Rousseau Is Staunchly Opposed To Attending Theater

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Rousseau is staunchly opposed to the notion of attending theater, and other forms of entertainment, inside halls or auditoriums because that environment severs the individual’s ties to nature. According to Rousseau, when someone partakes in theater indoors, they are isolating themselves from all those around them while being engrossed in the performance and story. His solution is to revert back to the times of open-air amphitheaters reminiscent of Ancient Greece and Rome. By leaving the “gloomy cavern” of the theater where the audience member is only able to connect with the fictional story and entering the shining sun, the individual is then able to achieve happiness. Rousseau furthers his assertion that outside performances are superior,