Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit Anzeichen von Oscar Wilde´s Homosexualität in seinem Werk "The Picture of Doran Grey". Zudem wird ein Überblick über sein Leben und seinen Umgang mit seiner Homosexualität gegeben.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. The Victorian Age
- 2.1. General Information
- 2.2. Sexuality in the Victorian Age
- 3. The Gay Wilde
- 3.1. Oscar Wilde's Life
- 3.2. Oscar Wilde's Sexuality and Love Life
- 3.3. The Trials
- 4. The Picture of Dorian Grey and the Homosexuality of Oscar Wilde
- 4.1. Overview: The Picture of Dorian Grey
- 4.2. Homosexuality in the Picture of Dorian Grey
- 5. Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper aims to explore the life and works of Oscar Wilde, focusing on his homosexuality within the context of the Victorian era. It investigates how the social and legal climate of Victorian England impacted Wilde's life and how his sexuality influenced his writing, particularly in his novel, The Picture of Dorian Grey.
- The Victorian Age: Its social norms, values, and attitudes towards sexuality, particularly homosexuality.
- Oscar Wilde's life: A biographical overview, including his relationships and the legal consequences he faced.
- Oscar Wilde's sexuality: An examination of his sexual orientation and its expression in his personal life and works.
- The Picture of Dorian Grey: An analysis of the novel's plot, characters, and themes, exploring how Wilde's homosexuality is manifested within the text.
- The societal response to Wilde's homosexuality: How Victorian society reacted to his lifestyle and the legal battles he endured.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter sets the stage for the paper by establishing Oscar Wilde as a proto-modern figure whose life and work were deeply shaped by the restrictive social norms of the Victorian era. The author highlights Wilde's unconventional lifestyle, his violation of social taboos, particularly regarding his homosexual relationships, and the significance of this context for understanding his life and his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Grey. The chapter introduces the main research question: How did the Victorian attitude towards homosexuality influence Wilde's life and artistic expression in The Picture of Dorian Grey?
2. The Victorian Age: This chapter provides a historical backdrop, examining the Victorian era in two key aspects. First, it offers a general overview of the era, highlighting the impact of the Industrial Revolution on societal structure, urban growth, and the disparities in wealth and living conditions. Secondly, the chapter delves into the social attitudes surrounding sexuality, revealing the strict Victorian moral codes and their suppression of open expression of sexuality. This section specifically explores the taboo surrounding homosexuality and the severe legal repercussions individuals faced for engaging in homosexual acts. The prevailing double standards between professed moral values and the realities of prostitution and pornography are also discussed, emphasizing the hypocrisy of Victorian society in relation to sexuality.
3. The Gay Wilde: This chapter presents a biographical sketch of Oscar Wilde, examining his life in relation to the social context established in the previous chapter. It begins with details of his upbringing in a Dublin intellectual family and his academic successes. The chapter then moves to focus on Wilde's love life and his relationships with men, highlighting the choices that led to his legal troubles and imprisonment. The chapter lays the groundwork for the subsequent analysis of his work by focusing on the experiences that shaped his perspective and artistic expression.
4. The Picture of Dorian Grey and the Homosexuality of Oscar Wilde: This chapter provides an overview of Wilde's novel, The Picture of Dorian Grey, before delving into a thematic analysis focusing on how Wilde's homosexuality is expressed within the text. It sets out the plot and introduces the main characters, setting the scene for a closer examination of the thematic content in which the author will explore how specific aspects of the novel's narrative and character development reflect Wilde's personal experiences and the social climate he inhabited. The chapter promises a detailed investigation into the connections between Wilde's life and the creation of this iconic work.
Keywords
Oscar Wilde, Victorian Era, Homosexuality, The Picture of Dorian Grey, Social Norms, Sexuality, Victorian Morality, Legal Consequences, Biography, Literary Analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview on Oscar Wilde and the Victorian Age
What is the main focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores the life and works of Oscar Wilde, specifically focusing on his homosexuality within the context of the Victorian era. It investigates how Victorian society's attitudes and laws impacted Wilde's life and how his sexuality influenced his writing, particularly in The Picture of Dorian Grey.
What topics are covered in the paper?
The paper covers several key areas: the social norms and attitudes towards sexuality (particularly homosexuality) in Victorian England; a biographical overview of Oscar Wilde's life, including his relationships and legal consequences; an examination of Wilde's sexual orientation and its expression in his personal life and works; a detailed analysis of The Picture of Dorian Grey, exploring how Wilde's homosexuality is manifested within the novel's plot, characters, and themes; and finally, an examination of Victorian society's response to Wilde's homosexuality.
What is the structure of the paper?
The paper is structured into five chapters: An introduction setting the context and research question; a chapter on the Victorian Age, covering its social norms and attitudes towards sexuality; a biographical chapter focusing on Oscar Wilde's life and relationships; a chapter dedicated to a detailed analysis of The Picture of Dorian Grey and its connection to Wilde's life and experiences; and a concluding chapter summarizing the findings.
What are the key themes explored in the paper?
Key themes include Victorian social norms, sexuality (particularly homosexuality), Victorian morality, the legal consequences of non-conformity, the biographical context of Wilde's life, and literary analysis of The Picture of Dorian Grey to uncover how Wilde’s experiences influenced his creative work.
What is the main research question addressed in the paper?
The central research question is: How did the Victorian attitude towards homosexuality influence Wilde's life and artistic expression in The Picture of Dorian Grey?
What are some of the key aspects of the Victorian Age discussed in the paper?
The paper discusses the impact of the Industrial Revolution on Victorian society, the strict moral codes and suppression of open expression of sexuality, the taboo surrounding homosexuality and its legal repercussions, and the hypocrisy surrounding professed moral values and the realities of prostitution and pornography.
How does the paper analyze The Picture of Dorian Grey?
The paper analyzes The Picture of Dorian Grey by examining its plot, characters, and themes, exploring how Wilde's homosexuality is expressed within the text. It investigates the connections between Wilde's life experiences and the creation of this iconic work.
What keywords are associated with this paper?
Keywords include: Oscar Wilde, Victorian Era, Homosexuality, The Picture of Dorian Grey, Social Norms, Sexuality, Victorian Morality, Legal Consequences, Biography, Literary Analysis.
- Quote paper
- Björn Böhringer (Author), 2013, Oscar Wilde. The homosexual genius, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/272612
