Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-2001

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

History

Major Professor

Owen Bradley

Abstract

Several established interpretations defining the modern individual are applied in historical studies, usually under the pretext of defending a larger socio-cultural argument. Two of the more common examples, for instance, are the Marxist and Liberal individuals. These models suggest inherent natures exist within a given segment of society—this makes large cultural studies more approachable. With that in mind, a first examination of Baudelaire's individual shows a concept seemingly too il-defmed Nonetheless, Jean Paul Sartre and Walter Benjamin, two of the most unique and exceptional minds of the twentieth century, incorporate Baudelaire's individual into their studies. This thesis examines what drew Sartre and Benjamin away from more established models and towards the intellectual minefield of irony and complexity inherent in Baudelaire's modern individual. It is this complexity, ofcourse, that enables Baudelaire's individual to resonate in a way that other more-rigid constructs do not. By studying Baudelaire's On the Essence of Laughter essay, his Salon of 1846 review and Sartre and Benjamin's studies, this thesis offers evidence to dismiss the claim that Baudelaire's work is merely il-defmed. Hopefully, this thesis will convince its readers that any socio-historical model incorporating the modern individual needs in some manner to account for the many insights of Charles Baudelaire.

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