Abstract
The Victorian Age (1837–1901) – prevailed almost a century of British history and has deeply affected the history of humanity – is the name of an era in the world history which the concepts and practices of industrialisation, capitalism and imperialism are culminated. The industrialisation and capitalism positively contribute to the change and transformation of both society and person. On the other hand, it cannot be ignored that they set ground for cultural/moral corruption and decadence of society and person. All the classes of society whose lifestyles, tendencies, values, and moral sentiments differ from each other are – directly or indirectly – influenced from this degeneration. The possession of elite class positioned at the top of the class hierarchy of social structure to the wealth of the country and the deprival of lower classes from such type of economic potential lead to a rapid spread of the corruption among people. And it gives rise to a hypocrite society whose lifestyle and frame of mind conflicts. This is why, today, an unfavourable image takes shape in the minds of people when someone utters ‘Victorian Age’.
In this study, considering of the conditions of the age, the social life and moral understanding in The Picture of Dorian Gray, the novel of Oscar Wilde who is accepted among the important writers of Late Victorian Age will be scrutinised. However, the critical view of the writer who contradicts/conflicts with value judgements of Victorian Age with his both practically and intellectually inconsistent life style will be discussed in our study. Furthermore, how the morality of the age has been reflected in the novel will be among the focal points of the study.
References
- Bağçeci, Y. (2020). İngiltere’de 1832 Parlamento Reformu. Researcher: Social Science Studies. 8(2), 17-39. DOI: 10.29228/rssstudies.42010.
- BC Protestant Orphans' Home (2007). Philanthopy. https://web.uvic.ca/vv/student/orphans/philanthropy.html#Philanthropy_in_the_19th_Century
- Carlyle, T. (1831, December). Characteristics. The Edinburgh Review. https://cruel.org/econthought/texts/carlyle/carlchar.html
- Collins Dictionary. (n.d.). Tartuffe. In Collinsdictionary.com dictionary. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/tartuffe
- Forsythe, B., & Jordan, B. (2002). The Victorian Ethical Foundations of Social Work in England Continuity and Contradiction. The British Journal of Social Work, 32(7), 847–862. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23716558
- Houghton, W. E. (1957). The Victorian Frame of Mind, 1830-1870. Yale University Press.
- Howe, A. (2016). The Hungry Forties. Revue d’histoire du XIXe siècle. 52(1), 47-64. https://doi.org/10.4000/rh19.4989.
- Láng, V. K. (2015). “Close Your Eyes, and Think of England” Ethics or Prudery: Moral Questions in Victorian England. Conference: MultiScience - XXIX. microCAD International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference. DOI: 10.26649/musci.2015.101.
- Lee, L. (2017). All Sorts Of Influences Brought To Bear. The Wildean, 51, 3–17. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48570721
- Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Tartuffe. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Tartuffe
- Mitchell, S. (2009). Daily Life in Victorian England (2nd ed.). Greenwood Press.
- Murfin, R. C. & Ray, S. M. (2009). The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms (3rd ed.). Bedford/St. Martin's.
- Poteet, L. J. (1971). “Dorian Gray” and the Gothic Novel. Modern Fiction Studies, 17(2), 239–248. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26279102
- Roddy, S., Strange, J. M. & Taithe, B. (2019). The Charity Market and Humanitarianism in Britain, 1870-1912. Bloomsbury.
- Simkin, J. (2020). Robert Ross. https://spartacus-educational.com/FWWrossR.htm
- Taş, M. R. (2017). Literary Analysis of ‘White Teeth’ by Zadie Smith and ‘Honour’ by Elif Shafak from the Standpoint of Plagiarism. Turkish Studies International Periodical for the Languages, Literature and History of Turkish or Turkic, 12(5), 497-508. http://dx.doi.org/10.7827/TurkishStudies.11343
- The American Heritage Roget’s Thesaurus. (n.d.). Tartuffe. In The American Heritage Roget’s Thesaurus. Retrieved February14, 2023, from https://www.freethesaurus.com/Tartuffe
- Xiao, B. (2015). Morality in Victorian Period. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5(9), 1815-1821. http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0509.07
- Wilde, O. (1997). Dorian Gray’in Portresi. Cem Yayınevi.
- Wilson, A. N. (2002). The Victorians. Arrow Books.
