# Dedication explained — The Golden Ass

> Chapter companion for The Golden Ass by Apuleius.

## What happens

The author dedicates the work to Stéphane Mallarmé, framing the novel as a metamorphosis of an ancient decadent text.

## Themes in this chapter

### Transformation and Identity

The dedication explicitly frames the work as a 'metamorphosis,' signaling transformation as a central theme.

### Storytelling and Narrative

The dedication to a poet and the reference to an 'ancient decadent' text highlight the narrative's self-conscious literary lineage.

## Key lines

> To Stéphane Mallarmé This Metamorphosis of an Ancient Decadent

The book is dedicated to Stéphane Mallarmé, presenting itself as a transformation of an old, decadent story.

_The dedication establishes the novel's literary and thematic ambitions._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_golden_ass_se/chapters/dedication
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_golden_ass_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_golden_ass_se/chapters