Abstract:
The influence Jean-Jacques Rousseau's philosophy has on French and Francophone literary and cinematic works mostly likely occurs on a superficial level to most students. This manuscript attempts to unveil the profundity of his philosophical influence. Further research was necessary to validate the true impact of Rousseauian philosophy on various French and Francophone film adaptations of both novel and play. This research attempts to further define his philosophy. All research indicates a profound Rousseauian influence which specifies the importance of an individual, fundamental, natural state of man versus an artificial, civil and socially structured state. The following manuscript is an expository of specific film adaptations of both novel and play which support the findings of a highly influential Rousseauian philosophy defined as a juxtaposition of both these natural and artificial states. The findings indicate a Rousseauian promotion of equilibrium between these two states in each film expository. Along with this indicated equilibrium of the two states is an emphasis on the importance of the fundamental, individual nature of man. The consequences of the rejection of this nature and the movement away from it after man's creation are also indicated. The consequences of imbalance between the two state s are indicated and expounded upon by tragic plots and sub-plots in which either the individual, fundamental nature of man or the Civil State of being have become too predominant. The research contained within this manuscript focuses on the need and promotion of an equilibrium as well as on the consequences of imbalance in connection with Rousseau and his profound legacy. Time and more research will continue to prove the findings in this manuscript and enforce the importance of further study on Jean-Jacques Rousseau along with his apparent philosophical promotion of an equilibrium containing both natural and artificial states of being.
