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?
In the retelling of his childhood, I got the impression Rousseau was whitewashing it somewhat – either making his behaviors and/or his circumstances seem better than they actually were. But then he makes the unvarnished confession about being sexually aroused by corporal punishment (both the act and the ensuing shame) delivered by his Mademoiselle in loco parentis. That episode stood in stark relief to the rest of his childhood story.
This is a man who is intent on telling the ugly parts of his story; he doesn’t use circumstance as an excuse.
In describing his relationship with his employer, the middle-aged widow Madame de Vercellis, he emphasizes his reservation. He’s unwilling to be forthcoming with someone who won’t reciprocate; yet, at the same time, he’s surprised that she’s not more interested in him sexually.
This is a man who’s insular but wants deeper connections.
When Rousseau steals the ribbon and falsely accuses the woman with whom he’s infatuated, there seems to be a destruction of his potential happiness. Why blame it on the girl if she was the object of his desire? Why not confess? Ostensibly, he seeks to avoid the shame of his actions, but there seems to be a deeper problem of self-sabotage.
This is a man who seems to want people to believe he’s a wicked soul. In the stories he retells, Rousseau seems to actively pursue alienation. The way he chooses to recite these episodes may be an additional act of self-isolation…or perhaps it’s an elaborate plea for pity.
4. Why do you think Rousseau chooses to include the anecdote about stealing from his employer?
I believe that Rousseau decided to speak of his theft for several reasons: first, the first reason alludes to the title of the book entitled “confession” because one confesses when one knows that one has committed bad things before that one regrets and that one wants to be converted and is forgiven in some sorts. so he talks about this theft I think it’s because this story was tormenting his memory even after years past because he himself confessed in a passage saying that he always felt guilty every time that ” he thinks of this story of robbery because he had not only accused an innocent girl but also exposed her to the street by lying on this good girl so that she did not commit.
1. What is the narrator’s purpose in writing these “confessions”? How do you know?
The narrator’s purpose for writing these “confessions” was to clean his soul of the burden he’s had for so many years. Perhaps it may not seem so grand of confessions that he’s exposing after many years to some readers, but in fact it is still raw and vivid in his mind. The trauma I believe that he must have endured after so many years and especially after the absence of a real mother, had a huge cost on him. Being he was influenced and introduced to punishment and the possibility of taking pleasure from this was an utter disturbing experience for a young boy. I believe this is all normal for a child to do as it’s part of growing up and learning. The incident where he urinated in a neighbors pot and was then punished for his actions, in addition when he stole a ribbon from the dead woman’s house. He wasn’t taught to really think of hid actions and reflect on the integrity of them which leads up to his poor decisions and guilt that arises in him and makes it so hard for him to own up too and confess too.
2. For Rousseau, what is the relationship between feeling and thinking?
The relationship between feeling and thinking is pretty confession for Rousseau. I think this because Rousseau seems to be feeling love for “Mama” but when he sees a pretty girl, his thoughts are more in that pretty girl. Rousseau also thinks that he needs to find a job because he knows that he is poor, but he still feels the need to be arrogant in certain occasions just because he was the only child since his brother moved permanently.
3. How does Rousseau describe his childhood? What significance can we draw from this description.
From his description, Rousseau had a pretty disturbing childhood. His mother died in childbirth, his father had problems with the law so he left the country, and he had a brother that he never saw again after he ran away from the house. Even though all these events seem to be very unfortunate, Rousseau doesn’t seem to blame anyone from his family about what happened in his life as a child. On the contrary, he seems to understand why things happened the way they did but doesn’t comprehend the fact that whatever happened to him as a child, followed and shaped him when he grew up.
How does Rousseau describe his childhood? What significance can we draw from this description?
Although Rousseau had an extremely difficult childhood, he chooses to tell his story with a more optimistic point of view. He takes a bad situation and sees the good in it. For example, his mother dies after giving birth to him and his father had abandoned him shortly after. However, he chooses to look at all the great memories he did have with his father. He reminisces about the times he spent learning how to read at the age of five and reading with his father. He does not dwell on the negative things that happened in his childhood, instead, he just accepts them.
3. How does Rousseau describe his childhood? What significance can we draw from this description
Rousseau described his childhood as a privileged and one that cannot be blamed. As discussed in class and in text, Rousseau did not have the most fortunate childhood being an orphan. He lost his mother at birth and his father at age 10. As he matured he faced a plethora of unfortunate events. He oddly enjoyed punishment and framed someone else for stealing a ribbon. From this description of his childhood we can say his actions were because of how he was brought up.
Using your own language, how would you describe the narrator, given his self-presentation in The Confessions?
The narrator feels that he is different from other men because he sees the world differently, therefore applying his own logic and ideologies. However, it seems to me that he is stating things that are shared by other men, but they would not agree in hopes that they wouldn’t be looked at or treated differently by their peers. Literature was, and is, the gateway to questioning all that was. Rousseu, whether you agree with him or not, is a prime example of that.
The first type of news based writing started in the 17th century. It gave more people a voice to share their ideologies, even if it opposed their current government. Kings have attempted to censor literature since its inception, but Rousseu, and many other writers after him, continued to share their own ideas.
