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Why was Corydon controversial when it was published?
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André Gide
André Gide, oil painting by P.A. Laurens, 1924; in the National Museum of Modern Art, Paris.
When Corydon was published in 1924, it sparked intense controversy because it was a Socratic dialogue written in explicit defense of homosexuality.12
At the time, the work was met with a disastrous reception, and André Gide faced violent attacks from the public and even from his own closest friends. The backlash stemmed from the social and moral climate of the era, which largely condemned the subject matter Gide sought to normalize through his writing. For Gide, however, the completion and publication of the book represented a personal milestone, marking his final inner reconciliation and a commitment to living authentically by casting off his sense of guilt.13