The Theme of Decadence in the Picture of Dorian Grey by...

The theme of decadence in The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde Staring from the definition found in the dictionary, the decadence is a literary movement especially of late 19th-century France and England characterized by refined aestheticism, artifice, and the quest for new sensations. [1] In decadence, important is not necessarily what is seen, but the hermeneutics: what man feels when he sees the creative result of this feeling. It is the current that requires a co-operation from the public to the artistic work for the purposes of re-creation. The image proposed by the decadents is a violent one, an image that shocks by having a fascinating and terrifying power. It is a image that stimulates and also stimulates.†¦show more content†¦His conception is hedeonistic. If Basil is the art creator, the picture’s creator, Lord Henry is the creator of Dorian’s new aspect. The experience of the sin is finished by killing his friend, Basil Hallward. His act does not stirs remorse, his only concern being to erase the traces in orde r to avoid getting discovered. His diabolism can be compared to the one of Des Esseintes , which attempts to transform a young man, Auguste Langlois, into an assassin, through vice, but the difference is that the Huysmanss character has not the power to commit a murder himself. The murder is followed by the destruction of the portrait. A strong element related to the decadent movement is the dandyism, the social phenomenon, meaning a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of Self.[5] A first determination of dandyism is shown when old Lord Fermor says to his nephew Henry Wotton Well, Harry, what brings you out so early? I thought you dandies never got up till two, and were not visible till five. [6] Lord Henry Wotton is fully a dandy, most of the qualities found at him. His modality of choosing the people he comes into strengthens the claim that Henry is a dandy, I choose myShow MoreRelatedIs Masculinity Defined Within The Comedy?2332 Words   |  10 Pagesdefinition of a man and masculinity started about in the victorian era, when decadence and elegance took the reins of society. This came about at a time where men began to care more about their choice of style, knowledge of art and literature and understanding of culture. This is shown in many art forms but specifically in the portrait â€Å"Dr. Pozzi At Home† by John Singer Sargent and the book â€Å"The picture of Dorian Grey† by Oscar Wilde. The question I want to address is how was masculinity defined in the