Analysis of the Old Romanticism Genre through Izzy, Willy-Nilly

613 Words2 Pages

When we think of romance novels, one's first thought might be of the kind we see at the newsstand while waiting to check out at the grocery store. Visions of a white knight like Fabio whisking away the fair damsel in distress. Romance novels for the young adult are appealing because many romantic symbols relate directly to what they're experiencing both physically and emotionally in their lives; that of youthfulness and hope.

The protagonist of Izzy, Willy-Nilly is Isobel Lingard, a/k/a Izzy; a 15 year old sophomore, who is a popular girl at school. When asked out by a senior, Marco Griggers, she becomes the envy of her friends. The ironic thing is that she wasn't even that interested in him, personally. It was more the fact that a senior was taking her out on a date and she was the first one of her group of friends to achieve that status.

A typical characteristic for this genre is that there is always some type of villain. Unfortunately, the villain, Marco, forever changed the future for Izzy. His carelessness and driving while under the influence caused them to have an accident. He, of course, was totally unharmed, while Izzy was permanently maimed. When she overheard the doctor explaining that they were going to have to amputate her lower leg, it didn't seem to be real to her, like a separate entity was the one who was going to be operated on, not her.

Throughout the story, whenever Izzy was faced with something too painful to accept, she would have visions of her alternate "little Izzy" taking over. One of the many examples throughout the story is at the beginning when she faces the fact that she is physically disabled. Her brain wasn't working. It was as if "little Izzy" was running around and aroun...

... middle of paper ...

...ife, and just how superficial and shallow she and her friends had always been. Even her own mother was upset and disappointed that her dreams of Izzy having a storybook princess life were not going to transpire in that way. Her acceptance of this compromised life caused Izzy to finally grow up and realize that she had more than looks to offer; she had a brain.

The physical challenges of this genre serve as a symbol for the deeper emotional ones. Izzy is stronger than she gives herself credit for. As in any romantic young adult novel, there is always a somewhat happy ending. Izzy progressed from a depressed, invalid in the hospital, to a girl who as "little Izzy" she could see standing. With her arms outstretched, looking like she was going to dance, her arms were really there to balance her as she took a hesitant step forward; ready to move on with her life.

More about Analysis of the Old Romanticism Genre through Izzy, Willy-Nilly

Open Document