

Therefore, the reader can conclude that Benjamin uses his literature as imagery that brings hope to the European people. His novel is all about acceptance of technology and using it appropriately. He is focused on enlightening the population on the merits of technology and why they should use it positively to bring a good change in society. Benjamin is aware of this and he is using his God-given talent to optimize the hopes of the European people that as long as they are determined, they will attain their goals.

Literature is a powerful tool because it does not only inspire but also brings hope. Is Benjamin using his writings to bring hope among the European people? For instance, modern weaponry can destroy the world if not appropriately used. However, Benjamin also agrees that the misuse of modern technology is highly detrimental to the human race. Similarly, technology promotes healthcare and many other aspects of life. For instance, modern technology reduces production costs in many businesses. Written by people who wish to remain anonymousĭoes the author of Illuminations support the rapid evolution of technology in the modern era?Īccording to Benjamin the author of Illuminations, technology is good and it should be embraced by the Europeans because if used effectively it can be highly beneficial in many sectors of the economy. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. GradeSaver, 31 August 2019 Web.These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.
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Next Section Symbols, Allegory and Motifs Previous Section Quotes How To Cite in MLA Format Anonymous "Illuminations Study Guide: Analysis". Will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback. You can help us out by revising, improving and updatingĪfter you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. He writes about human life from the position of one who suspects that death might be around the corner. His ideas should be viewed with that painful reality in mind, because his point of view is informed by the kind of horror that most humans never encounter. Looking back on Benjamin's legacy as a thinker and writer, one might notice the irony of his point of view in history, because he died in 1940, attempting to escape the Nazis who wanted to capture him and put him in a concentration camp. A fuller examination of Benjamin's experience of Kafka would need to discuss the idea of apocalypse, because Benjamin is clearly concerned with doom in the social sphere. From the comfort of modern civilization, perhaps it is less likely for readers to see the absolute cosmic horror in Kafka that Benjamin sees.

There is a question to answer about what his encounter with those stories might have been like. Much of the essays point to the use of art and literature as a means of social discourse, and he spends essays unpacking short stories and novels by Proust and Kafka. Also, there is no denying the influence of Jewish mysticism in Benjamin's writing and point of view, an influence that mattered all the more because of his station in history: he was a Jew who fled Germany during the rise of Hitler's Nazi regime. One of the major obstacles that faces modern students who encounter the philosophies of Benjamin found in Illuminations is that there are radical differences between his assumptions about reality and modern opinion. Written by people who wish to remain anonymous These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.
