Agora: Red Deer Polytechnic Undergraduate Journal
Volume 16:2 (2025) Student Writer Awards

What a Dandy! Victorian Dandyism in
Ada Leverson’s Short Stories
Stephanie Warnick
“There are more weak men now than ever before,” at
least that’s what Stephen Marshall claims in his article titled
“The Softest Generation” (Marshall).

Social media is

illuminating a current societal sentiment that views modern men
as having become soft, weak, and effeminate (Illing). People like
Marshall, usually those in older generations, argue that many
young men of today are not fitting into the traditional masculine
role of contributing hard work, grit, and determination to society.
Instead of lining up for blue-collar jobs or picking up a shovel,
some men are choosing to be stay-at-home fathers or to pursue
jobs in nursing, which are roles that have historically been
associated with women. Although the people who are cynical of
these “effeminate” men claim that weak men are only now
emerging, Victorians in 19th century England also complained
about young men becoming too soft. For them, the term used to
describe a man who did not fit into the stereotypically-masculine
mold was a “dandy.” Although the OED defines a dandy simply
as someone “who studies above everything to dress elegantly
and fashionably,” the Victorians had a lot more to say about what

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the life of a dandy looked like (OED). Ada Leverson was a
female Jewish writer and a close, trusted friend to Oscar Wilde
who wrote many works that were published in the periodicals
Punch and The Yellow Book (Wenman-James). In her short
stories “Suggestion” (1895) and “The Quest of Sorrow” (1896),
Leverson pokes fun at dandyism and subverts traditional roles
of masculinity by writing about the life of Cecil Carington, a
quintessential dandy. In this essay, I will explore how Leverson
illustrates the plethora of qualities that Victorian society deemed
to be characteristic of a dandy through her portrayal of Cecil’s
character in “Suggestion” and “The Quest of Sorrow.”
Leverson highlights the importance that dandies were
thought to place on appreciating and contributing to art,
aesthetics, and beauty in their lives on a number of different
levels. These various levels could include artistry and beauty
through literature, attention to one’s appearance, or arranging
one’s life to prioritize aesthetics. We can explore the latter level
through Leverson’s character Cecil who is described as an
“intolerable, effeminate boy” by Lady Winthrop in “Suggestion”
(Leverson

249).

In

his

essay

titled

“Oscar

Wilde’s

Aestheticism,” Beibei Guan discusses some of the defining
characteristics of a Victorian dandy, one of which being the
desire to create an aesthetic living environment for oneself.
Guan describes that Oscar Wilde “began collecting beautiful and

35

exotic antiques during his early years at Trinity College” and that
“his room at Oxford was filled with a variety of exquisite items,
including celadon vases, Greek statues and rugs, and
photographs of his favourite paintings” (Guan 26). He further
adds that Wilde “constructed in his house an atmosphere that he
claimed was essential for cultivating the dandy temperament”
(Guan 26). Known as being a prominent dandy figure in the
Victorian Era, Oscar Wilde’s desire to create an aesthetic
environment for himself displays the love for beauty and art that
dandies were thought to hold. We can see Wilde’s influence on
Leverson’s writing through Cecil’s character, as he too shares a
love for creating a highly aesthetic living space in “Suggestion”
(Bristow). After chatting with Marjorie about her birthday, Cecil
recalls that his father got him a copy of Robinson Crusoe for his
birthday but that he prefers Pierre Loti and intends “to have an
onyx-paved bath-room, with soft apricot-coloured light
shimmering through the blue-lined green curtains in my
chambers” (Leverson 254). Through this Romantic description,
we can tell that Cecil has a deep appreciation for the beauty that
can be created in everyday life and his desire to design a space
that is reflective of his personality and artistic imagination.
Similarly in “The Quest of Sorrow,” Cecil explains that in his
current living space, “I was able to arrange [my rooms] in
harmony with my temperament” which was “at once simple and

36

elaborate, severe and florid” and “an interesting result of my
complex aspirations” through the “astonishing patience of a
bewildered decorator” (Leverson 412). He goes on to explain
that “here I was able to lead the life of leisure and contemplation
for which I was formed and had those successes — social and
artistic — that now began to pall upon me” (Leverson 412). In
this second short story, Leverson again conveys Cecil’s desire
for creating a living space that is aesthetically pleasing to him
and supportive of his pursuit of a life full of beauty and artistic
endeavors. His desire to create such a space for himself also
shows his desire to deviate from Victorian norms of style by
decorating his space in a way that reflects his unique personality
through unconventional decor choices and an abundance of
variety in colour, texture, and mood. Guan discusses how “a
dandy’s only mission was to be himself” because he “refused to
accept a lifestyle which would conceal his own individuality and
personality, the kind of lifestyle which he believed typified that
of the bourgeoisie” (Guan 25). Thus, Cecil’s desire to design his
living space according to his own tastes and preferences
irrespective of the current trends guiding most of society
embodies the sense of rebellion and proud individuality that the
Victorian dandy was known for.
This uninhibited expression of one’s unique personality
through their living space also applies to one’s appearance,

