Sentimentality

Sentimentality refers to the tendency of an individual or society to express excessive, somewhat exaggerated feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia. It is often associated with a yearning for the past, its personalities, and events, especially the "good old days" or a "bygone era". The term can also be used to refer to the work of art, literature, film, and music that appears overly emotional or deliberately designed to evoke emotional responses.

Origins

The concept of sentimentality originated in the 18th century. It was part of the Romantic movement that sought to challenge the rationalist philosophy of the Enlightenment. Romantic artists, writers, and musicians strove to evoke deep emotions in their audiences, to make them feel more than to make them think.

Criticism

Sentimentality has been criticized for being a manipulative emotion. Critics argue that it is used to manipulate the audience's emotions and to create a false sense of intimacy between the artist and the audience. This criticism is often directed at popular culture, particularly films and music that are seen as overly sentimental.

In Literature

In literature, sentimentality is often associated with a type of writing that relies on emotional response from the reader. This can be seen in the works of authors such as Charles Dickens and Leo Tolstoy, who used sentimentality to draw their readers into the story and to create a sense of empathy for their characters.

In Art

In art, sentimentality is often associated with the Romantic movement. Artists such as Caspar David Friedrich and J.M.W. Turner used sentimentality in their works to evoke a sense of awe and wonder in their viewers.

In Music

In music, sentimentality is often associated with genres such as pop and country, where songs often tell stories that are designed to evoke strong emotional responses from the listener.

See Also

• Nostalgia
• Romanticism
• Emotion in art

References

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