Hidden Optimism.

In a film I recently watched, the main character was a closeted artist, and this was one of his drawings he had stashed away in his hideout. I, of course, immediately fell in love with it, which was no surprise. I feel the context of the film plays a lot into the image as well, so I'll give you a little insight. It centers around your classic tough Brooklyn guy, loving the life of bars and baseball, yet secretly wants nothing more than to attend an art school. None of his family members or friends know about his interest, or his getaway for that matter, except for a girl that he's infatuated with. He has a strained relationship with his older brother, but viewers get the feeling they once had perfect 'brother' moments. We get to witness flashbacks to his childhood, and how his brother would always comfort him when it was storming outside by setting up a tent in their bedroom and camping out in it, clearly being represented by this drawing.

When thinking of exactly what parts of 'the romantic' this drawing symbolizes, I believe it is easily being operated through a good chunk of them. The most obvious of them being the fact that it's a piece of art, making it personable to that person. Like I said earlier, the story takes place in Brooklyn- not exactly the most rural spot you could find yourself in, yet the artwork depicts exactly the opposite. It's solitary. It links back to our emotional side. If I found myself in that tent, I guarantee I'd be scared out of my mind thinking of all of the things that creep through those trees at night. It's not until you find yourself outside, staring at what's in front of you, that the glowing canvas seems to provides something much more than temporary shelter. It brings back the innocence of it all, allowing a connection to be made between a little boy's terror and the hardships presented to him in his adult life, and the ease that comes along with the both of them. The fact that these drawings have been shown to only one other person allows for the moments to seem very intimate and private, contributing to the romanticism of it all as well. All of the aspects combined allow for a message that's romantic just in itself. Hope. The drawing, and the evidence provided with it, argue that that four letter word seems to be found anywhere, by anyone, now matter what point in life you find yourself. It shows there's difficult things everywhere you go. You can't escape them, according to the drawing, but everyone has the tools to build themselves something to get through it.