Mr. Darcy’s apology to Elizabeth. Gatsby’s party for Daisy. Heathcliff’s eternal connection to Catherine. These are the love stories that have been written in the classical period but have stood the test of time through numerous adaptations and fandoms that still obsess over each relationship. Why is it that we have such a strong connection to romance back in the day? And an even better question: is there any modern day equivalent to put the longing at bay to give all the singles’ hope?
The Recipe to Romance
The composition of all of these stories often have a key quality that makes them so appealing in a modern day of situationships and ghosting: yearning. People don’t seem to want anything enough to yearn for it, and especially work towards it. As a result, when we take note of how Mr. Darcy saved Lydia Bennet from a disgraceful marriage, we also note how he did it without expecting a reward. He was planning on keeping it a secret from Elizabeth forever, despite the fact that most people would have tried to impress her.
Similarly, with Gastby, he moved to live across the lake from Daisy’s house, and attempted to impress her all the time with his lavish parties. He wanted to admire from afar, out of respect for her family.
The Modern Man
The thing that we all want to know is if there’s actually anyone nowadays that seems to even remotely feel inclined to be romantic. The typical flowers and chocolate might have been the goal during our childhoods, but as adults, we want to be with people who genuinely want to be with us as well. Many men, however, have taken this as a challenge and have taken to TikTok about their similarities with these romantic men from classics.
They parallel Gatsby’s parties for Daisy with posting on Instagram stories and waiting for the girl they like to interact with it. Some even consider making eye contact an equivalent to Darcy’s love for Elizabeth. This just begs the question, is there anyone who is willing to go the same lengths for somebody they love? We expect our partner to put in the work for us, but it seems that they are expecting the same from us!
Despite these dreams, VALLEY recommends that people should definitely take a step back in regards to all of these standards. While it can be fun to read and fantasize about, it’s also unrealistic to expect these things coming from people without us doing anything to contribute to that connection. We also have to understand that it’s impractical to keep on wanting to receive something in such a busy day and age where everyone is preoccupied. Still, we’ll never say no to mood-boarding some of your favorite love stories!
What are your thoughts on classics in this modern era? Let @VALLEYmag know on Instagram!
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