Oscar Wilde speaks to themes of objectification and the obsession with preserving youth. Although applicable to women who were and are still held to the high standards of preserving themselves for marriage and aestheticism, Wilde does not write the novel for women. The hypocrisy and genius of Wilde's telling of objectification further oppresses female characters in Victorian society, while also acknowledging it. This timeline reflects the works and accomplishments of Oscar Wilde and his stance on proto-feminism in the Victorian Era.
Oscar Wilde and British Aestheticism (F21 LITR 388 / LITR 379H Columbia College Chicago) Dashboard
Description
The term "British aestheticism" refers to an avant-garde movement in England in the closing decades of the 19th century opposing bourgeois values, and promoting artistic, sexual, and political experimentation, and the pursuit of beauty. In addition to Wilde, we will read work of other central figures of the movement, including Walter Pater and William Morris. Our central focus will be Wilde's 1890/1891 novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and its contemporary reception. We will collaboratively develop a collection of contemporary reviews of the novel, including Pater's own, which we will annotate and contextualize in essays and other assignments.
Galleries, Timelines, and Maps
My essay compares The Picture of Dorian Gray to Dracula by Bram Stoker
My paper addresses and investigates the use of French Decadence in Wilde's novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray"
French Decadence was a movement in western Europe during the late 18th/ early 19th century. The movement was centered around art, literature and included themes of artificiality and decay.
My research paper is focusing on how Cleveland Street Scandal along with the trials and fall of Oscar Wilde affected how the reception was for "Picture of Dorian Gray"
Decadence is a literary movement especially of the late 19th-century France and England characterized by refined aestheticism, artifice, and the quest for new sensations. It first emerged in France in the mid-19th century before spreading to the rest of Europe. For France and England, the end of the 18th century and the 19th century were tough times. During the late 18th century, France was going through the French Revolution and the government was failing to meet the needs of its people. As a way to cope with the oncoming changes, people turned to decadence. This led to an indulgent lifestyle during these times that focused on consumption of material goods and feel-good experiences. The turn to decadence in France and England originated from a place of fear. France was trying to pretend that everything was fine financially and politically when it wasn’t.