Through And Beyond Imitating: Self's Reflection On And Rebellion Against The Late Capitalist Era In Dorian: An Imitation

Dorian: An Imitation,written by Will Self(1961-)and published in 2002,is one of the works paying respect to the Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde(1854-1900).Wilde's original story of Dorian Gray has combined the author's aesthetic assertions with a gothic style and a philosophical inclination in its theme.In Self's case,his imitation of Wilde swiftly catches critics' attention,yet also confines researches about this work within its imitative framework.This thesis adopts Fredric Jameson's theory about the cultural logic of late capitalism,combined with reflections upon major social phenomena from other theorists including Jean Baudrillard and Guy Debord,in an attempt to prove that “imitation” has not prevented Self from going deeper.Contrarily,imitation enables Self to tear down the veil of late capitalism that appears “prosperous”,and probe into how crises involving individual as well as the society continue to exist or deteriorate.Finally,this thesis believes that Self has accomplished certain rebellion against the late capitalist era.Firstly,Wilde's prophecy about the split self is further demonstrated as complete fall of subject in Dorian: An imitation.Wilde's Lacanian mode of presentation is dramatic and psychological,yet it stops being sufficient to reflect the worsening crisis in the postmodern era.Therefore,Self smashes the story into pieces within the chaotic atmosphere,letting schizophrenic narrative take the lead.As a crucial clue linking up both eras,the falling subject is revealed through a more comprehensive way.On the other hand,prophecy about crisis of the subject inevitably relates social realities,and the rise of consumer culture might be most closely associated with both novels.Wilde and Self have respectively witnessed people's fanatical worship of commodity and of symbol under the rapid development of consumerism.In Self's imitation,the consumer culture that used to perplex Wilde has penetrated into ordinary life,while the prosperity of symbols pushes truth,freedom,and other values further into jeopardy,leaving loss of subject to be a natural consequence.Finally,Dorian: An Imitation is much more than a mere simulacrum – both Self's imitation and Wilde's aesthetic assertion are effective methods to keep critical distance from their eras.Self is never completely negative towards historical development;rather,he expresses the desire to reconstruct subject over the ruins of culture,and attempts to rouse his readers with values that have long been overlooked during the late capitalist era.This thesis places comparison of the two novels under the cultural logic of late capitalism as a major perspective,trying to explore how Wilde's prophecy about individual and society recurs and transforms in Dorian: An Imitation.Furthermore,it attempts to figure out how imitation serves Self's narration and demonstration of theme,and finally contributes to his rebellion against the cultural environment he is faced with.Self's retrospect of the past,anxiety about the present and probe into future possibilities have provided people with valuable inspirations about spiritual reconstruction under the cultural logic of late capitalism.