Musas do decadentismo : figuras femininas em o retrato de Dorian Gray

Abstract

In this Graduation Final Project we analyzed the female figures represented in The Picture of Dorian Gray (2001). Our main objective was to study the representation of the female personality in the aforementioned novel in order to discuss its general effects over the narrative. Through qualitative research of bibliographic nature, we intended to analyze the general aesthetics of the works of European decadentism; discuss the historical issues of women in the late 19th century; their presence in the Victorian novel; and discuss the construction of four main female characters present in the book. We use the theories established by Umberto Eco, in his book On Beauty (2004), as well as the contributions of Davison (2012) and Denissof (2004) on the Victorian Gothic novel and English aestheticism. Through our analysis, we find the representations of Androgynous Beauty; Unnatural Beauty in the Fallen Woman dresses in Jewels; The-Flower Woman and the aristocratic New Woman in the characters analyzed. We conclude that although all the characterizations portray women often in an affected and superficial way, their representations are diverse and reflect the multiplicity and verisimilitude of the novel, which, combined with the general architecture of the narrative, bring plausibility to a gothic and supernatural story.