Décadence als Chiffre der Kulturkritik: zu Heinrich Manns Schlaraffenland

Authors : Onur BAZARKAYA

Pages : 85-99

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Publication Date : 2013-10-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Decadence as chiffre of cultural criticism: about Heinrich Mann’s SchlaraffenlandIn the course of the German reception of Paul Bourget during the 1890s, the meaning of the literary term decadence split into a positive and a pejorative one. This led critics to distinguish between its artistic aspects and its scandalous aspects, the latter with regards to content. Heinrich Mann, who at the time was heavily involved in the decadence discourse, particularly embraced the latter facet in his novel Schlaraffenland, published in 1900. This article presents the thesis that the literary motif of decadence acts as a kind of cipher for cultural criticism. Its function increases the effect and facilitates the interpretation of Mann’s social satire as a literary cultural criticism.
Keywords : cultural criticism, discourse, decadence, Heinrich Mann, Fin de siècle