--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The conventional use of words and of…" description: "\"“The conventional use of words and of narrative structure is deliberately subverted in decadent fiction; language deviates from the established norms i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/asti-hustvedt-53011_baroque_the-conventional-use-of-words-and-of-nar_1106191.jpg" --- # The conventional use of words and of narrative structure… ![“The conventional use of words and of narrative structure is deliberately subverted in decadent fiction; language deviates from the established norms in an attempt to reproduce pathology on a textual level. With its emphasis on aberration and artifice, the decadents' approach to the language of…” quote by Asti Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/asti-hustvedt-53011_baroque_the-conventional-use-of-words-and-of-nar_1106191.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/asti-hustvedt-53011_baroque_the-conventional-use-of-words-and-of-nar_1106191.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/asti-hustvedt-53011_baroque_the-conventional-use-of-words-and-of-nar_1106191.jpg) > ““The conventional use of words and of narrative structure is deliberately subverted in decadent fiction; language deviates from the established norms in an attempt to reproduce pathology on a textual level. With its emphasis on aberration and artifice, the decadents' approach to the language of fiction frequently leans towards the baroque and the obscure.”” [Asti Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asti-hustvedt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Decadent fiction deliberately breaks narrative norms to mirror psychological disorder and embrace the baroque **In simple terms:** Breaking rules mirrors inner chaos and artistic excess Key Takeaway Explore the limits of language to reflect inner pathology Themes literature psychology artifice Mood thoughtful critical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - creative writing - psycho‑analysis - academic study - book clubs Key Concepts postmodernism pathology baroque Questions to Reflect On - How does language subversion affect your reading experience? - Can chaos in narrative reveal deeper truths? A Different Perspective Such subversion may alienate readers seeking clarity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baroque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baroque/) [Decadence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decadence/) [Decadent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decadent/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Narrative structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative-structure/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“By living a life “against nature,” the deviant or pervert becomes a hero or heroine in decadent fiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asti-hustvedt/by-living-a-life-against-nature-the-deviant-or-pervert-becomes-a-hero/) [Asti Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asti-hustvedt/) > [Literature transforms and intensifies ordinary language, deviates systematically from everyday speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/literature-transforms-and-intensifies-ordinary-language-deviates-2/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [In the best fiction, the language itself can become almost invisible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-morgan/in-the-best-fiction-the-language-itself-can-become-almost-invisible/) [Robert Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-morgan/) > [I think that is one of the first things that I got clear in my mind when I began to play around with fiction,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/i-think-that-is-one-of-the-first-things-that-i-got-clear-in-my-mind/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [“Like symbolism, decadence puts forth the idea that the function of literature is to evoke impressions and 'correspondences', rather than to realistically depict the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asti-hustvedt/like-symbolism-decadence-puts-forth-the-idea-that-the-function-of/) [Asti Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asti-hustvedt/) > [“In the end, this volume should be read a s a collection of love stories, Above all, they are tales of love, not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asti-hustvedt/in-the-end-this-volume-should-be-read-a-s-a-collection-of-love/) [Asti Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asti-hustvedt/) > [“Adornment, exoticism, affectation are all willed decadent strategies meant to pervert the texts they made. Decadent texts often live in their descriptive excursions, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asti-hustvedt/adornment-exoticism-affectation-are-all-willed-decadent-strategies/) [Asti Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asti-hustvedt/) > [“A garden path,' write the landscape architects Charles W. Moore, William J. Mitchell, and William Turnbull, 'can become the thread of a plot, connecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/a-garden-path-write-the-landscape-architects-charles-w-moore-william/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [The F.B.I. was very happy with the article they produced, which was entitled, "The Black Merchants of Hate," that came out in early 1963.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manning-marable/the-f-b-i-was-very-happy-with-the-article-they-produced-which-was/) [Manning Marable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manning-marable/) > [“Story is one of the foundation stones of the human mind along with rhythm and chant. If a collection of facts lacks a narrative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-vehafric/story-is-one-of-the-foundation-stones-of-the-human-mind-along-with/) Frank Vehafric > [The ultimate for me would be to do a feature that didn't require any narrative structure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-depp/the-ultimate-for-me-would-be-to-do-a-feature-that-didn-t-require-any/) [Johnny Depp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-depp/) > [I first read 'The Lord of the Rings' as an adolescent. It's a dense novel, a sprawling, complex monster of a book populated with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jackson/i-first-read-the-lord-of-the-rings-as-an-adolescent-it-s-a-dense/) [Peter Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jackson/) > [A lack of narrative structure, as you know, will cause anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dufresne/a-lack-of-narrative-structure-as-you-know-will-cause-anxiety/) [John Dufresne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dufresne/) > [He managed to do this 'tour de force' of styles without ever breaking the narrative structure of the chapter he was writing. