1. What is the narrator’s purpose in writing these “confessions”? How do you know?
2. For Rousseau, what is the relationship between feeling and thinking?
3. How does Rousseau describe his childhood? What significance can we draw from this description
4. Why do you think Rousseau chooses to include the anecdote about stealing from his employer?
5. Using your own language, how would you describe the narrator, given his self-presentation in The Confessions?
4) I think Rousseau chooses to include the anecdote about stealing from his employer because it’s a way of getting rid of all the guilt that built up inside of him as he kept what he did from everyone, even his friends. Instead of having to tell everyone in person what he did, I think that writing out his crime was easier for Rousseau to do because he didn’t have to worry about how others may react. Writing about himself stealing was the opportunity for Rousseau to finally let go and make peace with one of his past actions that deeply impacted him as he went on with his life.
Why do you think Rousseau chooses to include the anecdote about stealing from his employer?
I think Rousseau chooses to include the anecdote about stealing from his employer, because he wants to demonstrate to his audience a concrete example of how feeling shame is greater than all other feelings. When Rousseau stole the ribbon, he blamed a young girl that he knew and liked. Rousseau tells the audience that he blamed the young girl, because he had feelings for her and he planned on giving her the stolen ribbon as a gift. However, his employer brings Rousseau and the young girl among a large crowd and Rousseau is afraid to bring shame upon himself so he continues to defend his false accusations. Rousseau wrote that he feared shame more than death and could not bear to be labeled as a thief and a liar, so he was willing to ruin the young girl’s life over his own. I believe Rousseau shares this anecdote as a cautionary tale and as a universal truth in the sense that people will do anything, even if it is morally wrong, to prevent bringing shame upon themselves. This goes to show that human beings are so self involved they would go to extreme measures just to protect their vanity among others.
Do you think Rousseau is aware of the role that vanity plays in the story he relates about stealing the ribbon?
Rousseau describes his childhood as a tragic experience because of what he faced when he was born. He explains that his mother died on the day he was born, and he had a relationship with his father. Also, he talks about his childhood when he was stealing and telling lies. The death of his mother made him interested in women older than him because the day that his mother died impacted his relationship with his mother. Rousseau wants the audience to understand the experience he faced from the loss of his mother, and confessing what he had done in the past freed him from his guilt. By writing these confessions, he wants the audience to think about the things they did in the past that they’re not proud of to make good decisions in the future.
5. I would describe the narrator as regretful. Throughout the reading, he regretted many things like blaming Marion for stealing a ribbon when it was him who did it (page 70) and even regretted things he couldn’t control, like being born– he thinks it was his fault for his mother’s death since she died after giving birth to him– this was his first “misfortune” (page 59). Also taking into consideration that this reading is called Confessions, the narrator most likely wants everyone to hear his confessions along with his regret.
3) Rousseau describes his childhood as being hard to cope with and definitely reminisces his past. He claims that his mother died while giving birth to him and how it impacted of him attracting older women. Many things that has led him to reminisce his past and would make him to have to regret. One of which him urinating in a neighbors cooking pot as being an a mischievous child. His own desions have made him realize embarrassing experiences. Тhe significance that is drawn from this description is how he wants to recover moments that meant a lot to him. He believes these moments as a child should be good. Rousseau analyzes the entry to the world.
2) How does Rousseau describe his childhood? What significance can we draw from this description?
Rousseau describes his childhood as a traumatizing and we see this throughout his autobiography. Rousseau lost his mother during his birth, which results into his father going through depression and then years later his father left him. This can pin point where he states how he is not like other men and he is more of a unique man than others. The significance we can draw from this description is that Rousseau does not the address the bigger issue in his autobiography, this would be abandonment issues and low self-esteem. For example, when he starts to tout that he is unique and no other man is like him, he tries to fish for compliments from the older woman who he is working for.
3. How does Rousseau describe his childhood? What significance can we draw from this description
– In the text, Rousseau describes his childhood in a very interesting way. He goes back and describes various occasions when he was a child and some of these occasions affected him for the rest of his life! For example, one notable instance was when he was being punished for wrongdoing and the spanking he received was actually pleasing to him! In other words, when he was spanked by his guardian he actually liked it and felt pleasure! He describes this as a moment that affected him his whole life and even in adultery when he had sexual partners he fantasized about receiving this type of punishment but was always too shy to admit it. Also, looking at the text we can conclude that his childhood was sort of traumatizing, considering the loss of his parents. However, in contrast, he states that he was always spoiled. Therefore, from these descriptions given we can say that he does this to emphasize the way that his childhood defined his adulthood from passions, fears, pleasures to how it built him as a person. The message is that his childhood was extremely impactful.
