Des Esseintes vs. Dorian Gray During the last 20 years of the nineteenth century, France and England saw the rise of the Decadence Movement. It was known as the wake up call, which signified civilization’s acceptance of the ethical and moral standards of life. This movement included the changing of society’s concept of the “norm” and allowed them to become more open to abnormal aspects of life; unnatural forms of style became accepted and approved. During this movement, many artists expressed their views and opinions and these artists each took a stand in either the arts or in literature. Two of the most prominent artists during this movement were: Joris-Karl Huysmans and Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde published works of Dorian Gray and the most famous picture was, “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” The significance of this picture was tremendous and so there was no surprise when it was turned into a book, and then later, a movie. In the picture, Wilde depicts Gray as a young innocent boy who, through the course of his life, becomes lost and eventually transforms into an evil villain. Gray was a complex yet interesting man; he was known to have a split personality and this was truly expressed in the painting. The portrait portrayed a form of youth and old age, and Gray managed to express a wish of undying youth. The portrait also exposed Gray’s true inner self—the many lies, deception, crime, homosexuality, and immortality that was evident in the novel. Dorian Gray was a complex artist. In his younger days, his mother and father died and that loss affected him greatly. His beauty was his most cherished characteristic. Dorian Gray was known to be very innocent and naïve and his decadent feelings and actions led him to evil ways. The person responsible for his downfall was a man named Lord Henry. He contributed to Gray’s transformation into sin and hedonism. He also aided in Gray’s lust for immoral pleasure. These actions soon led Gray into sorrow and shame. The theme of decadence throughout the novel was articulated via the criticism of art, whether it was moral or immoral. It was not dependent on the crimes that were taking place. His story was very complex and it created a sense of confusion between reality and art. Also, the gothic elements in this piece portrayed decadence. Joris-Karl Huysmans was the master behind the novel, “Against the Grain.” Des Esseintes is introduced in this novel as the protagonist. Des Esseintes is characterized as a man absolutely withdrawn from the community surrounding him. During his childhood, he also experienced the death of his parents. Thus, he lived a decadent life surrounded by gloominess, loneliness, and downfall. He was trapped in a world of darkness and discovered what he thought to be beauty. Des Esseintes rejected everything that went on around him. He endorsed what was luxurious as well as what was unique and unusual. In the midst of his sadness and dissatisfaction, he fulfilled his artful appetite with classical literature and art, bizarre jewels, and rich perfumes. Des Esseintes is described as a metaphysical hero, which is a hero who battles forces within his self. The term “metaphysical” pertains to ideas that are not in physical form; it refers to existence, and the idea of being. As seen with Des Essientes, it is his way of excluding the buzz of the universe. Des Esseintes finds himself attracted to the art that surrounded his home and so he used it as a muse. In his alienation of the society he comes to hate, he backs down the presence of the world around him for his own comfort. Dismally, Des Esseintes’ doctors and specialists inform him that he needs to move back to Paris in order to find enjoyment in the presence of others. As unpleasant as he finds the idea, he is startled by death and illness. Hence he would rather be thoughtfully miserable than physically so. His reaction to a life of plenty, to experiencing everything, leads him to not wanting to experience anything at all. Dorian Gray does not experience any of the ravaging effects that Des Esseintes extreme lifestyle leads him to. However, he does come to be inattentive and overwhelmed with society, though at no time does he wish to break away in the same sense that Des Esseintes did. In spite of that, both men do tire of analyzing the sin of greed and when they do, they take variant paths. The gluttony of involvement for Des Esseintes was a bare scholarly study. Moreover, Dorian confided to beauty and pleasure. Des Esseintes was a dull intellectual whereas Dorian was actually a person who sought pleasure above other values. Des Esseintes had to compromise with his illness and breakdown of his body to satisfy his aspiration. He disowned the world because it didn’t measure up. For a man so fascinated with examining everything else, at no time did he inquire about himself. Dorian however, had no such hideaway; in his portrait he saw how his actions affected him. Fighting the loss of dignity in his childhood, he established his ego in other ways: others reaction to him and the changing of the painting. Both protagonists showed downfall in their own form. In my opinion, Dorian Gray portrayed more decadence in his art for several reasons. With all of Gray’s sins, the film purely showed what the decadent society looked like. On the other hand, the book showed a man falling into decadence from a different perspective, by having all of his innocence stripped from him. The author of this book, Oscar Wilde, made many great contributions to decadent literature throughout this period. He went through the motions of love, hate, fame, fear, and shame. In conclusion, decadence was a representation of the unstable process that ensues during the fall of a society. This decline consists of depression and the lack of aspiration to move forward. During this time of decay, many artists expressed their thoughts in art and books. Both protagonists in the novels “Against the Grain” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” showed similarities and differences on exploring the sin of gluttony.
Work Cited
Litt, Toby. “How do you view your own life?’ Penguinclassic.com
Penguinclassic.com. 6 May 2012. Web. 10 May 2012
Breuer, Hurst. “Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray.” English Languages Notes 42.2 (December 2004): 59-68
Ziegler, Zieglar. “The Pervert, the Aesthete, and the Novelist in Huysmans’s A’ Rebours.” Romance Studies 25.3 (July 2007)
Moran, Maureen. “OUP’s Dorian Gray.” English Literature in Transition 49.3 (2006): 326-329
