19.06.2012 - (idw) University of Gothenburg

The immortality-through-art theme is explored in a number of decadent novels from the late 1800s. A new doctoral thesis from the University of Gothenburg shows that the decadent theme is revised in well-known American 20th century novels such as The Great Gatsby, Lolita and The Crying of Lot 49. Decadence in art and literature refers to the cultural period in Europe that occurred in the late 1800s, also called fin de sicle. Decadent aesthetics originated in France and then spread to England and the rest of Europe, and eventually also to USA. The decadent novel is characterised by controversial themes such perversity, narcissism and agony often conveyed using an extremely poetic style. In her doctoral thesis in English, Tia Stajic Lfgren focuses on the typical decadent theme of immortality-through-art. Stajic Lfgren refers to the theme, which can be found in The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) and several other fin de sicle novels, as the metaphysics of art. The metaphysics of art represents a concrete expression of the 19th century doctrine of lart pour lart or art for art's sake, which holds art as superior to and exempt from moral principles, she says.

While this denial of mortality in the traditional fin de sicle novel is manifested in daring and perverse experimentation, both thematically and stylistically, mortality is gradually accepted in the 20th century novels explored in my thesis, and this completely changes their narrative structure, says Stajic Lfgren.

She concludes that although the 20th century novels are influenced by the decadent combination of the perverse and the aesthetical, these narratives evolve away from perversity to adopt a more human and also spiritual approach in terms of both themes and characters. The thesis has been successfully defended.

For more information please contact: Tia Stajic Lfgren Telephone: +46 (0)31 338 01 46 E-mail: tia.stajic.lofgren@sprak.gu.se jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $("fb_share").attr("share_url") = encodeURIComponent(window.location); }); Weitere Informationen: http://hdl.handle.net/2077/28715

Originally posted here:
The decadent theme revised in 20th century novels