MEDAN — A study by
Astri Rahayu, Geovani Mustika Salsabillah, Anggina Febrianti Pohan, Dion
Samurai Dachi, and Syamsul Bahri of Universitas Negeri Medan examines how
hedonistic behavior is portrayed in Fashion, a social comedy written by
American playwright Anna Cora Mowatt in 1845. Published in the International
Journal of Advanced Technology and Social Sciences (IJATSS) in 2026, the
study finds that the play presents hedonism through luxury, entertainment,
material possessions, social prestige, and the pursuit of personal happiness.
The research is important because it shows how a literary work from the
19th century can still illustrate social behaviors associated with pleasure,
status, consumption, and the pressure to maintain a fashionable image. Rather
than treating hedonism simply as excessive spending, the researchers identify
several ways pleasure influences the characters’ decisions, relationships,
emotional lives, and social interactions.
Fashion and the Social Pressure to Look Wealthy
Mowatt’s Fashion focuses on the Tiffany family and their desire
to gain acceptance within fashionable upper-class society. Wealth, elegant
appearances, expensive possessions, parties, and social recognition become
important symbols of status in the play.
The study highlights Mrs. Tiffany as the character most strongly
associated with this lifestyle. Her behavior illustrates a willingness to spend
money on luxury and fashionable appearances because she believes that social
respect depends on looking wealthy and elegant. The researchers interpret this
behavior as an example of hedonism because immediate pleasure and social
recognition are prioritized over financial responsibility and long-term
consequences.
The researchers use the six-category framework of hedonism developed by
Dan Weijers. The framework distinguishes between different motivations for
seeking pleasure, ranging from immediate personal enjoyment to pleasure that is
shared with others.
Six Forms of Hedonism Found in the Play
The researchers analyzed dialogue, conversations, and character actions
in Fashion. Thirty instances of hedonistic behavior were classified into
six categories.
The results show:
- Folk
Hedonism — 27% (8 instances): The most common form, involving immediate pleasure, luxury,
admiration, and social recognition without serious consideration of future
consequences.
- Egoist
Hedonism — 20% (6 instances): Behavior that places personal happiness and satisfaction above the
interests or well-being of others.
- Value or
Prudential Hedonism — 17% (5 instances): The belief that pleasure, comfort, entertainment, and luxury are
valuable components of a satisfying life.
- Motivational
Hedonism — 13% (4 instances): The pursuit of pleasure as a way to escape stress, sadness,
disappointment, or emotional pressure.
- Utilitarian
Hedonism — 13% (4 instances): Pleasure that is considered valuable because it creates happiness
for a group or community.
- Normative
Hedonism — 10% (3 instances): The idea that pleasure and luxury can be acceptable when balanced
with morality, dignity, responsibility, and social norms.
The dominance of Folk Hedonism is particularly significant. According to
the researchers, Mrs. Tiffany repeatedly prioritizes luxury, fashionable
appearances, and admiration over practical needs and financial stability.
Expensive furniture, clothing, decorations, and social events become symbols of
wealth and social superiority.
Pleasure Is Not Always Presented Negatively
One of the study’s notable findings is that Fashion does not
portray every form of pleasure as harmful. The researchers identify positive
dimensions of hedonism alongside its negative consequences.
For example, Motivational Hedonism appears when Mrs. Tiffany uses
parties and entertainment to temporarily forget stress and disappointment.
Although these activities do not resolve the underlying problems, they provide
temporary emotional relief.
Meanwhile, Utilitarian Hedonism appears when social gatherings create
enjoyment for several people. Music, food, celebrations, and entertainment are
portrayed as activities capable of strengthening social relationships and
producing shared happiness. In this interpretation, pleasure becomes more
meaningful when it benefits a wider group rather than only one individual.
Normative Hedonism also provides a contrasting perspective. Several
characters recognize that wealth and pleasure may be acceptable when
accompanied by responsibility, dignity, self-control, and appropriate social
behavior. The play therefore does not present luxury as inherently wrong, but
questions what happens when the pursuit of pleasure exceeds reasonable limits.
When Luxury Becomes Self-Interest
The strongest criticism emerges in the study’s discussion of Egoist
Hedonism. Mrs. Tiffany’s pursuit of luxury and social prestige sometimes
affects the people around her.
The researchers point to situations in which household expenses increase
because of her lifestyle and servants become exhausted by frequent social
events. Her emphasis on personal happiness and reputation illustrates how
pleasure-seeking can become disconnected from empathy and collective
responsibility.
This finding broadens the meaning of hedonism in the play. It is not
merely about buying expensive things. It can also influence relationships,
financial decisions, social expectations, and attitudes toward other people.
Relevance for Understanding Consumer Culture
The researchers argue that Fashion functions as a form of social
criticism. Although the drama was written in 1845, its depiction of
status-conscious consumption and the desire to appear wealthy offers a literary
perspective on broader questions about consumer behavior and social recognition.
The study concludes that the pursuit of pleasure can produce temporary
happiness and social acceptance, but it may also encourage excessive
consumption, selfishness, irresponsibility, and social pressure. At the same
time, pleasure can provide emotional comfort, strengthen social relationships,
and create collective happiness when pursued responsibly.
For literary studies, the research demonstrates how classical drama can
be examined not only as entertainment but also as a representation of social
values and human behavior. The authors specifically identify the six forms of
hedonism as different expressions of how characters understand happiness,
luxury, responsibility, and social status.
Researchers Behind the Study
The article was written by Astri Rahayu, Geovani Mustika Salsabillah,
Anggina Febrianti Pohan, Dion Samurai Dachi, and Syamsul Bahri, all
affiliated with Universitas Negeri Medan. Dion Samurai Dachi is listed
as the corresponding author. The published article does not provide the
authors’ academic degrees or individual fields of specialization, so those
details cannot be stated accurately without additional information.
The article was received on 5 May 2026, revised on 20 June
2026, and accepted on 25 July 2026. The source does not specify the
exact dates when the underlying research or data collection was conducted.
Research Source
Article title: Hedonism
in Anna Cora Mowatt’s Drama Fashion
Authors: Astri Rahayu, Geovani Mustika Salsabillah, Anggina Febrianti
Pohan, Dion Samurai Dachi, Syamsul Bahri
Affiliation: Universitas Negeri Medan
Journal: International Journal of Advanced Technology and Social
Sciences (IJATSS)
Volume/Issue: Vol. 4, No. 7, 2026, pp. 827–848
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijatss.v4i7.242
https://aprmultitechpublisher.my.id/index.php/ijatss
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