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A Theory of The Decadent Novel
Sebastian A. Kukavica
Sažetak
Although a self-conscious academic discipline at least since the 1980s, decadence studies have still not offered a systematic theory of the decadent novel. The concept of the decadent novel undoubtedly proves to be an operational term for classifying the specific genre of the modern novel, because there is a dire need to name, classify and differentiate a specific genre that does not resemble anything that could be encompassed or explained by the established criteria of the existing theories of the novel. Within the research field it is unequivocally accepted that novels such as Huysmans' Against Nature or Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray should be classified and interpreted as decadent novels, but due to the absence of a theory of such fiction, it is entirely unclear what truly makes these novels decadent, what constitutes the canon of the decadent novel, and why some novels dealing with similar themes of decline, decay, disintegration, or the downfall of individuals, families, societies, and cultures actually do not belong to the same genre. In order to address these open issues, this paper offers a theory of the decadent novel that emphasizes its political and satirical aspects, based on which it, ultimately, identifies specific characteristics that constitute the decadent novel as a type of modern novel entirely distinct from all other existing genres.
Ključne riječi
the decadent novel; decadent aesthetics; decadence; nihilism; downfall of the West Tamara Labudović
Hrčak ID:
317813
URI
Datum izdavanja:
12.6.2024.
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