Moral Decadence of the English Aristocracy
The act or process of falling into an inferior condition is called decadence. The story "The Duchess and the Jeweller" written in 1938 by Virginia Woolf clearly reflects the decadence of moral values of the English aristocracy after the Victorian Era. Gambling, stealing, cheating, greediness and insolence were the prevailing vices among the elite class. There are two main characters in the story -- Oliver Bacon and a Duchess. These characters fully reflect the moral decadence of the English aristocracy.
Oliver Bacon is a representative of naoveau aristocracy. His character amply reveals the moral decadence of the contemporary upper class. He is a very greedy man. Even though he has become the richest jeweler in England, yet he is not satisfied. Moreover, he is a philanderer. He has deceived Mademoiselle who used to stick roses in his button hole. Now he buys fake pearls from the Duchess in exchange of passing a weekend with her daughter Diana, his new beloved.
On the other hand, the Duchess represents inherited aristocracy. Her character also highlights the lax ethics of the nobility of that time. She is a thief. In order to get money for gambling, she steal the pearls of her husband. She has no respect for her husband. She calls him villain, sharper and bad'un. She is so bankrupt morally that she stakes the honour of her daughter for money. She offers her daughter Diana for amour to Oliver Bacon in her own house.
No comments:
Post a Comment