Romanticism is Dead?

While Romanticism may no longer be a zeitgeist in American culture, the impact of the style remains present. One of the most important aspects of Romanticism is the focus on the individual, the idea of free expression of the artist's personal feelings. While that idea may not be the primary focus of art anymore, reverberations can still be seen. For example, the plethora of books, movies and shows where the moral of the story is to believe in oneself. There's a prevailing theme that one should believe in themselves, and follow their own heart to be happy or succeed. This might not be as intensely personal, or self-indulgent as some of the art that was created during Romanticism's peak, but the concept is similar in nature.

Defying conventions is still celebrated, at least in art. Though the way that this idea is expressed is a little different. More often it seems, characters will be placed in some backwards dystopian society, where they choose to defy the rules of that society. This usually results in the character acting in a way that aligns with current societal standards, so while the character may be defying the "norms", they're still acting in a way that everyone in the audience would deem proper. This example doesn't speak for everything, it's just a theme I've noticed. I'd say that art that falls under this example is based on Romantic ideas, but not truly Romantic because it's still conformative.

Outside of the realm of art, children growing up in America are often told to believe in themselves. At least on the surface, we like to celebrate our uniqueness and differences. Individuality is something that is highly valued in America. Even if Romanticism itself isn't a big style anymore, the remnants of Romanticism can be seen very easily in American culture.