Let Nature Be Your Teacher - Romantic Ideals

Wordsworth, Coleridge, Bronte and Rousseau explore Romantic ideals in their own texts, Wuthering Heights, The Social Contract and Lyrical Ballads. They explore the Romantic ideals of trusting an individual’s nature and emotions to guide their actions, for example in the Rime of the Ancyent Marinere and in Wuthering Heights with Catherine’s dilemma between Heathcliff and Edgar. Although, Coleridge, Bronte, Wordsworth and Rousseau argue to a great extent that individual’s should not allow nature to be teacher, because of the detrimental consequences that happen as a result of following Wordsworth’s injunction. They also advocate the personal freedom gained through trusting nature to guide emotions and actions, such as the free will to choose a person’s path in life through their acts. However this free will to choose, and allow nature to guide emotions and actions is only possible through wealth. Bronte, Wordsworth, Coleridge, all were middle class and were able to follow Romantic ideals, which resonates through the characters in their texts. However following romantic ideals, such as Wordsworth’s injunction could only be possible because of personal wealth. Therefore there are barriers and consequences to following Wordsworth’s injunction, shown through all three texts, though the outcome of this injunction, freedom could outweigh the negative consequences.
Bronte explores the romantic ideal of person freedom in relation to the injunction. Nature could teach an individual to gain their own personal freedom, as they would have a higher sense of free will. This free will is gained through the individual making unconstrained choices without any external influences, such as culture. In Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff and Catherine have a substantial amount of freedom during their childhood. They gained this freedom by escaping to the “moors” occasionally, “it was their chief amusement to run away to the moors”, after being confined in Wuthering Heights. Therefore the...