Author Study: Oscar Wilde Curated by Emily Liu '23
Society in A Woman of No Importance
A Woman of No Importance by
Devilishly attractive Lord Illingworth is notorious for his skill as a seducer. But he is still invited to all the best houses while his female conquests must hide their shame in seclusion. In this devastating drawing - room comedy, Wilde uses his celebrated wit to expose English societys narrow view of everything from sexual mores to Americans.
ISBN: 9781846372988Publication Date: 2006-01-01
Social Norms and roles in the society
Through out the play, Wilde discussed social norms between men and women through different character’s point of view. Each character holds their believes and values base on a certain social norm.
Society in The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray by
Celebrated novel traces the moral degeneration of a handsome young Londoner from an innocent fop into a cruel and reckless pursuer of pleasure and, ultimately, a murderer. As Dorian Gray sinks into depravity, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait reflects the ravages of crime and sensuality.
ISBN: 9780486278070Publication Date: 1993-10-13
Your surroundings could influence you more than you thought
Dorian was an innocent young man at the beginning of the novel. Yet, under the influence of Lord Henry, he learnt to be all evil and corrupt. Later in the passage, Dorian passed along this influence he received from Lord Henry to other youths. Oscar Wilde used the case of Dorian Gray to show his readers how a person could be shape under negative influences.
The society greatly values beauty and youth, but is it a good thing?
Through out the novel, many has told Dorian Gray that his beauty and youth are his most important characteristics. This has shaped his values, and make him believe that the only thing he own that could help him in this society is his beauty. That’s one of the key reason why Dorian later corrupt towards evil, and become all ruthless and cruel towards the people around him.
Society in The Nightingale and The Rose
The Nightingale and the Rose Oscar Wilde by
A nightingale overhears a student complaining that his professor's daughter will not dance with him, as he is unable to give her a red rose. The nightingale visits all the rose-trees in the garden, and one of the white roses tell her that there's a way to produce a red rose, but only if the nightingale is prepared to sing the sweetest song for the rose all night, and sacrifice her life to do so. Seeing the student in tears, the nightingale carries out the ritual, and impales herself on the rose-tree's thorn so that her heart's blood can stain the rose. The student takes the rose to the professor's daughter, but she again rejects him because another man has sent her some real jewels, and "everybody knows that jewels cost far more than flowers." The student angrily throws the rose into the gutter, returns to his study of metaphysics, and decides not to believe in true love anymore.
ISBN: 9781542614412Publication Date: 2017-01-18
The overrated importance of material life
The girl values true love less than a rich and stable material life. Sometimes human cares more about the physical wealth instead of mental richness.