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Symbolism In The Skylight Room

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world for which the romantic era is known. In Henry's story “The Skylight Room,” the main character, Leeson, is plagued with poverty and the worries of society. She finds calm and joy in the star Billy Jackson, a symbol of nature. In the end of the story Leeson is saved by a doctor named Dr. Jackson. “It recounted the reception into Bellevue Hospital of a young woman who had been removed from No. 49 East -- street, suffering from debility induced by starvation. It concluded with these words: Dr. William Jackson, the ambulance physician who attended the case, says the patient will recover” (Henry 7). The doctor, who is a symbol of the star and nature, is saving her from the man made problems of hunger and poverty. To Romantic writers, In order to live a full and happy life a strong relationship with nature is necessary. Poe also took influence from this element. Poe believed in the natural beauty of women and it can be seen in many of his stories and poems. Poe held woman on a pedestal and would often devote entire paragraphs to describing their beauty. The death of a woman was elegant while the death of a man was gory and grotesque, the most notable case of man gore being Valdimar turning into a pile of goo. Both of these authors clearly show the theme of nature and how to balance beauty with modern life, therefore they fall into the common American theme. While the romantic era was known for the balance of nature, Modernism was known for the balance between the rich and

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