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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How does Dr. Hartman interpret the symbolism of the blue caterpillar smoking a hookah in relation to altered states of consciousness in “Alice in Wonderland”?
**Interview with Dr. Emily Hartman, Literary Scholar**
*Interviewer*: Welcome, Dr. Hartman. Thank you for joining us today to discuss the intriguing connections between literature and drug use, particularly in the context of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland.”
*Dr. Hartman*: Thank you for having me! It’s a fascinating topic that opens up many avenues for discussion.
*Interviewer*: Let’s start with the scene in “Alice in Wonderland” where Alice encounters the blue caterpillar smoking a hookah. How do you interpret this moment in relation to the broader themes of drug use and perception in literature?
*Dr. Hartman*: The caterpillar is a potent symbol of transformation and altered states. Smoking a hookah can be interpreted as a metaphor for exploring consciousness, much like the experience of reading can alter one’s perception of reality. Carroll’s fantastical elements often invite readers to question the boundaries of their experiences, much like the poets who followed a similar path of introspection through drugs.
*Interviewer*: You mentioned poets. The article we’re referencing speaks about figures like Rimbaud, who advocated for a “reasoned disruption of all the senses.” What parallels can you draw between Rimbaud’s views and Carroll’s writing?
*Dr. Hartman*: Both Rimbaud and Carroll utilized surreal imagery and abstract concepts to convey deeper truths about existence. Rimbaud’s push for sensory disruption to unlock creativity parallels Carroll’s whimsical, and often nonsensical, narrative style. It suggests that altering one’s state of mind—whether through reading, dreaming, or substance use—can lead to profound insights and new perspectives.
*Interviewer*: Interestingly, some artists have embraced narcotics as a crucial part of their creative process, while others view them more critically. How does this divide manifest in literature?
*Dr. Hartman*: That dichotomy exists in the literary world as well. Some authors openly discuss their relationship with drugs as a source of inspiration or a means of breaking through creative blocks. Others, however, see them as distractions or even dangerous dependencies. In “Alice in Wonderland,” there’s humor and a sense of playfulness that embodies this conflict—Alice’s adventures can be seen as both an exploration and a cautionary tale about losing oneself in fantasy, echoing the tension between knowledge and oblivion described in drug literature.
*Interviewer*: In your opinion, how does “Alice in Wonderland” fit into the larger discourse on drug culture in literature?
*Dr. Hartman*: Carroll’s work encapsulates a unique moment where whimsy meets existential inquiry. While it may not overtly promote drug use, it certainly resonates with the themes of altered consciousness and creative exploration seen in the works of later writers like De Quincey and Self. The blending of reality and fantasy in Carroll’s writing provides a rich ground for exploring the roles drugs play, both as creativity enhancers and as escapism.
*Interviewer*: Thank you, Dr. Hartman, for your insights. It’s clear that “Alice in Wonderland” not only entertains but also opens up profound discussions about perception, creativity, and the human experience.
*Dr. Hartman*: Thank you! I enjoyed our conversation and hope it encourages more people to explore the complex layers of literature and its connections to altered states of consciousness.
