Context on Wilde and the novel Flashcards
When was PODG published?
1890
When and where was PODG set?
Late nineteenth century at the end of the Victorian era.
West and East end of London.
When was the Victorian era?
1837-1901
Why did Victorians live with a double sexual standard?
Men were expected to want and need sex whereas women were expected to submit to sex in order to please their husbands.
What is the ‘doctrine of separate spheres’?
The idea that men and women were made for different things.
For men, sex was central whereas for women, reproduction was central.
Men belonged in the public sphere whereas women belonged in the private sphere.
Were most Victorian Britons Christian?
Yes, but they were also fascinated in the emerging discipline of psychology (LH).
When was the Aesthetic movement?
1860-1900
When did the Aesthetic movement flourish?
1870s and 1880s with the help from the influence of Oscar Wilde.
What did Aestheticism aim to promote?
‘Art for art’s sake’ - art being valued for its beauty rather than it’s deeper meaning.
What did Aestheticism challenge?
The values of mainstream Victorian culture which believed that art could fulfil ethical roles.
