SZCZEROŚĆ WYZNANIA CZY POZA DEKADENTA? LITERACKI COMING OUT JIŘEGO KARÁSKA ZE LVOVIC
SINCERITY OF CONFESSION OR A DECADENT POSE? LITERARY COMING OUT OF JIŘÍ KARÁSEK ZE LVOVIC

Summary/Abstract: The trial of Oscar Wilde, which was widely commented on in the Czech decadent magazine “Moderní revue”, not only revealed the range of the social condemnation of homosexuality, but also opened a discussion about distinctive features of the homosexual identity. The poetry and prose of Jiří Karásek from Lvovice, in the common opinion representing first of all the decadent world outlook, may be regarded as an attempt to bring closer these determinants of the homoerotic way of love and life to the reader. To accomplish this task the writer needed to find out the appropriate literary medium. Karásek rediscovered it in devices of symbolic and decadent poetics, which enable to replace the literal senses of representation by means of semantic undecidability. This solution allowed him to suggest the personal sincerity of the literary expression and to avoid allegations of affectations and decadent pose.

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