Modernist Works and the Fear of the Fin de Siècle

3333 Words7 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Death in venice essay

Modernist Works and the Fear of the Fin de Siècle

Fin de siècle is a term which is now used to refer to the period of the last 40 or so years of the Nineteenth Century and its art, yet at the time the word had genuine sociological connotations of modernity, social decay and reaction. In France in particular though arguably throughout Europe, society was changing in such a way as to merit such a pessimistic term for the trend evolving. The growing ability for the mass of the people to access all areas of society, previously only available to an appreciative elite coupled with the growing crime rate and visible decline of this elite are factors of this social phenomenon. The modernist writers, typically the youthful offspring of the old elites, certainly used fin de siècle as a theme. There is evidence of a conflict with the concept of fin de siècle, but it is too simple to say that they displayed a fear of fin de siècle. As I will try to show in this essay, the modernist reaction to and interpretation of fin de siècle is not static and, as though proportional to the development of modernity as an aesthetic, develops through works of varying mediums by different authors over the period identified as 'modernist'.

The phenomenon of fin de siècle is like any term, including modernism, not rigidly set chronologically. It can be used to describe any time in the period between about 1860 and around the beginning of the First World War. This roughly coincides with the chronology of modernism. This is no coincidence, since the two are linked exponentially and develop so. But whether the relationship between the works of modernism and fin de siècle is one of fear, is not a clear cut 'yes or no' situation. In ...

... middle of paper ...

...arles Baudelaire, The Flowers of Evil, Aylesbury: Oxford University Press, 1993.

Joris Karl Huysmans, Against Nature, St Ives: Penguin Books Ltd., 1959.

Thomas Mann, Death in Venice, St Ives: Penguin Books Ltd., 1971.

Bram Dijkstra, Idols of Perversity - Fantasies of Feminine Evil in Fin de siècle culture, New York: Oxford University Press, 1986.

J.A. Cuddon, Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory, St Ives: Penguin Books Ltd., 1992.

Ruth Harris, Murders and Madness - Medicine, Law and Society in the Fin de siècle, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989.

Eugen Weber, France - Fin de siècle, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1986.

Richard David Sonn, French Anarchism as Cultural Politics in the 1890's, Michigan: Ann Arbor, 1981.

1 Eugene Weber, France - Fin de Siècle, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1986, pp. 9 - 26

Show More
Related

  • Francine du Plessix Gray’s: At Home with the Marquis de Sade: A Life

    4455 Words  | 9 Pages

    However, what really frames Francine du Plessix Gray’s biography is not so much the “fin du dix huitième siècle” but the “fin du vingtième siècle” and the “reality” material from Sade’s life that made it possible to represent the Marquis, his sons, his wife, mother-in-law, father-in-law, and uncle as so many of the people who populate the running narrative of criminals, deadbeat dads, incestuous relatives, date-raping playboys, and battered women that fill soap operas, day-time talk, women’s magazines, talk radio, and the tabloids. This paper, then, explores Sade’s biography not as a narrative of (the Marquis de Sade’s) his life, but as a narrative that pleases today’s reader because it serves up a voyeur’s view of (in) his “dysfunctional” family life “at home” that we are all too familiar with. This becomes abundantly apparent when du Plessix-Gray’s rendering of the Marquis and the Marquise’s lives are superimposed over the récit of lives that we read about all the time in the popular press and observe in television soaps and other series. Ultimately, we are interested in what such a reading, writing and representation of Sade’s life does to Sade’s persona and status, both in the world of letters, but more importantly, in the world at large.

    Read More

  • Comparing Justice in The Faerie Queen and Merchant of Venice

    2390 Words  | 5 Pages

    Phillips, James E. "Renaissance Concepts of Justice and the Structure of The Faerie Queen, Book V," HLQ, (Feb. 1970), 33, 103-120.

    Read More

  • Marquis de Sade: Madman or Genius

    622 Words  | 2 Pages

    At another point the Marquis de Sade brings up some objections that people may have and then proceeds to break them down. He aims to `... treat these two questions separately...' (p. 134). By breaking down the argument as such, the reader is perhaps forced to consider the possibility that there is some form of logic in de Sade's thinking. It is also possible that this technique was used to add shock value, fool the reader into thinking that he has a serious argument and then shocking them all with his ideas.

    Read More

  • Sacred Music in the Age of Rebirth

    1259 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Renaissance has not ceased to be an age of discussion and debate among historians throughout the recent centuries. The vibrant nature of the era marks it as a most fascinating period of history. The Renaissance can be described as an age carrying the essence of “self-discovery and fulfillment, of recognition of human worth, and a dynamic outpouring of artistic activity.” This new world flourishing with art and creative optimism was also steeped in a spirit of “revolt of the Medievalists.” In an effort of “rebirth,” the previous culture of the Middle Ages was rejected, and even scorned. Foundational principles in all fields were overstepped, and old cultural norms were practically obsolete. It was an era whose humanistic philosophy greatly impacted the lens through which man viewed himself and the world.

