Themes Louis Lambert (novel)

1 themes

1.1 autobiography
1.2 swedenborg , metaphysics
1.3 religion
1.4 genius , madness

themes

balzac, seen here in mid-20s, describes louis lambert built, 5 feet in height , hair, of fine, bright black in masses of curls .


autobiography

biographers , critics agree louis lambert thinly veiled version of author, evidenced numerous similarities between them. student @ collège de vendôme, balzac friends boy named louis-lambert tinant. title character, balzac s faith shaken @ time of first communion. balzac read voraciously while in school, , – lambert – punished misbehaving in class. precise details of school reflect balzac s time there: described in novel, students allowed keep pigeons , tend gardens, , holidays spent in dormitories.

lambert s essay metaphysics, traité de la volonté ( treatise on ), autobiographical reference. balzac wrote essay himself boy, , – in novel – confiscated angry teacher. lambert s genius , philosophical erudition reflections of balzac s self-conception. similarly, critics , biographers have suggested lambert s madness reflects (consciously or not) balzac s own unsteady mental state. plans run parliament , other non-literary ambitions led observers @ time suspect sanity.

the many letters in novel written lambert based on balzac s life. after finishing first version of book, balzac tried win heart of marquise de castries sending fragmented love letter book. lambert s letters uncle life in paris 1817 1820, meanwhile, mirror balzac s own sentiments while attending sorbonne @ same time.

swedenborg , metaphysics

emanuel swedenborg s work, heaven , hell, profoundly influences boy genius louis lambert.

the ideas of swedish philosopher emanuel swedenborg (and disciple louis claude de saint-martin) central louis lambert. madame de staël impressed lambert when finds him in park reading swedenborg s metaphysical treatise heaven , hell (1758); swedish writer s ideas later reproduced in lambert s own comments mind, soul, , will. primary among these division of human inward , outward being. outward being, subject forces of nature , studied science, manifests in lambert frail, sick boy. inward being, meanwhile, contains lambert calls material substance of thought , , serves true life gradually moves throughout novel.

swedenborg s concepts explored relation language, pain, memory, , dreams. when students take trip nearby château de rochambeau, example, lambert, has never visited château, nevertheless recalls vivid memories of place dream. believing spirit visited place while body slept, ascribes experience complete severance of body , inner being , inscrutable locomotive faculty in spirit effects resembling of locomotion in body .

like heroes swedenborg , saint-martin, balzac attempts in louis lambert construct viable theory unify spirit , matter. young lambert attempts goal in traité de la volonté, – having been confiscated teacher – described narrator:

the word used connote ... mass of power man can reproduce, outside himself, actions constituting external life.... word mind, or thought, regarded quintessential product of will, represented medium in ideas originate thought gives substance.... , mind 2 generating forces; volition , idea 2 products. volition, thought, idea evolved abstract state concrete state, generative fluid solid expression.... according him, mind , ideas motion , outcome of our inner organization, , volition of our external activity. gave precedence on mind.

the exploration of human , thought linked balzac s interest in franz mesmer, postulated theory of animal magnetism, force flowing among humans. narrator invokes mesmer twice in text, , describes section of traité de la volonté reflects animal-magnetic theory.

religion

balzac s spiritual crisis @ time of first communion led him explore first christian thinkers , question of evil. french critic philippe bertault points out, of mysticism in louis lambert related of christianity. in letters, lambert describes exploring philosophies of christianity, hinduism, buddhism, islam, , confucianism, among others. tracing similarities among these traditions, declares swedenborg undoubtedly epitomizes of religions—or rather 1 religion—of humanity . same theory informs balzac s efforts, in louis lambert , elsewhere, complement christian beliefs occult mysticism , secular realism.

the church subject of lambert s meditations, particularly regard christian martyrs. split between inward , outward realities, suggests, serves explain ability of being tortured , maimed escape physical suffering through of spirit. lambert says: not phenomena observed in every instance of torments heroically endured christians establishment of faith, amply prove material force never prevail against force of ideas or of man? inward–outward split serves explain miracles attributed jesus, whom lambert considers perfect representation of unity between 2 beings.

the ability of christian martyrs – ignatius of antioch, eaten lions – escape suffering through faith described louis lambert proof of treatise on will.

the religious theme later appears in passages relating angels. discussing contents of swedenborg s heaven , hell, lambert tries convince narrator of existence of angels, described individual in whom inner being conquers outer being . boy genius himself seen example of process: physical body withers , sickens, while spiritual enlightenment expands, reaching apex comment narrator: angels white. pauline, meanwhile, described angel , angel-woman . parallel angelic states merge critic charles affron calls kind of perfect marriage, spiritual bond traverses world , next . balzac later returned question of angels in other works of Études philosophiques, particularly séraphîta.

genius , madness

convinced himself genius, balzac used louis lambert explore difficulty of geniuses in society, frequent progression madness. had been troubled when, @ vendôme, watched schoolmate s mental condition deteriorate severely. lambert s madness represented vividly in attempt @ self-castration, followed years spent in catatonic state. transformation in many ways byproduct of genius; because brilliance condemned teachers , incompatible society of other children, lambert finds himself rejected world. finds no more success in paris, led eat heart out in misery . becomes vegetable, removed physical world entirely.

as reflection of balzac himself, lambert embodies author s self-image brilliant writer, 1 acknowledges suspicions mental health. of stories , public statements – fall prior writing novel – had led observers question balzac s sanity. protagonist s madness in louis lambert added weight these claims. biographer graham robb writes: typical of balzac douse fire petrol.