consequently, loved him and times were peaceful. Politics in the Romantic Period were a headache! What was lacking? Compassion for the poorer classes!

Jane Austen. Praise Jane for her incredible talent for caputing what her female audience wanted to read about. She was, essentially, an entertainer. Though of course we consider her to be a classic legend, I wonder how she was concieved in her time. Anne Hathaway and those 20th Century Fox peeps have tried to show us (Becoming Jane- an okay movie-watch it is you don't mind Hathaway's strained accent), but I still wonder whether or not she was just the equivalent of our Stephanie Meyer. Regardless, females continue to thank her for Mr. Darcy- who, up until Edward Cullen, was the ideal man.
Literary appreciation: her ability to accurately portray class distinction, the implications of such in the eyes of both the upper and lower classes, romantically suggesting the integration of the classes and creating in Mrs. Bennett a character who will always make me laugh.

Lord Byron. A man I should have liked to have observed at a party. He was extravagent, dramatic and a flirt. The Greeks still consider him a national hero. Byron invented his own hero in literature- probably after the image of himself- a character "mad bad and dangerous to know," according to fellow writer Lady Caroline Lamb. What I like about Byron (more so than his writing, I think), was his decision to involve himselves in the lives of other writers. He was BFF with Mary Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Claire Clairmont- they even vacationed together. I wonder to think what they discussed over dinner.

Marie Antoinette (french). Marie, will will learn later in Romantic Period Vogue, remains to be considered a pioneer in Romantic fashion. We appreciate her effort in keeping up appearances under the spotlight of the media, and of course living such an incredible life that Hollywood just HAD to recreate it. It didn't do so well. Poor Kirsten Dunst.