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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 6 page analysis of the theme of one's hidden self in three of Wilde's works: The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Lord Arthur Savile's Crime. The paper concludes that Wilde was desperately afraid of becoming ruined by public recognition of his homosexuality, and this fear is reflected in the emotional barriers erected within his fiction and plays. Bibliography lists 7 sources.
Page Count:
6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_Wildlife.doc
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
the British upper classes; his life seemed determined to flout any and all convention. These traits caused him to come under vicious attack by conservatives, who at last seized on
his homosexual relationship with a young aristocrat (then a criminal offense) to bring him to ruin. Looking at these events of his life, it becomes clear why so many of
his works stressed the importance of maintaining a good "surface", while refusing entrance to the real person who lived underneath. The Picture of Dorian Gray is probably the work in
which Wildes homosexuality comes through most blatantly. For example, although as a very young man Gray is briefly engaged to the actress Sybil Vane, his relationship with her is scarcely
more than an infatuation with her talent and beauty; as soon as he sees her perform badly onstage, the engagement is off. His relationships with other men are much more
influential and lasting. In fact, the entire book could be read as a menage a trois between Basil, Henry, and Dorian. A deep bond between three men, of course,
does not indicate homosexuality. But let us examine the way the three men feel about one another. Early in the book, the artist Basil tells his worldly friend Henry that
he sees Dorian daily; "I couldnt be happy if I didnt see him every day. He is absolutely necessary to me" ("Picture", 113). However, it worries Basil that "I have
given away my whole soul to some one who treats it as if it were a flower to put in his coat, a bit of decoration to charm his vanity,
an ornament for a summers day" ("Picture", 114). Basil does not want to introduce Dorian to Henry because he is afraid Henry will corrupt him. We are clearly not
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