Vigny Stello and Existential Freedom

Vigny's Stello reflects personal, literary, and political dilemmas arising around 1830. Vigny's answer in Stello is one of "no answer" or a "theory of uncertainty" that is basically one of existential freedom and authenticity. Stello presents three "cases" of the existential self: Gilbert (an inner world of freedom); Chatterton (alienation); Chénier (revolt). Each solution creates tensions in a search for identity. That the search becomes an existential end in itself and the only possibility of freedom is the final answer available to Stello. (RN)