The Love Which Dare Not Speak its Name: An Examination of Pagan Symbolism and Morality in Fin de siecle Decadent Fiction
Issue: Vol 10 No. 2 (2008)
Journal: Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies
Subject Areas: Religious Studies
Abstract:
This essay considers the Pagan symbolism which was so crucial to the decadents of the fin-de-siecle. It focuses on the novel 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde, the novella 'Death in Venice' by Thomas Mann and some of the iconic sketches by Aubrey Beardsley and seeks to understand the Pagan and homoerotic motifs of the genre. It draws the conclusion that the decadents saw Paganism and homosexuality as inextricable and used elements of society.
Author: Kelly Anne Reid