The Paradoxical Wilde
Many people dream of becoming famous. ... Oscar Wilde was the first media celebrity. ... ” By that measure, Wilde was the greatest writer of all time. ... Oscar Wilde was a man of paradox; in both his life and works wit, irony, and mystery is suffused throughout.
Oscar Wilde was and extraordinary individual. ... Even though most of Wilde’s work mimicked those before him, he often called for individuality. This juxtaposition of singular traits is what makes Oscar Wilde a source of curiosity to this day.
On October 16, 1854, Oscar Fingall O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was born to Sir and Lady William Wilde, in Dublin. William Wilde was a prominent surgeon who was recently knighted for his accomplishments (“Oscar” 272). Jane Francisca Elgee Wilde was a poetry and prose writer of some renown, writing under the pen name “Speranza”. ... Wilde’s parents were careful to discourage their children from becoming affiliated with the other members of the middle class (Terpening n. ... She also instilled in Wilde his love for paradox and one of her books laid the foundations of his belief that his life is his true art (Terpening n. ... Oscar’s father was a sensual man whose affairs had enshrouded the Wilde household with scandal. ... Accounts of Wilde at Portora differ wildly. ... Ervine however, depicts Wilde in a far different light. ... Wilde was already establishing himself as a brilliant conversationalist. ... Wilde admired two of his professors greatly, Tyrell and Mahaffy. ... Later Wilde would travel to Greece with Mahaffy, which helped to develop his aesthetic views and was the subject of his poem “Ravenna”. ...
At Oxford Wilde continued to raise curiosity. ... This only added to his worship (“Wilde” 658). ... Ruskin was admired by Wilde as well (Terpening n. ... Wilde stated that he was wearied by his tutor’s sympathy with the poor (Harris 47). ... This philanthropy may be due to the fact that Wilde would often find himself in precarious financial positions throughout his lifetime. Oscar graduated from Oxford laden with awards, ready to conquer London, as a “Professor of Aesthetics” (“Wilde”658). ... Unfortunately Wilde could not appeal to the masses as his brother Willie, now a writer at the World, could (Harris 61). Socially, Wilde had more success. ... The most notable occurrence of parody was in Bunthorne and Gilbert’s opera Patience (“Wilde” 658). Different sources saw Wilde as different things. ... But there was Wilde the philanthropist, the kind-hearted, the genial (Lawless E9). Wilde enjoyed this attention, which greatly increased his notoriety. ...
The next six years were busy for Wilde. ... Wilde’s writings from this early time period were critical and financial failures. ... Some believe that Wilde abandoned his family (Terpening n. ... Wilde was a family man Oscar once described Constance as “quite young, very grave and mystical, with wonderful eyes and dark brown coils of hair” (qtd. ... Wilde had compared himself with Dorian. ... Did Dorian’s change of feelings for Sibyl mirror Wilde’s change of feelings for Constance?
Wilde became a practicing homosexual in 1886 (“Oscar” 272). ...
After nearly a decade of commercial failure, Wilde emerged with a string of triumphs. ... All of Wilde’s “trivial comedies for serious people” were hugely successful. ... He had objected to Alfred’s social intimacy with Wilde (Stokes 412). ... In February 1895, Queensberry left a card at Wilde’s club which read, “For Oscar Wilde, Posing as a Somdomite (sic)” (d’Addario n. ... Wilde wanted to sue the Marquess for libel. ... Wilde followed Bosie’s advice, to his detriment. (It is interesting to note that although Wilde preached individuality he always gave way to Alfred. ... He was convicted of gross indecency and sentenced to two years hard labor (“Wilde” 659). Wilde served his term at great mental, intellectual and physical harm to himself. ... In prison, Wilde altered his view of reform drastically. ...
Wilde spent the latter part of his life in France. ... He was very sickly during his last years and died in Paris, on November 30, 1900 from cerebral meningitis (“Wilde” 659).
Oscar Wilde’s work illuminates different aspects of the writer. ... in “Wilde” 660). ...
Wilde did not preach morality. ... Wilde was annoyed when critics found morality and immorality in his novel The Picture of Dorian Grey and he replied by affirming “There is no moral or immoral book” (3). ... Wilde did not have the same sympathetic spirit that Dickens possessed. ...
Wilde’s characters often reappear from story to story. ... Passiveness is rare in Wilde’s world. ... Wilde draws his characters perfectly, yet they remain flat. ... Even when sordid rumors circulated wildly, others “could not believe anything to his dishonor when they saw him” (Wilde 111). ...
The ideas of Wilde’s work were borrowed from other sources. ... Wilde never gave the public anything new. What Wilde did do was take timeworn material and make it shine with his unique wit and style. ...
Wilde loved paradox. ... Ghosts are the objects of boyish pranks and babies found in purses are the history of Wilde’s world. ...
Perhaps Wilde’s most famous contribution to literature is the epigram. ... Wilde’s epigrams are so effective that they continue to be quoted regularly today. ... Lady Windermire’s Fan was Wilde’s fist successful play. ... The Importance of Being Earnest presents Wilde at his best. ... The novel can be approached several ways: as a gothic melodrama, an aesthetic novel, or as an autobiography of Wilde’s life (Upchurch n. ... Only the aging painting and the Eternal Youth are used by Wilde. ... The Wilde seems to be decrying aestheticism but his Preface added on in the novel form trumpets the aesthetic creed. ... The story was written before Wilde even met Alfred. ...
The Importance of Being Earnest was Wilde’s great literary achievement, by showing the triumph of style over substance (“The Importance” 11). ... Wilde comments on marriage, money, and morals are presented humorously, in this unbitter satire.
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