Russeau is different and acknowledges that fact in confessions. He is basically telling people, or confessing, that he sees things differently, maybe to give himself some kind of clarity. I’m not particularly sure as to what he hoped to gain from it but his example has influenced American politics, as well as psychology.
2. For Rousseau, what is the relationship between feeling and thinking?
Rousseau states that as a child, he could feel before he think. He makes a clear distinction between feeling something and thinking where he believes that feelings come first before thinking. Throughout his childhood Rousseau experienced a variety of events and although it is not common for a child to comprehend these complex aspects derived from unusual events, he was able to feel something in depth that helped him to associate the occurrence from being labeled as something good or bad. With this said, a thought is formed from the emotion experienced. Rousseau’s writing classifies under the Romanticism era where feelings were emphasized more than reason, a contrast to the Enlightenment era.
Correction: “Rousseau states that as a child, he could feel before he could think.” This refers back to when he wrote he does not remember when he first started reading/thinking, he just recalled/realized one day being able to do so.
1. What is the narrator’s purpose in writing these “confessions”? How do you know?
Rousseau’s purpose in writing the confessions was to simply tell all about the things that happened in his childhood that had some sort of significance. He is ‘confessing’ all the things that he has done or felt and probably thinks that the readers will find his confessions shocking as if they were all illegal or forbidden. We know this for sure because in the first two paragraphs, he explains the reason for writing and telling all the things he goes on to talk about later.
How does Rousseau describe his childhood? What significance can we draw from this description?
Rousseau had a very hard childhood. He was alone for most of that part of his life. His mother died and he never got to meet her, his dad was not around either and his brother ran away. He really did not have anyone and it is actually really sad. Although, all this happened to him he never blames anyone or feels sorry for himself but rather feels like he still was fortunate. In my opinion, Rousseau is a strong human being for accepting that life isn’t perfect and we can’t dwell on the bad things but instead feel grateful for what we do have.
How does Rousseau describe his childhood? What significance can we draw from this description
From reading “Confessions”, it was easy to tell that Rousseau has a difficult childhood. I think his childhood is something that is unprecedented. His mother died due to giving birth to him. At the same time, his father was facing legal issues. After Rousseau’s parents left, his brother also ran away from home. It seems to me that all three scenarios happening to one person is very unlikely. It almost seems like it’s the build-up of the perfect storm. If we put Rousseau in today’s era, the reaction that Rousseau had about his childhood would change. Even though there was a line of misfortunate events that happened, Rousseau didn’t put the blame on the ones that seems to have caused it. The legal issue with his father, he was as unpreventable. Running away was the only option available. The death of Rousseau’s mother was also a mishap. The brother running away might have been because the father didn’t show any signs of affection. From all of this, we can tell that Rousseau believes that things are meant to be for a reason. Since he doesn’t put blame on anyone, it sounds like he believes in destiny. The idea that God has everything set so the mishaps are not within the person’s control.
4. Why do you think Rousseau chooses to include the anecdote about stealing from his employer?
I believe Rousseau chooses to include the anecdote about stealing from his employer for multiple reasons. One main reason I believe Rousseau chooses to include this situation is to clear his guilty conscious, he knew this story would not be published while he was alive but I believe he still wanted to feel as though he could be cleared of his wrong doing. He knew he had gotten the women he was interested in into trouble and especially because he liked her I believe he held this guilt with him for a long time. I also believe part of the reason Rousseau decided to include this anecdote is because he at the time of doing it and possibly even at the time of writing this autobiography may have not been aware of why he decided to make the choices that he did. I believe that a lot of what Rousseau mentioned in his writing was more to help him come to peace with himself and his own actions in life rather than to necessarily share them with the others, although that is a goal of his as well. Finally, I think Rousseau decided to include stealing from his employer to show his readers how his previous encounters have shaped his life and effected his actions, and how each encounter he makes, including stealing from his employer will continue to shape the rest of his life.
The narrator’s purpose in these confessions was to release his guilt. The narrative of stories coming before the 19th century is the idea that humanity is pure and innocent. Such vulgar ideas and misfortunes are sin and should not be materialized in the world. I know this for several reasons. One reason is the beginning of the text where how he urges for this to be ready only after his death. To me, it comes across as he is ashamed of what he has done therefore cannot face the criticisms. Rousseau himself explains that he cannot stand the idea of being ashamed at the end when he blames the young lady for the theft that he committed.
What is the narrator’s purpose in writing these “confessions”? How do you know?
I think the narrator’s purpose in writing these “confessions” was to redeem himself for the bad things he has done. He tells about all that happened in his childhood and how it shaped him as an adult. Rousseau’s “confessions” signifies the Romantic ideology where childhood is idealized because he expresses all the bad things he did and feelings he had as a child. It’s possible he was trying to make a point about the importance of one’s childhood. Nonetheless, he explicitly states in the first two paragraphs of Book One of his confessions what his intention is and that is to reveal his true self to everyone. He felt he was special and like no other man that existed thus, he confesses all the feelings he had that was deemed wrong before Freud’s psychoanalysis existed.