Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Where in the Rosseau's Confessions can you find excerpts that shows that he was unique?

I think that you can find many examples of Rousseau's
sense of uniqueness in his work.  The very fact that he can devote an entire book to his
life, and his "confessions" in living it, reflects a sense of uniqueness.  Rousseau was
unique in that he had no problem divulging information about himself that might make him
appear a certain way to others.  He was unique in that way in which he didn't care, and
yet simultaneously did care about how others thought of him.  His detailing of the
corporal punishment he received as a child, and subconsciously enjoyed and how he
thrives on being dominated by women are representative of this.  Another element of his
unique character was that he was so well versed in so many areas.  Art, drama, writing,
music, and political theory were just a few of his areas of expertise.  In a time when
so much was focused on specialization, Rousseau demonstrated himself to be the well
rounded individual that would define uniqueness.  Through his own self exploration
through both rational and emotional sensibilities, Rousseau shows himself to be a very
unique person, one that readers come to both appreciate and
criticize.

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