THE EXAMINATION OF THE THEME OF ALIENATION IN JEAN BAUDRILLARD'S ANALYSES OF 'THE STUDENT FROM PRAGUE' AND THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF PETER SCHLEMIHL'

Abstract

This study investigates how Jean Baudrillard deals with the theme of alienation through the works "The Student from Prague" and "The Extraordinary Story of Peter Schlemihl". In these works, Baudrillard analyses various factors that transform the individual's perception of self and his/her relationship with social reality. In "The Student from Prague", he discusses the destructive effect of the image on the individual and the process by which the subject objectifies himself, while in "The Extraordinary Story of Peter Schlemihl" he examines the tragic consequences of the loss of identity and existence. Baudrillard offers an in-depth analysis of alienation by explaining the existential crisis of the modern individual through the dominant roles of images and commodities.

Furthermore, this study assesses how Baudrillard's critiques illuminate the pressures on the individual and changes in social relations in modern societies. It aims to discuss the multidimensional nature of alienation and the experiences of the modern individual from a broader perspective, while showing how Baudrillard's theories are intertwined with both literary and philosophical texts. In this context, Baudrillard reassesses the concepts of freedom and will, highlighting how the subject is manipulated in modern society and pushed into an existential void beyond alienation.

The study also focuses on Baudrillard's critique of social mobility and liberation movements, assessing the consequences of the realisation of desirable desires and the virtual disappearance of the alienated human being. Baudrillard's differences between the two stories and his reflections on the nature of alienation form the core of this study.