WORLD LITERATURE II (ENG 252)

Activities for Rousseau and Romanticism

Dr. Diane Thompson, NVCC, ELI


Select the Activity question you wish to respond to. Make a copy of the question to begin your Activity. Post your response to the Blackboard Activity 3: Rousseau and Romanticism Forum.

graphic of one chili pepperCompare the role of feeling in the Confessions to the role of reason in Candide. Use several specific examples from each text to support your ideas. Try to come to some general conclusion about the differences between the two.
graphic of one chili pepperCompare the role of nature in the Confessions to the role of the garden in Candide. How are they similar? How different? What about the work ethic in Candide's garden? Is there anything like it in the Confessions? Use several specific examples from each text to support your ideas. Try to come to some general conclusion about the differences between the two.
graphic of one chili pepperCompare the central importance of the individual self in the Confessions with the central importance of a community of friends in Candide. Why is this difference important? Be sure to use specific examples from each text to support your ideas. 
graphic of one chili pepperAfter reading the selections of the Confessions, make a list of ideas and examples in it that you think are especially indicative of romanticism. Now, consider life today. What examples of this romanticism can you see around you now? Be specific and explain how you think that the romantic elements you find today relate to the ideas or feelings expressed by Rousseau.
graphic of one chili pepperWrite a "Confession of your feelings and experiences during a short, intense period of your life. Now, compare your confession to Rousseau's. What similarities do you see? What differences? Why? Refer to specific events/attitudes in Rousseau's Confessions for your comparisons. Are you a romantic? Why or why not? If you prefer, you may send this directly to your instructor, rather than posting it to the public forum.
two chili peppersCompare Rousseau's ideas about natural goodness in the Confessions to Voltaire's ideas about good and evil in Candide. Which seems more true to you? Why? Be sure to support your ideas with specific ideas from each text. 
two chili peppersLook at the form of the Confessions--intimate autobiography--and compare it to the form of Candide--third person satire. How does the form of each suit the message or content? Which do you find more pleasing? Why? Support your ideas with specific examples from each text.
two chili peppersRousseau describes himself as living a life more based in his imagination than in what actually happens to him from day to day. Voltaire describes Candide as living a life which starts with a philosophical education, but is modified as he learns by experience. Look at the two texts for specific examples of these two ways of living. Do you think Rousseau matured during his lifetime? What about Candide? Who was the more able to learn and grow?
two chili peppersLook up and define Romanticism and Enlightenment and note some of the main ideas of each as found in the texts of Candide and the Confessions. Be sure to use specific examples to support your ideas.
two chili peppersCan you explain what Voltaire thought would make human life happy? What did Rousseau think would make human life happy? Support your ideas with specific examples from the two texts.
two chili peppersDouble Credit: Consider Monkey and Rousseau as examples of community behavior versus radical individualism. At the start, Monkey is a self-involved character who does not pay attention to the needs of those around him. The same seems to be true of Rousseau. Monkey eventually learns through his trials and journey with friends to consider others; does Rousseau? What different underlying social values can you see in these two? You need to support your ideas with plenty of specific examples from each text. This Activity has potential for double credit if you do a very thorough job. If you want to do this, I suggest researching the ideas of community versus individualism and be sure to cite your sources.
two chili peppersDouble Credit: Read The Devil's Pool, a charming rustic short novel by George Sand (a 19th century French woman author). It is the story of a ploughman falling in love with a shephardess and full of the charm of the rural life and ancient customs in France before the modern world changed everything. Compare this loving representation of country life with what you find in Rousseau's Confessions. What kinds of similarities do you find? What interesting differences? And, of course, so what? This Activity has potential for double credit if you do a very thorough job.

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© Diane Thompson: 8/1/1998; last updated: October 1, 2013