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which is another level of aestheticism that the Victorian dandy
was thought to appreciate and pursue. In his book chapter titled
“Dandyism and late Victorian masculinity,” James Eli Adams
explains that “an emergent middle-class discourse (derived from
broadly puritan tradition) celebrated [...] a masculinity
associated above all with industry and self discipline” (Adams
221). This “manly ‘character’ thus became associated with inner
moral being, whose confident possession would be confirmed
by obliviousness to outward regard” (Adams 221). He notes that
one way this emerging sentiment manifested itself was through
“an increasingly sober and self-effacing normal of male attire,
characterized by dark, loose-fitting clothing that extinguished
any display of individuality” (Adams 221). Guan further
supports this assertion by explaining that “in general in late
Victorian England, individual behaviour was guided by rigid
conventions, including clothing” as “flowery and flashy colours
were disapproved of, and the wearing of black or grey was
universal” (Guan 26). To display masculinity then, a Victorian
Englishman was expected to pay very little attention to his
appearance in order to signify that he prioritizes his inner pursuit
of

respectable

morality

and

productivity

rather

than

superficialities such as his appearance. The Victorian dandy,
however, rejected this idea of sacrificing one’s appearance in
order to convey a superior morality and chose to pay close

38

attention to their appearance and prioritize developing “an
extraordinary and elegant self-image” (Guan 25). In “The Quest
of Sorrow,” Cecil is engaged with his servant, Collins, “in
putting some slight final touches to [his] toilette” and later asks
him to “take away this eau-de-cologne” after he finishes getting
himself ready (Leverson 414). Further along in the story,
Leverson also notes that Cecil was “wearing violets in [his]
button-hole” while sitting with Alice in the brougham after iceskating (Leverson 416). Cecil defies the social conventions
associated with Victorian men by putting significant effort into
every detail of his appearance and striving to enhance his
perceived beauty. Similarly in “Suggestion,” we come to
understand how involved Cecil is in appearances through his
expertise in clothing and style. Cecil’s sister Marjorie and friend
Laura always say that “Cecil knows everything” and “they do
nothing—not even choosing a hat—without asking my advice”
(Leverson 251). The girls’ reliance on consultation with Cecil in
deciding what to wear conveys his proficiency in the art of dress
and how he pays special attention to his attire so as to best
accentuate his beauty and express his personality instead of
surrendering to wearing drab black clothes to fit in with the
majority of Victorian men. It is his love for creating an aesthetic
self image that authentically reflects his personality regardless

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of the social norms being thrust at him that makes Cecil an
excellent example of dandyism in late-19th century England.
This deviation from the masculine fashion norm
permeating Victorian society is partly what led many people to
view dandies as effeminate and, ergo, oriented somewhere
outside of heterosexual norm as well. Adams contends that
dandies were “associated principally with men who devoted
fastidious attention to dress” as we have explored previously
(Adams). However he further argues that “this emphasis on
outward appearance obviously unsettles traditional notions of
masculinity, as it aligns the dandy with a conventionally
feminine posture, which leads to a frequent association of the
dandy with unorthodox sexuality” (Adams). In her book chapter
called “Dainty Malice: Ada Leverson and Post-Victorian
Decadent Feminism,” Kristin Mahoney argues that in “The
Quest of Sorrow,” Cecil sabotages the relationship between
Alice and Freddy and then “exits the heterosexual drama for a
more exotic narrative terrain in the sexually permissive space of
France” (Mahoney 30). At the end of the story, Cecil describes
that “on the golden sands, with the gay-striped bathers of
Trouville, I was content to linger with laughter on my lips,
seeking for Sorrow no more” (Leverson 419). Cecil’s lack of
authentic interest in Alice and other women mentioned in “The
Quest of Sorrow” further contribute to the possibility that he

