Images of awakening. The Proustian influence in Benjamin's Das Passagen-Werk

Abstract

The influence of À la recherche du temps perdu in Benjamin's thought was such that the Berliner philosopher felt that his intellectual independence was at risk. Benjamin not only translated Proust, but also provided new meaning to many of the novelist's images and concepts by introducing them in a philosophical context. In Das Passagen-Werk these concepts play an important role and the notion of awakening is regained in political terms. This paper aims at showing the continuity and differences of the Benjaminian reading of Proust by stressing the political content of his interpretation.