Examine how Forster and Dunant present melancholy through both George & the Painter in 'A Room with a View' and 'The Birth of Venus'

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Examine how Forster and Dunant present melancholy through both George & the Painter in 'A Room with a View' and 'The Birth of Venus'

The cult of melancholy has spread through history and consequently literature and art; its dark, romantic sentiment is closely associated with poets and artists. Thus, it is appropriately endured by both the Painter, an artist living in the Renaissance Italy, and George, who Forster constantly refers to as a Renaissance figure. Both characters, at one point, feel a faltering despair that life is not worth living. Both authors use explicit religious references, as George is living 'in Hell' and the Painter is '…abandoned by God'. However, where the Painter is frightened of his sorrow, George embraces it in order to change.

It is Mr. Emerson who reveals the nature of George’s melancholy, against the backdrop of Santa Croce. Forster’s irony is evident as the Emerson’s are firm atheists and by presenting them in a place of worship he creates a sense of inversion. Or what could be referred to as Mr. Emerson does: a 'muddle', which resonates throughout the Chapter. Similarly, this inversion is replicated when Alessandra discovers the Painter in his despair in Chapel. It had previously been bathed in 'sunlight…falling directly in a broad band of gold' but is now 'fallen in darkness'. The religious imagery here is clear. Dunant uses contrast between the 'gold' which is linked with the holy and 'darkness' which is associated with devilry. Forster uses a similar comparison between 'Paradise' and 'Hell' in reference to George when he states that 'he lives in Hell'. Both authors frequently associate the theme of religion with melancholy because if hope is a key concept in religion, particularly Christianity, than melancholy represents losing all hope.

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Both Forster and Dunant use excerpts from poetry to illustrate melancholy in some way. Alessandra quotes the first Canto of Dante’s Inferno, it begins 'Mid-way along the journey of our life, /I woke to find myself in a dark wood, /For I had wondered off from the straight path.' Here, Dunant uses this extract to indicate what the Painter could be feeling. The piece uses the metaphor of being lost in a 'dark wood' to represent despair. This is reminiscent of the 'darkness' Dunant mentions herself and could refer to how the Painter left his Monastery, a holy place, ...

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