Ò Oscar Wilde was born on October 16, 1854, in Dublin, Ireland. He was educated at Trinity College in Dublin and at Magdalen College, Oxford, and settled in London, where he married Constance Lloyd in 1884. In the literary world of Victorian London, Wilde fell in with an artistic crowd that included W. B. Yeats, the great Irish poet, and Lillie Langtry, mistress to the Prince of Wales. A great conversationalist and a famous wit, Wilde began by publishing mediocre poetry but soon achieved widespread fame for his comic plays. The first, Vera; or, The Nihilists, was published in 1880. Wilde followed this work with Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892), A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895), and his most famous play, The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). Although these plays relied upon relatively simple and familiar plots, they rose well above convention with their brilliant dialogue and biting satire.
Ò Wilde published his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, before he reached the height of his fame. Devoted to a school of thought and a mode of sensibility known as aestheticism, Wilde believed that art possesses an intrinsic value—that it is beautiful and therefore has worth, and thus needs serve no other purpose, be it moral or political. This attitude was revolutionary in Victorian England, where popular belief held that art was not only a function of morality but also a means of enforcing it.
Ò In 1891, Wilde began a homosexual relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas, an aspiring but rather untalented poet. The affair caused a good deal of scandal, and Douglas’s father, the marquess of Queensberry, eventually criticized it publicly. When Wilde sued the marquess for libel, he himself was convicted under English sodomy laws for acts of “gross indecency.”
Ò In 1891, the same year that the second edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray was published, Wilde began a homosexual relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas, an aspiring but rather untalented poet. The affair caused a good deal of scandal, and Douglas’s father, the marquess of Queensberry, eventually criticized it publicly. When Wilde sued the marquess for libel, he himself was convicted under English sodomy laws for acts of “gross indecency.” In 1895, Wilde was sentenced to two years of hard labor, during which time he wrote a long, heartbreaking letter to Lord Alfred titled De Profundis (Latin for “Out of the Depths”). After his release, Wilde left England and divided his time between France and Italy, living in poverty. He never published under his own name again, but, in 1898, he did publish under a pseudonym The Ballad of Reading Gaol, a lengthy poem about a prisoner’s feelings toward another prisoner about to be executed. Wilde died in Paris on November 30, 1900, having converted to Roman Catholicism on his deathbed.
Ò This book is my favorite novel. The plot is fascinating because it is so personal. Anyone who reads the book can identify with the questionable desirability of immortality.
Ò The themes addressed in the story – among which are the purpose of art, the supremacy of youth and beauty, the superficial nature of society, and the negative consequences of influence—which are cross-curricular, are as applicable to today’s society as they were 120 years ago.
Ò Wilde’s exploration of unabashed hedonism is a great look at a lifestyle that was not widely broadcast in the waning Victorian society.
Ò Wilde’s writing style is whimsical and filled with aphorisms; this contrasts nicely to writers like Dostoevsky, who were long-winded and self-important. The book is an enjoyable change of pace from much of the other literature of this time period.
Ò The novel tells of a young man named Dorian Gray, the subject of a painting by artist Basil Hallward. Basil is impressed by Dorian's beauty and becomes infatuated with him, believing his beauty is responsible for a new mode in his art. Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil's, and becomes enthralled by Lord Henry's world view. Espousing a new hedonism, Lord Henry suggests the only things worth pursuing in life are beauty and fulfillment of the senses. Realizing that one day his beauty will fade, Dorian (whimsically) expresses a desire to sell his soul to ensure the portrait Basil has painted would age rather than himself. Dorian's wish is fulfilled, plunging him into debauched acts. The portrait serves as a reminder of the effect each act has upon his soul, with each sin displayed as a disfigurement of his form, or through a sign of aging.
Ò The novel presents a fascinating dynamic among the three main characters. While Dorian is the most important character, it is his interactions with Basil and Lord Henry that define him. Basil is smitten with Dorian’s beauty. He views Dorian as the epitome of purity, as aesthetic perfection. His desire to preserve that perfection is the inspiration for this painting. Lord Henry sees Dorian more for his potential. With his influence, he guides Dorian to engage in unfettered hedonism. Basil and Lord Henry are the angel and demon on Dorian’s shoulders; while Basil preserves Dorian’s physical beauty, Lord Henry contributes to the degradation of his soul.
Ò As you read the book, consider who Dorian represents.
Ò Is he the author?
Ò Is he the reader?
Ò Is he a metaphor for human nature?
No comments:
Post a Comment