2024-11-24 15:00:00
In “Alice in Wonderland”, by Lewis Carroll, the young heroine meets a blue caterpillar smoking a hookah on a mushroom… Illustration by John Tenniel (London, 1890). DARCHIVIO/OPALE.PHOTO
From Thomas De Quincey to Will Self via Arthur Rimbaud, drugs have given rise to an abundant literature. Antidotes to bourgeois moderation, whether they express excess or disorder, they testify to a desire not without danger of engagement in creative introspection. Rimbaud, “the man with the soles of wind”, was one of the first to call for, in his famous collection of prose poems A season in hell (1873), the implementation of a “reasoned disruption of all the senses” conducive, according to him, to poetic creation. Often associated with the image of the cursed poet, he nevertheless had an ambiguous relationship with substances that modify perception.
Many people followed suit. Some have made narcotics a key focus of their work, others have seen them only as an uninteresting mirage or a refuge from depression or physical suffering. A minority found in psychotropic drugs a door to a larger dimension. Between knowledge and forgetting oneself, the line is sometimes tenuous.
This article is taken from “Special Issue Le Monde – Drug traffickers: their networks, their crimes, the response”November-December 2024, on sale at kiosks or online by going to on our store website.
The German writer Ernst Jünger, fascinated by extreme experiences, perfectly sums up this ambiguity in Approaches, drugs and drunkennessa major work published in 1970: « Forgetting something, running away from something and on the other hand wanting to achieve, to gain something, it is between these two poles that the whole problem of drunkenness moves. » We take drugs out of pain, sorrow, curiosity, a taste for transgression as much as to open ourselves to a different form of consciousness and thought, neither cognitive nor discursive. For Jacques Rigaut, one of the most active agitators of the Parisian Dada group, known for his nihilistic spirit at the beginning of the 20th century, the use of narcotics simply requires no justification.
Alice high perched
If, in the 16th century, Rabelais already mentioned substances altering the mind in his writings, Thomas De Quincey, self-proclaimed “Pope of the Church of Opium »is the first writer in the world to have frankly recounted the recreational use of a drug, in this case laudanum, an alcoholic tincture of opium very popular in the Victorian era. His Confessions of an English Opium Eater, published in 1822, thus mark the beginning of a long series of imitations. Balzac was inspired, for example, by Alfred de Musset’s somewhat fanciful translation of the text to write a short story (L’Opium) in 1830.
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### Interview with Literary Scholar Dr. Emilia Hartman
### Interview with Literary Scholar Dr. Emilia Hartman
**Interviewer:** Welcome, Dr. Hartman. Today, we’re delving into the complex relationship between literature and drug use, inspired in part by Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland,” where Alice encounters a blue caterpillar smoking a hookah. What do you think this symbolizes in the context of writing and creativity?
**Dr. Hartman:** Thank you for having me. The caterpillar, with its hookah, represents a pivotal moment in literary history, where substances like drugs are tied to explorations of consciousness. Carroll and many authors after him have used narcotics to delve into altered states of mind, which can facilitate creativity or self-exploration. This idea is echoed in the writings of poets like Arthur Rimbaud, who advocated for a “reasoned disruption of all the senses” in his work. It suggests that altering perception can lead to profound creative insights.
**Interviewer:** Rimbaud is indeed a fascinating figure. In your view, how have perceptions of drug use in literature evolved since Rimbaud’s time?
**Dr. Hartman:** The perceptions have certainly changed. In Rimbaud’s era, drugs were often romanticized as tools for artistic genius and exploration. Today, while some writers still embrace this notion, many also explore the darker sides of substance use, such as addiction or escapism from mental suffering. Authors like Thomas De Quincey and Will Self have depicted narcotics as both a means to enhance creativity and a source of personal turmoil. This duality highlights the complex relationship individuals have with substances; they can be both liberating and destructive.
**Interviewer:** That’s a very insightful perspective. You mentioned that drugs can be seen as both a liberation and a danger. Can you elaborate on this balance?
**Dr. Hartman:** Certainly. The line between knowledge and self-forgetting is indeed very thin. For some writers, drugs can serve as an entry point to new ideas, often pushing the boundaries of conventional thought. However, they also risk leading to disorientation and dependency. This duality is documented in various literary works, reflecting the intricate tapestry of human experience with drugs—you can find profound beauty along with devastating consequences. It’s this complexity that keeps readers and scholars fascinated.
**Interviewer:** It seems that literature continues to serve as a mirror for society’s evolving relationship with drugs. How do you see this continuing in future literary works?
**Dr. Hartman:** I believe we will see an even greater exploration of this theme. As society becomes more aware of mental health issues and addiction, writers may increasingly turn to drug experiences to articulate these challenges. Future literature might not only question the utility of drugs in creative processes but also delve deeper into the narratives of recovery, resilience, and the search for authenticity in an ever-complicated world.
**Interviewer:** Thank you for sharing your insights, Dr. Hartman. Your thoughts certainly enrich our understanding of the delicate interplay between drugs and creativity in literature.
**Dr. Hartman:** Thank you for the engaging conversation!