Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited

Brideshead Revisited is a commercially well received novel written by Evelyn Waugh, and was loosely based on his experiences as a young man. The novel is a Künstlerroman, meaning "artist's novel" in English- a narrative about an artist's growth to maturity. Originally published in 1945, it has since been made into an eleven-part television series, numerous plays, and a film- which was released in 2008. The novel recalls the years post World War One but before World War Two; known by many as the ‘Golden Age.’ Giddy with a sense of achievement after the victory of the First World War, the narrative is situated within a time of prosperity; spirits were high and lifestyles had improved dramatically with the rise of consumerism and increased disposable income. The novel is saturated with hedonism and luxuries, yet its dark undertone in relation to Sebastian’s alcoholism and the complications that accompany religion cannot be ignored. Waugh’s ingeniously developed syntactical structures are undoubtedly a focal point within the novel, yet the tepid resolution …show more content…
To a contemporary reader like myself, Charles and Sebastian’s relationship is wholly irritating to observe- the two men clearly possess romantic feelings for each other, yet this is never explicitly confirmed in the text, but merely alluded to through their flirtatious characterisation. Charles states “our naughtiness [was] high on the catalogue of grave sins” (1.2.18) which undeniably insinuates a sexual element to their relationship. However, as homophobia was still an area of extreme controversy at this time, and as homosexuality would have still been an abhorrent sin within Roman Catholicism; it is quite commendable of Waugh to push the boundaries to such a degree. However, in the 21st century, the novel subsequently lacks temporal validity and contemporary relevance due to the reformed attitudes towards