presentation on the novel by Oscar Wilde

1. The Picture of Dorian Gray
Written by Oscar Wilde
Presentation by
Brittany Nance
How does Decadence function in the novel?

2. Decadence
• Part of the Aesthetic movement in late
19th century between the Romantic and
Modern eras; valued artifice over the
earlier Romantics' naïve view of nature
• Depended upon the capitalistic culture
of the bourgeoisie, they loathed it; exiles
from the Romantic Eden of nature, they
despised the city while wallowing in its
seductions: from this méconnaissance
[unawareness] arose the Decadent’s
perverse obsessions with flesh, lust, and
abnormality

3. More than a synonym for
“decay” or “immortality”…
"I love this word decadence, all shimmering in purple
and gold. It suggests the subtle thoughts of ultimate
civilization, a high literary culture, a soul capable of
intense pleasures. It throws off bursts of fire and the
sparkle of precious stones. It is redolent of the rouge
of courtesans, the games of the circus, the panting of
the gladiators, the spring of wild beasts, the
consuming in flames of races exhausted by their
capacity for sensation, as the tramp of an invading
army sounds." -- Paul Verlaine in Les poètes maudits,
1884

4. Decadence in the novel
• In contrast to the usual Victorian emphasis on work and
social responsibility, Decadence emphasized the fleeting
nature of life and argued that the most important thing
was to relish the exquisite sensations life brings, especially
those stimulated by a work of art. The aim was to be fully
present and to live vividly in each passing moment. As
Walter Pater put it in his Studies in the History of the
Renaissance (1873), "To burn always with this hard, gemlike
flame, to maintain this ecstasy, is success in life." This is in
complete opposition to the prevailing Victorian mentality,
with its emphasis on hard work, moral earnestness, and
material success.
• The novel is centralized around specific ideals of the
supremacy of beauty and youth and is focused on art with
a purpose. In the novel, the portrait’s purpose is to take the
brunt of life in place of Dorian Gray so that his youth and
beauty would remain forever. This large focus on the
outward appearance shows the author’s obsession with he
physical ideals of Decadence: youth, beauty, and the selfish
pursuit of pleasure.

5. Sources
[http://media.photobucket.com/image/portraits%20of%20dorian%20gray/corleyms/dorian_gray7.jpg]
accessed 22 April 2009
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=256] 21 April 2009
[http://www.artandpopularculture.com/Decadent_Movement] 21 April 2009
[http://www.answers.com/topic/the-picture-of-dorian-gray-historical-context] accessed 22 April 2009
Cassell’s History of English Literature, Peter Conrad. 1985. London 4/21/09
[http://www.buffaloah.com/f/fstyles/aes/aes.html] accessed 27 April 2009
[http://www.bradbury.com/victorian/aesthetic.html] accessed 27 April 2009
[http://www.jahsonic.com/AestheticMovement.html] accessed 27 April 2009
[http://www.jahsonic.com/Decadents.html] accessed 27 April 2009

6. Sources
[http://media.photobucket.com/image/portraits%20of%20dorian%20gray/corleyms/dorian_gray7.jpg]
accessed 22 April 2009
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=256] 21 April 2009
[http://www.artandpopularculture.com/Decadent_Movement] 21 April 2009
[http://www.answers.com/topic/the-picture-of-dorian-gray-historical-context] accessed 22 April 2009
Cassell’s History of English Literature, Peter Conrad. 1985. London 4/21/09
[http://www.buffaloah.com/f/fstyles/aes/aes.html] accessed 27 April 2009
[http://www.bradbury.com/victorian/aesthetic.html] accessed 27 April 2009
[http://www.jahsonic.com/AestheticMovement.html] accessed 27 April 2009
[http://www.jahsonic.com/Decadents.html] accessed 27 April 2009