Does Stendhal have anything important to tell us about love Essay

Does Stendhal have anything important to tell us about love - Essay Example In this paper, the contribution of Stendhal towards love as a topic and a writing theme will be analyzed, judging his writings from the eyes of analysts and critics. In his book on love, Stendhal attempted to make a rational analysis of human emotions, feelings and attitudes towards each other. To make a complete analysis of love and the way it impacts on different people and leaders, Stendhal analyzed four main types of love. According to Stendhal, love can be categorized based on the individual feeling, impact it has on the people and the input that sustains it. Passionate love was initially developed by the Portuguese nuns according to Stendhal and exists between individuals, families and even social groupings. The bond that brings together families and members of a given society, religious group or even political grouping is associated with the passionate attraction that they develop through constant interaction. Families, for example, are determined to protect and provide for their members as a way of showing that their existence goes beyond a social grouping, but a manifestation of passionate love shared (Toker, 2014, p.251). On the other hand, mannered love has its origin in Paris and has been captured in different French memoirs and stories including those involving chamfer and lauzun. Artists have attempted to illustrate the mannered love using different tools including the rosy hues that have no spot to show negativity and ill feelings. Whatsoever is unpleasant in mannered love will result into a breach of the better taste and etiquette that has been developed from this kind of love (Foster, 2014, p311). Any individual who attempts to nurture such kinds of love must first ensure that the rituals and stages involved are observed and followed. According to Stendhal, Mannered love results into more intense