Le Corbusier = Professor Silenus

Professor Silenus is a character in Evelyn Waugh's novel "Decline and Fall" - he serves as a primary motif of the book and is a humourous parody to the characteristics of an over the top architect.

This book was a refreshing read, though its tone is optimistic and funny, it is by no means not to be taken seriously. The title is taken from Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, and is a narration of 1920's high society. Paul Pennyfeather is the observer, not only of plot of this book but in the characters own life. In effect, he has no bearings in life; he is an orphan that has twice he has been punished, through no fault of his own but rather the fault of his 'social superiors'. Which in a sense is an accurate portrayal of what certainly was a true depiction of the class bound society of the 1920's Britain and probably still lingers in some areas of life today.

There is something to be admired in the portrayal of Professor Silenus, a character introduced in the second part of the book. A man of about 25, but whose confidence and arrogance is laughable in his strange opinions.

 " 'The only perfect building must be the factory, because that is built to house machines, not men. I do not think it is possible for domestic architecture to be beautiful, but I am doing my best. All ill comes from man,' he said gloomily; 'please tell your readers that. Man is never beautiful, he is never happy except when he becomes the channel for the distribution of mechanical forces.' "

Le Corbusier is mentioned by name in the book and possibly aligns his character of Professor Silenus. This could because of the post war architecture that was being erected throughout Britain was being particularly modern in its replacement of the old, war damaged buildings, Waugh by have been unhappy with what he was seeing and thus invented a character such as this to point to the strangeness of it all. Maybe it wasn't just the buildings that were damaged in this war, but the class system as well, opening the eyes of many people.