The Problem Between The Bourgeois And Taste

This dissertation analyzes two contradictions of British bourgeois taste in the Victorian Age by way of discussing the background and influential factors under which William Morris's taste came out and describing Morris's struggles which were against the industrial taste. One of the contradictions is that the bourgeois imitated the taste of the aristocratic on one side and they also attempted to distinguish their taste from that of the aristocratic. The other contradiction is that they pursued good taste as they produced bad taste. And the first contradiction is mirrored by analyzing the purpose and motivation of the bourgeois'use of interior decorations made by Morris's company. Productions of Morris's company were used as a means of conspicuous consumption by the bourgeois in order to imitate the life style and taste of the aristocratic. At the same time, they also expressed the differences between their taste and that of the aristocratic through those productions. And the second contradiction is reflected by analyzing Morris's fighting against the industrial taste. The bourgeois used the handicrafts with good taste, but what they produced by machines were of bad taste, which led to the taste of the British productions falling behind that of the French productions. This contradiction of taste reflects other two contradictions: one is the contradiction between their pursuit of material benefits and spiritual values; the other is the contradiction between taste and industrialization. Machine industry and handicraft industry made different taste respectively, which reinforced the distinction between the bourgeois and their lower class. As a result, Morris's attempt to improve the taste of the whole British society ended in failure.