In The Decay of Lying , Oscar Wilde uses his decadent ideology in an attempt to reverse and therefore reject his audiences` `normal` conceptualizations of nature, art and morality. Wilde`s views of life and art are illustrated through the use of Platonic dialogue where the character Vivian takes on the persona of Wilde. Wilde`s goal is to subvert the norm by reversing its values. Wilde suggests to us that society is wrong, not him. Calling on diverse examples - from Ancient Greek sculpture to contemporary paintings - Oscar Wilde`s brilliant essay creates a witty, paradoxical world in which the only art worth loving is that built on complete untruths.