40

may not be heterosexual. In the beginning of the story, Cecil asks
the reader “how can one sit down and write ‘My dear lady — I
am so sorry, but I am really too busy?’” to the many women who
“have appealed to my heart” (Leverson 412). Cecil suggests that
he has “perhaps no inclination” to these girls rather than a true
lack of time to court them, which conveys that he may not be
romantically attracted to women in general (Leverson 412).
Furthermore, he makes it clear that he is not actually in love with
Alice but that he has “a theory that if you make love to a woman
long enough, and ardently enough, you are sure to get rather fond
of her at last” (Leverson 415). Although he seems to be in good
standing and a well-liked person to these women, he does not
reciprocate the feelings of attraction and romantic love that they
have for him which suggests that he is not heterosexual. Though
these nods to the possibility that Cecil may not be confined to
heterosexuality may be subtle, Leverson conveys to the reader
that Victorian society often perceived dandies to be homosexual
because they were seen as effeminate. In “Suggestion,” Cecil
tells Marjorie “I never marry” while talking about the design for
her dress that he has in his head (Leverson 254). This
unwillingness to marry suggests that Cecil does not want to be
contained in a long-term heterosexual relationship and instead
wants to keep himself available to sexual relations with other
men, women, or perhaps both. Instead of wanting to commit to

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a monogamous long-term marriage, Cecil wants to be
unattached and sexually free, which conveys the sexual
permissiveness and adventurousness that dandies were
perceived to embody.
The effeminate nature of the Victorian dandy is further
illustrated through the emotional passion and Romantic
expressiveness of Cecil’s individuality that we see through his
thoughts and speech. Guan explains that “dandyism is a
complete theory of life [...] it is a way of existing” and that
“dandyism is not about the clothes alone, elegant as they are, but
what they mean as an outward sign and as a form of rebellion—
they are part of a style and approach to life” (Guan 26). Much
like the attention paid to the aesthetics of clothes, the dandy’s
way of living required that he appreciate and exude beauty as
well as express his individuality. One way that Cecil embodies
this lifestyle is through his Romantic descriptions of the world
around him and the depth of emotion he expresses throughout
Leverson’s short stories. While talking about Lady Winthrop and
others, Cecil tells us that “Laura has, like myself, the artistic
temperament; she is cultured, rather romantic, and in search of
the au-delà [the hereafter]” (Leverson 250). Leverson thereby
gives us direct characterization of Cecil as a romantic, but also
conveys a sense of femininity to him by comparing him with
Laura and her personality. Later in “Suggestion,” Cecil describes

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his mother with Romantic detail and an appreciation for beauty
through an overflow of personal emotion by saying:
Every one says I am strangely like my mother.
Her face was of that pure and perfect oval one so
seldom sees, with delicate features, rosebud
mouth, and soft flaxen hair. A blondness without
insipidity, for the dark-blue eyes are fringed with
dark lashes, and from their languorous depths
looks out a soft mockery. I have a curious ideal
devotion to my mother ; she died when I was
quite young—only two months old—and I often
spend hours thinking of her, as I gaze at myself
in the mirror. (Leverson 253)
In his essay, Adams notes that for Beau Brummeell, who
was “the star mascot for the dandy man in the 19th century,”
“labour was sublimed in the fine art of dressing well and
contemplating society with an exacting eye to form” (Adams
221). We see Cecil embody this exacting eye to form in his
description of his mother. Cecil pays meticulous attention to the
details of his mother that develop her beauty and describes her
features with imagery and adjectives that paint a Romantic
picture of her. This description of his mother shows his profound
ability to appreciate and articulate her aesthetic nature and the
beauty in other people in general. Furthermore, he reflects upon
his own personal experience of emotions while thinking of his
mother which conveys the sense of curiosity of oneself and the
emphasizing of one’s own opinions that Romanticism advocates

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for. In addition, Cecil’s identification with his mother associates
him with a sense of femininity, which speaks to the effeminacy
that Victorians associated with dandies. Cecil subverts the strict
code of masculinity that emphasized restraining one’s emotions
and glossing over superficial details like beauty in exchange for
efficiency and practicality.
This Romantic emphasis on the self seeped into what
many people in Victorian society viewed as narcissism and a
degree of self-involvement that meant dandies did not contribute
to society and lacked the productivity that traditionally
masculine men exerted. Adams explains that in 19th century
England, the concept of the dandy “had long vexed the middleclass imagination as an emblem of idle, unproductive existence,
and thus of effeminacy” (Adams 220). He further discusses this
perception by detailing that the dandy was thought of as being
“an icon of parasitic idleness and superficial pleasures disdainful
of common human struggle” due to their narcissistic selfinvolvement (Adams 221). After listing a few frivolous,
lighthearted events that he does on a day-to-day basis in “The
Quest of Sorrow,” Cecil tells us “you must admit I had a
sufficiently occupied life” (Leverson 413). Being that the
activities that make him busy include having two appointments
in one day and having to talk to someone “of whom one has
grown tired” of in the evening, it is clear that Cecil is not actually