Abstract
İngiliz tarihinin neredeyse bir yüzyılını kapsayan ve insanlık tarihini derinden etkileyen Viktorya Çağı (1837 - 1901), dünya tarihinde, sanayileşme, kapitalizm ve emperyalizm kavramlarının ve pratiklerinin doruğa çıktığı bir dönemin adıdır. İngiltere’de gerek toplumun gerekse bireyin değişim ve dönüşümüne olumlu anlamda katkı sağlayan sanayileşme ve kapitalizmin, öte yandan toplumun/bireyin kültürel ve ahlaki açıdan yozlaşmasına ve çöküşüne de zemin hazırladığı elbette ki yadsınamaz. Yaşam tarzları, yönelimleri, değer yargıları ve ahlak anlayışları birbirinden farklı olan toplumun bütün katmanları bu dejenerasyondan doğrudan ya da dolaylı olarak etkilenir. Toplumsal yapıdaki sınıfsal hiyerarşinin en tepesinde konumlanan seçkin sınıfın ülkenin zenginliklerine sahip olması ve alt sınıfların ise bu tür maddi olanaklardan büyük oranda yoksun olması, bu yozlaşmanın insanlar arasında hızlı bir şekilde yayılmasına yol açar. Bu da yaşam tarzıyla düşünce yapısı çelişen ikiyüzlü bir toplumun ortaya çıkmasına neden olur. Bundan dolayıdır ki günümüzde bile Viktorya Çağı denildiğinde insanların aklında olumsuz bir imge belirir.
Bu çalışmada, Geç Viktorya Çağı'nın önemli yazarları arasında gösterilen Oscar Wilde'ın Dorian Gray'in Portresi adlı romanında toplumsal yaşam ve ahlak anlayışı, dönemin koşulları göz önünde bulundurularak, irdelenecektir. Bununla beraber gerek düşünsel gerekse pratik anlamda benimsediği aykırı yaşam tarzıyla Viktorya Çağının değer yargıları ile çelişen/çatışan yazarın yaşadığı döneme getirdiği eleştirel bakış çalışmamızda tartışılacaktır. Ayrıca dönemin ahlak anlayışının romanda ne şekilde yansıtıldığı çalışmanın odak noktalarından biri olacaktır.
References
- Bağçeci, Y. (2020). İngiltere’de 1832 Parlamento Reformu. Researcher: Social Science Studies. 8(2), 17-39. DOI: 10.29228/rssstudies.42010.
- BC Protestant Orphans' Home (2007). Philanthopy. https://web.uvic.ca/vv/student/orphans/philanthropy.html#Philanthropy_in_the_19th_Century
- Carlyle, T. (1831, December). Characteristics. The Edinburgh Review. https://cruel.org/econthought/texts/carlyle/carlchar.html
- Collins Dictionary. (n.d.). Tartuffe. In Collinsdictionary.com dictionary. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/tartuffe
- Forsythe, B., & Jordan, B. (2002). The Victorian Ethical Foundations of Social Work in England Continuity and Contradiction. The British Journal of Social Work, 32(7), 847–862. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23716558
- Houghton, W. E. (1957). The Victorian Frame of Mind, 1830-1870. Yale University Press.
- Howe, A. (2016). The Hungry Forties. Revue d’histoire du XIXe siècle. 52(1), 47-64. https://doi.org/10.4000/rh19.4989.
- Láng, V. K. (2015). “Close Your Eyes, and Think of England” Ethics or Prudery: Moral Questions in Victorian England. Conference: MultiScience - XXIX. microCAD International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference. DOI: 10.26649/musci.2015.101.
- Lee, L. (2017). All Sorts Of Influences Brought To Bear. The Wildean, 51, 3–17. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48570721
- Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Tartuffe. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Tartuffe
- Mitchell, S. (2009). Daily Life in Victorian England (2nd ed.). Greenwood Press.
- Murfin, R. C. & Ray, S. M. (2009). The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms (3rd ed.). Bedford/St. Martin's.
- Poteet, L. J. (1971). “Dorian Gray” and the Gothic Novel. Modern Fiction Studies, 17(2), 239–248. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26279102
- Roddy, S., Strange, J. M. & Taithe, B. (2019). The Charity Market and Humanitarianism in Britain, 1870-1912. Bloomsbury.
- Simkin, J. (2020). Robert Ross. https://spartacus-educational.com/FWWrossR.htm
- Taş, M. R. (2017). Literary Analysis of ‘White Teeth’ by Zadie Smith and ‘Honour’ by Elif Shafak from the Standpoint of Plagiarism. Turkish Studies International Periodical for the Languages, Literature and History of Turkish or Turkic, 12(5), 497-508. http://dx.doi.org/10.7827/TurkishStudies.11343
- The American Heritage Roget’s Thesaurus. (n.d.). Tartuffe. In The American Heritage Roget’s Thesaurus. Retrieved February14, 2023, from https://www.freethesaurus.com/Tartuffe
- Xiao, B. (2015). Morality in Victorian Period. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5(9), 1815-1821. http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0509.07
- Wilde, O. (1997). Dorian Gray’in Portresi. Cem Yayınevi.
- Wilson, A. N. (2002). The Victorians. Arrow Books.
Details
| Primary Language | Turkish |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Creative Arts and Writing |
| Journal Section | Articles |
| Authors | |
| Early Pub Date | October 27, 2023 |
| Publication Date | October 28, 2023 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2023Issue: 26 |
