Academic Source: Research Paper

One of the sources I will most likely be using with in my melodramatic research paper is and academic source called "ESCAPISM", by Jesse Montero, found on the University at Buffalo library data base. I feel that this source will help me to develop a better research paper because the author takes my stance on the idea of what escapism is in reality today. In my research paper I will be writing about two of Nicholas Spark's novels and how they have been transformed to be put on the big screen. This article/source explains that romance is used as a "flight" from what a person's reality is. It is an outlet for a person to get away from what is really going on in their lives, and in the two novels I will be writing about, this is one of the main themes: A girl that has come from a horrible situation is brought to life by a significant other in over-dramatic ways, or vice versa with a male escaping his reality. Montero argues that all relationships are an escape from reality, I think that he himself is a bit overdramatic, but it agrees with the point I am trying to make with how Spark's novels can be interpreted in this exact way, especially when seen in a movie.

Research Paper Idea

A perfect example of the melodrama is the author Nicholas Sparks himself. Sparks' books are full of the what the melodrama is defined as, but what enhances the melodramatic effect is when his books are put onto the big screen for all of his fans to see. Many of Sparks' romances that were put to life on screen have become the standard by which all romance films are judged in popular America. Many see Sparks' genre as escapism. Escapism is brought to life in his novels and in the films by the tendency of his characters to seek distraction and relief from their originally unpleasant realities. Sparks' main protagonists usually escape their incredibly triaging realities by seeking out a form of entertainment or by leaping into a sort of romantic fantasy. Many of Sparks' novels try to show how difficult the world can be for women, and how in his stories his male characters try to navigate the woman's world. Giving Sparks' novels a the label of being part of the melodrama is very spot on, because it helps to illuminate the absurd narratives it his novels. The settings of the novels also add to the intense emotions of every scene. Nicholas Sparks is a great example of a modern day melodrama writer.