Abstract
Walter Benjamin's urban studies contain exquisite and comprehensive depictions of the female image. As a representative of dialectical images， the female figure， thanks to its ambivalence， demonstrates the rejection of dualism underlining the system of irony. This article analyzes Benjamin's thinking on the questions of sense and technology from the dialectical perspective of the female image in his urban studies. In Benjamin's writings， the re-enchanting feminine atmosphere engages such life experiences as gazing， caressing， and breathing， which allows the image of female mixed with that of animals to be connected to the senses of sight， hearing， touch and smell. The interactions between senses lead to the affirmation of nature， which， on the one hand， effectively resists the visual despotism in the society of the spectacle， and， on the other hand， facilitates a new understanding of the concept of “aura.” The female image also unveils the inner connections between sense and technology. Technology not only responds to and transforms nature with its revolutionary energy， but also uses “warm empiricism” to reflect upon and correct the experience of life.
Keywords
Walter Benjamin, the female image, nature, aura, sense, technology
First Page
97
Last Page
106
Recommended Citation
Huang, Lu. 2023. "On the Female Image in Walter Benjamin's Urban Studies." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 43, (1): pp.97-106. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol43/iss1/12
