Oscar Wilde Research Paper

Oscar Wilde frequently incorporated his feelings and own views on society by using literature as his outlet. In Larry Houston’s online article on the history of legislation prohibiting homosexuality in Great Britain, it is clear that Wilde did not have the choice to be an openly gay man without facing legal consequences. Houston mentions the Criminal Law Amendment Act in 1885, which categorizes male gross indecency as a crime punishable with a prison sentence of up to two years. Houston the continues by emphasizing that this act “expanded the definition of a homosexual act, while at the same time making it easier for the prosecution of homosexuality”. This threatening pressure to disguise himself in order to keep his career as an author intact

This was later used against him in court when the prosecutor used passages from The Picture of Dorian Gray, suggesting they contained enough evidence to convict Wilde guilty on accounts of gross indecency (Miller 18). This belief that he wrote from real life occurrences is confirmed in Oscar Wilde: A Certain Genius in which Belford states “Drawing on his own experience during shooting seasons at Irish country houses, Wilde wrote authentically of the scene where Sibyl’s brother is accidentally shot” (173). The problematic relationship, due to lack of communication among other reasons, is also assumed to be heavily based off of Wilde’s romantic relationships with other men. After Basil is introduced to Dorian Gray, he becomes “a great turning-point in his art” (114). This relates to Wilde’s own affairs being a source of inspiration in the novel. The characters of the novel face their own downfall as its stated in the novel that “Life had come between them” (84). Similarly, as secrecy continuously became harder to contain Wilde’s relationships fell apart, but he continued to incorporate his heartache in his

Characterization posed as one of his greatest tools, as it allowed for Wilde to channel his sexuality in writing in a way that avoided the dangers of legal consequences. Through developing relationships and creating characters based off similarly shared traits specifically to Basil, Wilde wrote from his own soul. The motive from researching other authors and their works, served as one of his great sources of inspiration. The other source of inspiration steamed from his own reality. This combination of techniques and incentive united together to form Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian