Oscar Wilde Flashcards
What type of life did Wilde adopt?
he adopted the aesthetic ideal as he affirmed in one of his famous conversations: “My life is like a work of art”
What role did he paly in society?
He lived the double role of rebel and dandy
What is Wilde’s dandy?
is an aristocrat whose elegance is a symbol of the superiority of his spirit
he uses his wit to shock and he is an individualist who demands absolute freedom
What was life meant for for Wilde?
Life was meant for pleasure and pleasure was an indulgence in the beautiful
Wilde’s interest in beauty had no moral stance
What did Wilde affirm in his Preface?
he affirmed “There is no such a thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written. That is all.”
What did Wilde reject?
he rejected the didacticism that had characterized the Victorian novel in the first half of the century
Where was the term dandy used first?
in the song Yankee Doodle Dandy sung by the British troops during the American Revolution
Where does the term dandy come from?
probably derives from the Scottish nickname for Andrew
What did the words of this song mock?
the colorful uniforms of the American soldiers
How was the imaginary character depicted?
He was depicted riding a pony with a feather in his hat
What did the term dandy refer to?
the term dandy referred to a man who boasted about his appearance eve though he was wearing odd and ordinary clothes
What did Oscar believe about art?
He believed that inly art as the cult of beauty could prevent the murder of the soul
How did Wilde perceive the artist?
he perceived the artist as an alien in a materialistic world, he wrote only to please himself and was not concerned about communicating his theories to his fellow beings
What was the act of pursuing beauty seen as?
his pursuit of beauty and fulfillment was the tragic act if a superior being inevitably rejected as an outcast
Where and when does the novel take place?
the novel is set in London at the end of the 19th century
Who’s the protagonist?
Dorian Gray a young man whose beauty fascinates a painter
How are characters revealed?
all characters reveal themselves through what they say or what other people say of them
a technique which is typical of drama
What does Dorian Gray represent?
the ideal of youth, beauty and innocence
immortalized in Basil’s paintings as a living Adonis
Who is Dorian introduced by?
by what the painter says of him, thus rising reader’s expectations
but when he first appears he is rather immature but the reader is mad aware of his purity and innocence through narrato’s words
Who is Dorian influenced by?
Dorian is influenced by Lord Henry, who teaches him about hedonism, and starts to look for a life of pleasure and sensations
Who is Lord Henry Wotton?
an intellectual, a brilliant talker, apparently superficial but extremely sharp in his criticism of institutions
he is able to influence Dorian
Who’s Basil Hallward?
an intellectual who falls in love with Dorian’s beauty and innocence
What doesn’t Basil want to do?
He doesn’t want to exhibit the picture because he is afraid that it reflects the strange attraction he feels for Dorian
Who and why Basil gets killed?
Dorian kills Basil? because his painting and his passion are considered responsible for the young’s man tortured existence
What is Basil an example of?
he becomes a sad example of how good artist ca be destroyed in sacrifice for art
Who is the story told by?
by an unobtrusive third person narrator
What perspective is adopted?
internal, since Dorian’s apparition is the second chapter and this allows a process of identification between the reader and the character
How are the setting described?
the settings are vividly described with words appealing to the senses
