Primitivism's Modern Return

As a terminology in western literature and arts criticism, primitivism came into being in the capitalist society when its civilization was bogging in dilemma. It, on the one hand by commending the primitive living status and plain human nature, embodies human's returning to his original state and longing for nature, and on the other it expresses its complaint about modern civilization by revealing modern men's bewilderment, interior vanity, and ennui about city's life. The thesis selects Baudelaire as a case to study. Chapter one deals with the background of Baudelaire's primitivism trend in creation in terms of times, religion, philosophy and literature. Chapter two digs into the embodiment of primitivism in his works from perspectives of primitive way of thinking and perception, secrecy, mythical elements and words expression. And in Chapter three the interaction and great tension of modern and primitive times are being explored, which is reflected in Baudelaire's modern recognition of classic connotation, values on nature and religion, and the poetic Paris under his pen. In Baudelaire's opinion, primitivism has developed from a unilateral trend toward a multilateral communication between primitive times and modern times. It is a warning whatever to our human itself or to its surrounding living environments. Meanwhile it provides a pattern of life that we can draw on, that is, transition from a unilateral human to a multilateral human.