Baudelaire

Charles Baudelaire was a 19th century French poet and literary critic known for his appreciation of decadence. He believed that "vice is natural in that it is selfish, while virtue is artificial because we must restrain our natural impulses in order to be good" (Liukkonen, www.kirjasto.sci.fi). Several of his poems were banned in France for nearly 100 years, and he was fined for obscenity. His name is often used to suggest depravity and vice. Baudelaire's criticism called for art to recognize and depict the beauty in the dark corners of life, and his views became and remain very influential.

Blue's father's statement, "It's enough to make you give up on Baudelaire", means that his belief that most people are boring contradicts Baudelaire's belief that vice is everywhere, and he finds this depressing. He prefers Baudelaire's way of looking at the world.

Appearance in the Novel: 105
Source(s): http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/baudelai.htm; http://www.veinotte.com/baudelaire/#top