Rousseau chooses to include the anecdote about stealing from his employer because he wants to show that he is not perfect and is like everyone else who has flaws in their lives. He wrote about stealing because it is not a very serious crime to get him into deep trouble. Rousseau probably stole the ribbon as a revenge impulse when he found out that he wouldn’t get paid as much as the other servants. However, he gets caught and drags an innocent servant with him blaming her for the stollen ribbon. He also includes parts about not wanting to feel shame if he told the truth. Rousseau includes the part about not wanting to feel shame to show that he has flaws and is vulnerable too. Another reason I think he chooses to write about stealing is because he still feels guilty deep down since he blamed an innocent servant. He needed to take some guilt off his back. Instead of just keeping the guilt in his mind, he found that writing it out helped him relieve some of it.
4. Why do you think Rousseau chooses to include the anecdote about stealing from his employer?
I definitely agreed with Pauline and Claudia that he felt guilty and the feeling of shame is powerful. However, I wanted to add that I believe Rousseau was trying to prove that he’s different from others. In Confessions, he wrote, “Let each of them, here on the steps of your throne, in turn reveal his heart with the same sincerity, and then let one of them say to you, if he dares: I was better than that man.” I think Rousseau included “if he dares” is because he believes everyone has some dark secrets that they don’t want to share with the public. Yet, Rousseau decided to publish Confessions and publicly share his darkest secret. He was brave and let everyone know, where a lot of us wouldn’t have the courage to do that. In the end, he was able to apologize to Marion and also proved that he is different from others.
3) How does Rousseau describe his childhood? What significance can we draw from this description
– In the text, Rousseau describes his childhood as a very lonely one. For example, he describes how his mother died after his birth, his brother left because of the strained relationship that he had with both Rousseau and their father. After just a few years his father and his only other family his aunt left him all alone. He talks about how he was abused as a child and how much he weirdly liked it when he was just about eight years old. I think this brings plenty of significance because throughout his adulthood he longed to relieve this moment he had in his childhood but never tried to talk about with all the women he was ever with.
I completely agree that Rousseau’s childhood must have been profoundly lonely. Yet does he describe it that way? Does he ever state that he was lonely as a child? It’s an interesting omission!
1. What is the narrator’s purpose in writing these “confessions”? How do you know?
The purpose of the narrator’s writing this confession is because he wanted to make his confession known to the world. It was also because he wanted to express the feelings that remained with him. This story is what he experienced all his life. And he thinks he’s different from other people. So he was not afraid to write this confession.
Why wasn’t he afraid to write this confession? Explain what you mean.
1. What is the narrator’s purpose in writing these “confessions”? How do you know?
I think that Rousseau wanted to write these “confessions” to break the mold of what was already established as acceptable at the time. As we discussed in class, it was mentioned that during the time period, the only autobiographies that were produced were a sort of inspirational guide. Rousseau broke the mold and talked about all of his imperfections and bad moments, to prove that although he did do bad things, he considered himself a good person. I think that this is something he thought to be groundbreaking, as especially during these times, reputation and the way people perceived you, was everything. I don’t think Rousseau escaped that feeling of needing to fit societal standards however, as “The Confessions” was published posthumously.
4. Why do you think Rousseau chooses to include the anecdote about stealing from his employer?
I think Rousseau chooses to include the anecdote about stealing from his employer since it’s called Confessions, he is confessing all his sins. He is showing different sides of himself, he is not just including all the good but also all the bad that has happen in his life. I thought writing about this particular memory, he looks like he is trying to ease his conscience. I feel that admitting to this now only proves that he is trying to get away with it by saying he feel guilty and was afraid of being shame, yet he couldn’t admit to it at the moment. I see writing it down as taking the easy way out. He wants to justify that he didn’t admit it in the moment, but he is admitting to it now. He wants to take responsible now after the young girl has already suffer from the false accusation.
Rousseau speaks about the loss of his mother and the affection and attention he got from his father. Rousseau’s purpose for writing confessions was to create a piece of work no one had made before and was unique to him. Usually, the term confess is used when you have something troubling to share or taking responsibility for something. The word has a negative connotation. For Rousseau to use it as a title hints at the sharing of subdued stories. We discussed in class how the attention from his father led him to continually desire love and attention. Just like he wrote in his book: “Just as Mlle Lambercier felt for us the affection of a mother, so too she had a mother’s authority.” His longing for maternal love shows in his relationship with women. He writes: “and so I have spent my life coveting but never declaring myself to the women I loved most.” However, Rousseau saw this as an advantage in keeping his “heart pure and … behaviour honourable.”
Rousseau describes his childhood as something that happens commonly. He gives details of his childhood as a period of his life that father gave him all of the affection, but it can be further than the truth. In addition, he talks about having a perfect childhood and not being exposed to bad influences or behavior. We can draw from his description that he views childhood should be respected and revered. In order to do that he twisted the actions of his father in order to shape the childhood that he wanted.