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VLugnan-5 A. From The Pre-raphaelite Brotherhood. The Anti-Victorian Reaction and Aestheticism- The social history of art: exerc
by VLugnan - (2012-05-23)
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THE SOCIAL HISTORY OF ART: EXERCISES PAGE 397
>> What does the historian Arnold Hauser underline about the 1880s in the following paragraph?

Arnold Hauser underlines that the younger generation is not democratic or socialistic, but young people follow hedonism and the idea that man should enjoy life and experience every moment.

>>Could this sort of fin-de-siècle hedonism be a suitable term for the younger generation of our age?

I think that there are two kinds of behavior, which spread among young people:
The first one follows this sort of fin-de-siècle hedonism, therefore the members try to enjoy every moment of their life, whereas the second one believes on decay of values and lives a more intimate life.

>> Considering the ending of the novel, how can this story be interpreted?

It could be considered as a criticism of the moral hypocrisy, vulgarity and materialism of Victorian society