    Read More

  • George Orwell's Symbolism and Derivation for Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)

    895 Words  | 2 Pages

    George Orwell's 1984 had a profound effect upon the way people thought during the mid 20th century. The book signified Orwell's most complex novel which told the story of Arthur Koestler and the countless others who suffered because of the totalitarian governments in Eastern Europe (Meyers 114). When 1984 was published in 1949, the Cold War had just begun. The novel's ending was pessimistic and thus seemed as an attack on communism. The novel was also considered to be the prophecy of what would happen to the West if the communist ideology spread. The idea for writing 1984 also came from an American economist named James Burnham. Burnham predicted that if Germany had won the war, the world would be divided into three areas (Meyers 125). This idea is used by Orwell because the society in 1984 is centered around 3 areas- Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia.

    Read More

  • Renaissance Essay

    1568 Words  | 4 Pages

    Despite the nature, origins and even existence of the Renaissance being subject to intensive investigation by many historians, the traditional understanding of the European renaissance as being defined as the bridge between the Middle Ages and modern era has resonated in society throughout time. Exemplified through the influx of creative arts, literature and philosophy of that time, Swiss cultural historian Jacob Burckhardt defined this bridge as being the result of an immense intellectual transformation in humanity. In fact, the term ‘renaissance’, coined by the French historian Jules Michelet, can be translated to mean ‘new birth’ or ‘rebirth’. Spanning roughly through the 14th to 17th centuries, the renaissance is often recognised as the time of a revolution of cultural revitalization and exploration. These traditionalist ideas of the Renaissance as developed by Michelet and later expanded by Burckhardt were however ultimately disposed by revisionist historians like Charles Homer Haskins who began a revolt against Renaissance idea, motivated by the goal to deny the era any legitimate historical existence and annex the period to the middle ages. However, the perspectives of these historians in this debate are ultimately a reflection of their own context and purposes. Both Michelet and Burckhardt’s approach reflect their own 19th-century world, whilst Haskins was heavily influenced by his liberal, optimistic 20th-century ideals. A more contemporary approach to the debate is exemplified through historiographer Wallace K. Ferguson. Ferguson had chosen to focus and draw conclusions from the mirrored reflections and controversies surrounding the Renaissance idea that persisted amongst past historians. However, despite argua...

    Read More

  • The Abolition of the Feudal System in France

    1337 Words  | 3 Pages

    Herbert, Sydney. The Fall of Feudalism in France. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1969. Print.

    Read More

  • Artistic comparison

    1410 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Philosophers, writers, and artists expressed disillusionment with the rational-humanist tradition of the Enlightenment. They no longer shared the Enlightenment's confidence in either reason's capabilities or human goodness.” (Perry, pg. 457) It is interesting to follow art through history and see how the general mood of society changed with various aspects of history, and how events have a strong connection to the art of the corresponding time.

    Read More

  • The Supernatural in Shakespeare's Macbeth

    1823 Words  | 4 Pages

    The play begins with a supernatural scene, where the three witches meet and give many clues as to who they are or what they have control over,

    Read More

  • Discuss Orwell's treatment of individualism in 1984

    1525 Words  | 4 Pages

    Orwell, George. `Inside the Whale' Inside the Whale and other essays Penguin Books Ltd. (1980)

    Read More

  • Movement and Stasis in the Divine Comedy

    2886 Words  | 6 Pages

    Movement is a crucial theme of the Divine Comedy. From the outset, we are confronted with the physicality of the lost Dante, wandering in the perilous dark wood. His movement within the strange place is confused and faltering; `Io non so ben ridir com'io v'entrai'. Moreover, it is clear that the physical distress he is experiencing is the visible manifestation of the mental anguish the poet is suffering. The allegory of the image is one of mid-life crisis, but it is physically represented by the man losing his way in a dark wood. Such an observation may seem far too simple and obvious to be worthy of comment. However, I would argue that it is from this primary example of the deep connection between the physical and the mental, that one can begin to categorise and explain the varying types of movement in the work. The first section of this essay will be a close analysis of several important moments of physical activity or the absence of such. The final section will be an overview of the whole and a discussion of the general structure of the Comedy, how movement is governed and the implications of this.

    Read More

  • The Feminist Polarity between Hetty Sorrell and Dinah Morris in George Eliot's Adam Bede

    1684 Words  | 4 Pages

    It seems that Hetty cannot repent enough for Dinah; it is as though she needs to know how ...

    Read More

  • Biography of Donatien Alphonse François de Sade

    1422 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Marquis’ father made up for the loss of his mother by having a close relationship with his son, but that did not help the negative opinion the young child was already forming about women. The personality conflicts that later arise in de Sade’s life are said to come from his hatred of women because his mother was not present in his childhood (Lever 14). The relationship between the father and son was described as “This symbiosis was undeniably emotional, a pr...

    Read More

  • A Brief Summary of the Nicaraguan Revolution

    1926 Words  | 4 Pages

    Nardo, Don. A. The French Revolution. San Diego, California: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1999. Print.

    Read More

  • The French Revolution & Art

    2050 Words  | 5 Pages

    Dowd, David L.. “Art as National Propaganda in the French Revolution”. Public Opinion Quarterly, 1951. Web. 5th May 2013.

    Read More

More about Modernist Works and the Fear of the Fin de Siècle

Open Document