Irish writer and poet Oscar Wilde was born in 1854. He was notable for his ornate lifestyle and writings and was labeled as a dandy-writer during the Decadent movement in literature. His pieces of work often contained parallels to his \u201cwild\u201d lifestyle. Criticized for the \u201cwild\u201d lifestyle he lived, he was known for being contrary to the ideals of Victorian-era England. Undoubtedly, these criticisms were present during his public trials for \u201cgross indecency.\u201d Wilde was accused of practicing homosexuality, which was a criminal act in late 19th century England. Subsequently, Wilde was found guilty, and some of his writings were used as evidence against him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A piece of evidence used against Wilde during his trial was his novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray<\/em>. This novel exemplifies Wilde\u2019s dandy style because the main character, Dorian Gray, was exuberant and was devoted to maintaining a polished appearance. While the novel exemplifies Wilde\u2019s style, it also parallels his queerness. This queerness is portrayed in some of the characters. For example, Wilde queer-codes the character Basil Howard. In the novel, Dorian Gray was Howard\u2019s muse and the subject of the portrait that plagued Dorian throughout the story. Howard\u2019s obsession with Dorian was heavily queer coded by Wilde, which was apparent in their interactions. An example of queer coding is present in this interaction, \u201cI worshipped you. I grew jealous of every one to whom you spoke. I wanted to have you all to myself. I was only happy when I was with you\u201d (Wilde). In this quote, Howard essentially professes his love to Dorian, which was unconventional during the Victorian era. With these interactions between the two characters, Wilde challenged the societal norms concerning male relationships. Because homosexuality was prohibited, the relationship between Basil and Dorian was a source of controversy for this novel. Ultimately, Wilde demonstrates \u201cwildness\u201d by provoking societal standards centered on homosexuality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ironically, I think Wilde\u2019s surname suits his character well. In all senses of the word, Wilde is \u201cwild.\u201d In the literary sense, his writings challenged societal norms in Victorian-era England. In his personal life, Wilde challenged those norms as well. Ultimately, I think that Wilde is \u201cwild because he broke societal ideals of the Victorian era by including queerness in his work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Anna Allen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Irish writer and poet Oscar Wilde was born in 1854. He was notable for his ornate lifestyle and writings and was labeled as a dandy-writer during the Decadent movement in literature. His pieces of work often contained parallels to his … Continue reading