44

very busy (Leverson 413). His obliviousness as to what it truly
means to be busy doing hard work and exerting oneself all day
exemplifies the ignorance that much of Victorian society
perceived dandies as having because of their pursuit of art and
beauty. In “Suggestion,” Cecil and Marjorie are chatting about
her prospects with potential marriage suitors when she changes
the subject with a sigh and tells Cecil that “father was
complaining again to-day of your laziness” (Leverson 254). It
was thought that dandies did not understand and appreciate the
hard work and effort of the productive “masculine” men in
society who put themselves to use through jobs that demanded
intense physical exertion or made significant contributions to the
health of society. Devotion to living a life of abundant beauty
through personal style, literature, painting, music, and other
forms of art was not seen as industrious but rather a waste of
masculine ability for involvement in the public sphere. In his
essay, Guan quotes Charles Baudelaire who proclaimed that “the
dandy stands on an isolated pedestal of self” and that “the dandy
has neither obligations nor attachments” and “no occupation”
because “the dandy’s achievement is simply to be himself”
(Guan 25). This lack of responsibility and obligation to helping
improve the good of society in favour of prioritizing one’s own
passion for art is part of what contributed to the disapproval that
most of Victorian society felt for dandies. Cecil’s relaxed and

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unproductive lifestyle illuminates this perception of dandies as
being soft, weak men that do not commit themselves to pursuing
a life of generativity.
Leverson’s writing of Cecil in her short stories “The
Quest of Sorrow” and “Suggestion” works to reflect the many
perceptions that Victorians had towards men they considered to
be dandies. Fundamentally, being a dandy involved seeing the
world through a lens that is highly sensitive to beauty and
constructing an aesthetic environment for oneself. Various
manifestations for this prioritizing of aesthetics led others to
associate the dandy with femininity and a sexual orientation
different from heterosexuality. This perception of effeminacy
was further strengthened by the dandy’s Romantic nature and
self-exploration. Such a preoccupation with the self and
effeminacy in conjunction with the perception of dandies not
being productive for society all contributed to the disapproval
many Victorians had for these men. Similarly, many people in
today’s society view the new generations of men as being soft
and weak because they are not pursuing the traditional roles of
masculinity that prioritize hard physical labour and setting one’s
own personal expression aside. Stephen Marshall claimed that
men are now weaker than ever before at the beginning of this
essay, but now that we have learned about how Victorians
claimed the same thing, is that really true Stephen?

46

Works Cited
Adams, James Eli. “Dandyism and late Victorian masculinity.”
Oscar Wilde in Context, edited by Kerry Powell and
Peter Raby, Cambridge University Press, 2013, pp. 220229.
Adams, James Eli. “The Dandy: Victorian Literature.” Oxford
Bibliographies, 27 November 2023,
https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/docume
nt/obo-9780199799558/obo-9780199799558-0201.xml
Bristow, Joseph. “Oscar Wilde (1854-1900),” Y90s Biographies
, 2010. Yellow Nineties 2.0, edited by Lorraine Janzen
Kooistra, Ryerson University Centre for Digital
Humanities, 2019, https://1890s.ca/wilde_bio/.
Guan, Beibei. “Oscar Wilde’s Aestheticism.” Journal of Arts
and Humanities, vol. 7, no. 2, 2018, pp. 24-32.
Illing, Sean. “The new crisis of masculinity.” Vox, 7 August
2023, https://www.vox.com/the-grayarea/23813985/christine-emba-masculinity-the-grayarea
Leverson, Mrs. Ernest. [Ada Leverson]. “Suggestion.” The
Yellow Book, vol. 5, April 1895, pp. 249-57. Yellow
Book Digital Edition, edited by Dennis Denisoff and
Lorraine Janzen Kooistra, 2010-2014. Yellow Nineties

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2.0, Ryerson University Centre for Digital Humanities,
2019. https://1890s.ca/YBV5_leverson_suggestion/
Leverson, Ada. “The Quest of Sorrow.” The Broadview
Anthology of Victorian Short Stories, edited by Dennis
Denisoff, Broadview Press, 2004, pp. 411-419.
Mahoney, Kristin. “Dainty Malice: Ada Leverson and PostVictorian Decadent Feminism.” Decadence in the Age
of Modernism, edited by Kate Hext and Alex Murray,
John Hopkins University Press, 2019, pp. 27-46.
Marshall, Stephen. “The Softest Generation.” The Man’s Life,
31 October 2017,
https://www.themanslife.com/2017/10/the-softestgeneration/
Wenman-James, Louise. “Ada Leverson (1862-1933)” Y90s
Biographies. Yellow Nineties 2.0, edited by Lorraine
Janzen Kooistra, Ryerson University Centre for Digital
Humanities, 2021, https://1890s.ca/leverson_bio/.

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