A Who’s Who of Decadent Authors in English Literature

Decadent writers from the late 19^th century rebelled against Victorian cultural prejudices and attitudes about what a “proper” life should be. This generation is deemed “decadent” for creating tales that did not educate readers in Victorian morality, but instead in criticized society, providing alternative ways of thinking.

The Decadent movement in literature began with an influential essay by Walter Pater titled the “Conclusion.” Written in1873, Pater explains that truth is possible only through “personal experience,” unique sensations that varies individually. No two people experience the Mona Lisa alike, which explains her longevity. Having no broad truth applying equally to all shocked the Victorians, since the possibility exists for everyone to test their ideals. Pater goes further in his “Conclusion” that art should be loved for its “own sake.” The idea of art serving no higher purpose other than to be enjoyed, unnerved the Victorians, which upheld the exact opposite notions: hard work and discipline. Anything fun was seen as a lesser un-Godly, and a distraction to what life is about.

Pater’s essay is more of a personal credo, under disguise as a scholarly work, by highlighting the seriousness of his ideas. This lead to his ideas to be battled out by other scholars, and to be read by young university men. One such young man was Oscar Wilde, writer of The Picture of Dorian Grey. Influenced by Pater’s ideas, Wilde used a witty style to create a story that both preached and warned against living for art’s sake. Wilde’s used comical wit, for its unexpectedness and intellectual perception of human behavior. While Pater explains that art must live for itself in the real world, Wilde used fiction to create a story where art literally lives, and responds to the actions of the central character of Dorian Grey, watching it change as he changes. The picture becomes disfigured as Dorian Grey himself becomes a moral menace, demonstrating the connection between art and morality, since if Dorian lived properly, his picture would theoretically remain beautiful.

The character of Lord Henry offers views that on the surface mean one thing, but to the insightful, reveal their true meanings, and also bring about the truth about people who live in Victorian delusions. Wilde attacks Victorian society without it noticing, unable to see the mental prisons they create. Only the reader has the “wit” to understand the hidden implications of both Lord Henry’s views, and the The Picture of Dorian Grey itself.

In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Stevenson uses less wit than Wilde, and writes with stunning realism. Ahead of modern psychological theories, Stevenson demonstrates the folly of strict Victorian codes. In his novel, Stevenson demonstrates what occurs with a through purging of a human’s “evil,” or “bad” side. The character of Dr. Jekyll is described early on as a prominent doctor, a member of high society, and with a good reputation, a classic Victorian description. But Dr. Jekyll wants to go further; he creates a potion to get rid of the possibility of him doing any bad deeds. Like Dorian Grey, Dr. Jekyll develops a doppelganger, but instead of a picture, it is a living, moving entity that takes over his body, transforming good, proper Dr. Jekyll into the maniacal Dr. Hyde.

This realism in Decadent literature was taken to a higher level, with the appearance of Rudyard Kipling. Following his predecessors, Kipling demonstrated the error of the Victorians views on work and strictness, using literature influenced by the British Empire’s actions in colonial India. The Victorian mindset wanted to free the barbarous Indians from their savagery, and their heathen religions. Taking cue the Decadent movement, Kipling set out to use his experiences to create realistic, even biographical and autobiography elements in his writings to attack Victorian society.

Kipling’s short stories are not witty and fun reads like Wilde’s, nor are they scholarly works like Pater, but are similar to Stevenson’s novel in terms of realism, except that Kipling’s style is more horrifying, due to its hyper reality. In his short Without the Benefit of Clergy, Kipling is influenced by historical accounts o describe what happens when “superior white men” try to pass themselves off as Gods to a community of “heathens.” The story ends with the obvious, the men are not Gods, neither are the Victorians. The white men are killed in the fashion of their Jesus, dying in a world where it did not matter who they were, or who their God is.

Kipling’s realistic attacks on the Victorians take a personal, heartbreaking note in Without Benefit of Clergy. Echoing Stevenson again in the form of a character leading a double life, John Holden is a civil member of British society to his colleagues, but marries Ameera, a Muslim girl and has a child with her. Tragedy hits when both his Muslim wife and half-breed child dies, and Holden have no choice but to forget this episode of forbidden love. Kipling reminds us with the title that this affair of Holden’s occurs without the sanction of his church, and because of this, Ameera was unable to travel to Britain to avoid the plague, because British society would not approve. With fear based ideologies; the Victorians do more harm than love in the long run.

Kipling takes on the issue of women, and of their potential as equals or superiors to men, an outlandish idea to Victorian codes. Women had their place as submissive creatures. But Kipling gives an account a woman in his short Lispeth that breaks these barriers, with stunning reality; no one can question its plausibility. The character Lispeth shows her strength by carrying a male on her back, and having the audacity to proclaim her love for him. Lispeth is also prone to showing her feelings, a breaking of Victorian code, and being more human than the cold British featured in the short.

All of these English writers used their own styles to attack, and break apart Victorian morality and codes, especially concerning their stance on being good, working hard and having no fun. They flaunted stories where the opposite traits were highlighted, and exposing the Victorians for the faults of their intense devotions to their standards.