The Confessions of Jean Jacques Rousseau, Volume

Name: The Confessions of Jean Jacques Rousseau, Volume II
Author: Jean Jacques Rousseau

Volume II explores Rousseau's personal life and relationships, including his time with Madame de Warens and his subsequent departure from her household. He also discusses his experiences in Paris, where he became embroiled in the city's social scene and began to develop his philosophical ideas. The volume delves into Rousseau's relationships with women, particularly Mme de Larnage and Sophie d'Houdetot, and how these relationships influenced his writing and thought. He also reflects on his own emotional and psychological struggles, including his feelings of guilt and shame. Throughout the volume, Rousseau grapples with the tension between his desire for social connection and his need for solitude and independence. He begins to develop his ideas about the nature of human society and the role of emotions in shaping individual behavior. The volume concludes with Rousseau's reflections on his own moral character and his sense of responsibility for his actions.

By Jean Jacques Rousseau · First published 1782 · Genre: Autobiography, Philosophy, Literary Non-fiction · 19,308 words

First lines

The moment in which fear had instigated my flight, did not seem more terrible than that wherein I put my design in execution appeared delightful. To leave my relations, my resources, while yet a child, in the midst of my apprenticeship, before I had learned enough of my business to obtain a subsistence; to run on inevitable misery and danger: to expose myself in that age of weakness and innocence to all the temptations of vice and despair; to set out in search of errors, misfortunes, snares, slavery, and death; to endure more intolerable evils than those I meant to shun, was the picture I should have drawn, the natural consequence of my hazardous enterprise. How different was the idea I entertained of it! -- The independence I seemed to possess was the sole object of my contemplation; having obtained my liberty, I thought everything attainable: I entered with confidence on the vast theatre of the world, which my merit was to captivate: at every step I expected to find amusements, treasures, and adventures; friends ready to serve, and mistresses eager to please me; I had but to show myself, and the whole universe would be interested in my concerns; not but I could have been content with something less; a charming society, with sufficient means, might have satisfied me. My moderation was such, that the sphere in which I proposed to shine was rather circumscribed, but then it was to possess the very quintessence of enjoyment, and myself the principal object. A single castle, for instance, might have bounded my ambition; could I have been the favorite of the lord and lady, the daughter's lover, the son's friend, and protector of the neighbors, I might have been tolerably content, and sought no further.

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The Confessions of Jean Jacques Rousseau, Volume II is listed on Textopian as a novel by Jean Jacques Rousseau, dated 1782 CE.

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Work type: Novel
Author: Jean Jacques Rousseau
Date: 1782 CE
Language: English
Genres: Autobiography, Philosophy, Literary Non-fiction, Romanticism, Historical
Length: 19,308 words
Structure: 1 section, 105 paragraphs
Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)

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Genres

Autobiography — The work is a first-person account of the author's life, detailing personal experiences and reflections.
Philosophy — It explores themes of human nature, society, and morality, presenting philosophical arguments and insights.
Literary Non-fiction — The narrative combines factual recounting with literary style, blurring the lines between fiction and non-fiction.
Romanticism — The text embodies elements of Romantic thought, emphasizing emotion, individualism, and nature.