The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau

How does Rousseau describe his childhood character and his family’s role in its formation?

How does Rousseau describe his childhood character and his family’s role in its formation?

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Rousseau's mother dies while giving birth to him. Growing up without a mother and with an absent father figure, he lacks the feminine influence which he so desperately needed as a boy. In adulthood this translates into distinct, attention-seeking kind of sexual promiscuity. Rousseau engages in dozens of affairs with all sorts of women, but every time he is looking for some kind of validation. He wants these women to be his mother, to look out for him and encourage him.