3 October 2012 Oscar Wilde‚ Victorian or Anti-Victorian? Oscar Wilde was a writer during the end of the Victorian era. This is one of the reasons that it is difficult‚ and still debated‚ whether he was a Victorian writer or not. His private life was far from the puritanical image of the Victorian era. The Victorian age was full of rigid sensibilities‚ while the anti-Victorian movement veered in the complete opposite direction. The anti-Victorians were much more adventurous with sex. There
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The Importance of Being Victorian: Oscar Wilde “The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Modern life would be very tedious if it were either‚ and modern literature a complete impossibility” (Wilde 14). As a brilliant writer of the 1800’s‚ Oscar Wilde devoted the majority of his works towards unveiling the harsh truths of the Victorian society. Leading a life of deception himself‚ he chose to showcase his distastes for the social injustice he saw around him with unrestrained humor. Being the first
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Oscar Wilde’s The Young King’ is the tale of a young man’s metamorphosis‚ through a dream quest‚ that opens his eyes to the heart rendering struggle of the poor‚ who are exploited by the rich and the powerful to satisfy their own selfish needs. The change that takes place in the Young King reflects his attainment of the virtue asked for in Christ’s message. The story begins with "the night before the day fixed for his coronation" and the young king‚ "being but sixteen years of age" sits alone in
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Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde was one of the poets who‘s lyrics refused the problems of morality and philosophy which troubled the population during the Victorian era in the nineteenth century‚ and he found images for his own moods‚ loves and experience. His work as a dramatist and his legendary name‚ have given his verses a significant reputation. (Evans‚ I.‚ 1976‚ p.114) Wilde’s pleasure in provocation and his examination of different moral perspectives are
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artists on what art should be or do. Oscar Wilde argues in his preface to “The Picture of Dorian Gray” that art is beauty or a symbol‚ but beneath that is left to the interpretation of the spectator. In Gustave Courbet’s essay “Realist Manifesto” art is knowledge to draw from to inspire his own individuality and to create living art. Although both essays bear some superficial similarities‚ the difference between Wilde’s and Courbet’s definition of art is staggering. Wilde and Courbet recognized how critics
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The Canterville Ghost is not just a short story by Oscar Wilde about a haunted mansion with a ghost; it is also a comedy and a parody of British aristocracy. In this story‚ the author makes fun of American pride and love of wealth by having the American Ambassador who buys the mansion say: "I will take the furniture and the ghost at a valuation. I have come from a modern country‚ where we have everything that money can buy". Oscar Wilde’s "The Canterville Ghost" is a story of a family’s relationship
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The Picture of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel written by Irish writer‚ Oscar Wilde. The main character‚ rich and beautiful Dorian Gray‚ owns his portrait‚ which instead of him becomes older and where are traces of sin and mistakes. While Gray becomes uncontrollable and ruthless‚ his appearance stays youthful and flawless. At the end‚ in his despair‚ Gray destroys the picture and himself. The novel gives us a very good lesson – we can do whatever we want
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Minor details are often considered insignificant or irrelevant and as a result they are rarely given the attention they deserve. In Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest‚” we see cleverly hidden details within the drama that‚ while serving significant roles‚ people may view as inhibitors to understanding the play. Cigarette cases and tea parties are two of the many details within the drama that contain background meanings; their most prominent purpose being to emphasize the importance of
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What good does always being earnest do you if you are not "Ernest"? Oscar Wilde’s play‚ "The Importance of Being Earnest"‚ explores exactly this notion‚ following two men who readily abandon their namesakes in order to win the affections of their respective fair ladies. The play opens in London with a conversation held between these two men‚ Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff. However‚ at the play’s origin‚ Algernon only knows his friend as "Ernest". This rapidly changes with the aid of a cigarette
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In the play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde‚ one can predict Algernon will go to Jack’s house and that Jack and Gwendolen will not get married. First‚ one can predict that Algernon will go to Jack’s place. At the beginning of the play‚ Algernon asked Jack questions about his house. Then‚ later in the play he writes down the address Jack gives Gwendolen. In the play it states‚ “Algernon‚ who has been carefully listening‚ smiles to himself‚ and writes the address on his shirtcuff. Then
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