Literature and the Individual in Early Modern Masterpieces

Monique Dean

ENG/106

August 21, 2012
Ann Francis

Literature and the Individual in Early Modern Masterpieces

Montaigne is known as one of the most prolific authors throughout history. His works are largely based upon his life, a life that began in the 1500’s. One of the more fascinating facts about Montaigne is that he had an absolutely horrible memory. This goes on throughout many of his books, he holds nothing back speaking about how he is just an ordinary person and not perfect. Even with his memory failures and other shortfalls, there have been many successful writers and readers all over who admired and looked to him as someone they aspire to be.
Early Writers Montaigne was not known for being a follower however; he did have those who he admired throughout his life. He was a huge fan of Socrates. Socrates usually made it known that there were many things that he did not know. Montaigne adopted this mindset as well, and is known for asking the question, “What do I know” (Laundry, 2011)? “Unlike Socrates, his is not the mastering of nature by reason, the subordination of the outer self by the intellect, but a bringing into balance of the inner and outer self” (Losse, 2002). Montaigne would also provide most of the information in his essays on himself, and his situations as they relate to his life. This is why most considered him to be a bit of a skeptic. Montaigne also had his favorites that he liked to read, Democritus and Heracleitus were philosophers who had slightly different philosophies but one thing they had in common was that they based much of their findings on the human state of mind. From time to time Montaigne would borrow a story, it would be different than the original because he would retell the story based on personal experiences. He made a comment that “he