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/he-managed-to-do-this-tour-de-force-of-styles-without-ever-breaking/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [As I read more and more fairy tales as an adult, I found massive collusion between their 'subjects' and those in my fiction: childhood,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bernheimer/as-i-read-more-and-more-fairy-tales-as-an-adult-i-found-massive/) [Kate Bernheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bernheimer/) ## More by Asti Hustvedt > [“Like symbolism, decadence puts forth the idea that the function of literature is to evoke impressions and 'correspondences', rather than to realistically depict the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asti-hustvedt/like-symbolism-decadence-puts-forth-the-idea-that-the-function-of/) [Asti Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asti-hustvedt/) > [“The photograph, then, becomes a representation of a representation of a disease that represents. In other words, in order to produce the most perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asti-hustvedt/the-photograph-then-becomes-a-representation-of-a-representation-of-a/) [Asti Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asti-hustvedt/) > [“By living a life “against nature,” the deviant or pervert becomes a hero or heroine in decadent fiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asti-hustvedt/by-living-a-life-against-nature-the-deviant-or-pervert-becomes-a-hero/) [Asti Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asti-hustvedt/) > [“Adornment, exoticism, affectation are all willed decadent strategies meant to pervert the texts they made. Decadent texts often live in their descriptive excursions, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asti-hustvedt/adornment-exoticism-affectation-are-all-willed-decadent-strategies/) [Asti Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asti-hustvedt/) > [“In the end, this volume should be read a s a collection of love stories, Above all, they are tales of love, not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asti-hustvedt/in-the-end-this-volume-should-be-read-a-s-a-collection-of-love/) [Asti Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asti-hustvedt/) > [“The New or Future Eve is emptied of all inner life and turned into a shell. The bitter irony in this is that her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asti-hustvedt/the-new-or-future-eve-is-emptied-of-all-inner-life-and-turned-into-a/) [Asti Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asti-hustvedt/) [Explore all 7 Asti Hustvedt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asti-hustvedt/) ## More Baroque quotes > [“In love it does not matter what you say, but what you feel. In poetry it does not matter what you feel, but what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-de-g-ngora/in-love-it-does-not-matter-what-you-say-but-what-you-feel-in-poetry/) Luis de Góngora > [A contemporary artist can use the findings of all epochs and all styles, from the most primitive literary expressions up to the most refined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-goytisolo/a-contemporary-artist-can-use-the-findings-of-all-epochs-and-all/) [Juan Goytisolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-goytisolo/) > [I'm not able to completely escape naturalism. It's very difficult to escape from naturalism without being too dry. That's what I try to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-garrel/i-m-not-able-to-completely-escape-naturalism-it-s-very-difficult-to/) Philippe Garrel > [But then life is never neat, it is made up of doors and trapdoors. You move down baroque corridors, and even when you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-ledgard/but-then-life-is-never-neat-it-is-made-up-of-doors-and-trapdoors-you/) [J. M. Ledgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-ledgard/) > [I listen to music when I write. I need the musical background. Classical music. I'm behind the times. I'm still with Baroque music, Gregorian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-listen-to-music-when-i-write-i-need-the-musical-background/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Cookbooks have all become baroque and very predictable. I'm looking for something different. A lot of chefs' cookbooks are food as it's done in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/cookbooks-have-all-become-baroque-and-very-predictable-i-m-looking/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [I was trying to run something to ground that had come to my attention when I was working on the Baroque Cycle. That series,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-was-trying-to-run-something-to-ground-that-had-come-to-my-attention/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [What is at the higher levels of meaning consciousness is like a hyperspace in which each point is equidistant from the other and where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-irwin-thompson/what-is-at-the-higher-levels-of-meaning-consciousness-is-like-a/) [William Irwin Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-irwin-thompson/) > [My mother's family were full-on Irish Catholics - faith in an elaborate old fashioned, highly conservative and madly baroque style. I sort of fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/my-mother-s-family-were-full-on-irish-catholics-faith-in-an-elaborate/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [I think what inspires me is in a constant state of flux...it's easier to stick to photographers and perhaps cinematographers, though the great medieval,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-yelchin/i-think-what-inspires-me-is-in-a-constant-state-of-flux-it-s-easier/) [Anton Yelchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-yelchin/) > [I think of reading like a balanced diet; if your sentences are too baggy, too baroque, cut back on fatty Foster Wallace, say, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/i-think-of-reading-like-a-balanced-diet-if-your-sentences-are-too/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [If you have a piece by Bach, he often develops the piece to such a high level that you can hardly do much more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-russell/if-you-have-a-piece-by-bach-he-often-develops-the-piece-to-such-a/) [David Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-russell/) > [Kitsch is the contemporary form of the Gothic, Rococo, Baroque.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-wedekind/kitsch-is-the-contemporary-form-of-the-gothic-rococo-baroque/) [Frank Wedekind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-wedekind/) > [When I think about the reference to baroque, I'm most interested in how art was integrated into domestic life. That's why I like fresco,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-henrot/when-i-think-about-the-reference-to-baroque-i-m-most-interested-in/) [Camille Henrot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-henrot/) > [If it's not baroque, don't fix it! -Cogsworth the Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beauty-and-the-beast/if-it-s-not-baroque-don-t-fix-it-cogsworth-the-clock/) Beauty And The Beast [Browse all 109 Baroque quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baroque/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The conventional use of words and of narrative structure is deliberately subverted in decadent fiction; language deviates from the established norms in an attempt to reproduce pathology on a textual level. 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