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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What insights can Dr. Emily Carter provide about the historical impact of drug use on literary creativity in authors like Arthur Rimbaud and Lewis Carroll?
**Interview with Dr. Emily Carter, Literary Scholar and Cultural Critic**
*Date: November 24, 2024
Time: 3:00 PM*
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Dr. Carter! With the backdrop of literary giants like Arthur Rimbaud and Lewis Carroll, what is your take on the connection between literature and drug use?
**Dr. Carter:** Thank you for having me! Literature has a long and intricate relationship with drugs. Writers like Rimbaud explored the “reasoned disruption of all the senses” to enhance their creative process. This idea resonates through various literary movements, where substances serve not only as escape but as tools for deeper introspection and exploration of perception.
**Interviewer:** You mentioned Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland.” What do you think about the interpretations of Alice’s encounters in Wonderland, especially the blue caterpillar with its hookah?
**Dr. Carter:** That scene is a rich symbol in the literature of the 19th century, often interpreted through a lens of altered perception. Critics have frequently linked the caterpillar’s behavior to the use of substances. It’s suggested that Alice’s journey can mirror a hallucinogenic experience, prompting readers to question reality and explore their own subconscious—much like the writers of that era did.
**Interviewer:** In terms of cultural impact, how do you see the contributions of authors like Thomas De Quincey and Will Self framing this discussion?
**Dr. Carter:** De Quincey’s “Confessions of an English Opium-Eater” is a seminal work that vividly expresses the duality of drug use as both a source of creativity and a perilous trap. Conversely, contemporary writers like Will Self have continued this discourse, often critiquing the societal implications of substance use while exploring personal and artistic liberation. They embody the tension between embracing narcotics for creative insight and recognizing the risks involved.
**Interviewer:** It seems there’s a fine line between the pursuit of knowledge and the risk of losing oneself in these explorations. Can you elaborate on that?
**Dr. Carter:** Absolutely. For many artists, the pursuit of expanded consciousness can lead to profound insights or creative breakthroughs. However, it’s a double-edged sword. The seductive nature of drugs often blurs lines between genuine experience and escapism, which can derail creative potential or lead to addiction. This duality has kept the conversation lively and contentious in literary circles.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Dr. Carter, for sharing your insights with us today. The connection between literature and altered states of consciousness continues to be a captivating area of study.
**Dr. Carter:** My pleasure! It’s a fascinating subject that reveals much about human nature and our quest for understanding.
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For those interested in a deeper exploration of these themes, be sure to check out the recent article discussing drugs and literature in the special issue of Le Monde titled “Drug traffickers: their networks, their crimes, the response” available now [[1](https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20160527-alice-in-wonderlands-hidden-messages)].
