Practice question · Fill in the blanks
Complete the comparison of the two Confessions.
Augustine addresses ______, who already knows, and seeks ______. Rousseau addresses a tribunal of ______, who must be convinced, and seeks ______.
Word bank: God · forgiveness · readers · vindication · Monica · silence
Hints
- The addressee determines what the confession can be for.
- One outcome is granted by a confessor; the other by a jury.
Show the answer
Augustine addresses God, who already knows, and seeks forgiveness. Rousseau addresses a tribunal of readers, who must be convinced, and seeks vindication.
Why
The addressee determines the genre. Confession to one who knows everything can only be a change in the confessor; confession to a jury is a defence. Rousseau borrowed the title precisely to make the reversal visible.
Practise Rousseau’s Confessions: the Self as Its Own Justification
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