There are many different ways to interpret Oscar Wilde's plays and stories, but there are a few things that the critics can agree on.
Art for Art's Sake
One of the biggest techniques that literary critics have come to relate to Oscar Wilde is his use of aestheticism. He was obviously very into beauty and art which was the basis of his life, and therefore, his writing. The Aesthetic Movement ran from 1860 to 1900, which was most of Wilde's life. This is said to be the reason why he became so fascinated with his fashion and beauty. His first encounter and introduction to aestheticism was when he attended Oxford University. He became obsessed with all the different forms of artwork that were on display. He wanted to learn more about them and the meaning behind them. This led him to want to create a form of art that made someone else feel about his work the way he felt when he looked at the paintings on the walls of the University (Anderson).
Dante Gabriel Rossetti and James McNeill Whistler had a very strong friendship, but that eventually turned to many arguments. This rivalry is what led to the creation of the Aesthetic Movement. The men were very flamboyant, similar to Wilde. Whistler had been a close friend to Wilde, and eventually became one of his biggest influences. Both men had a huge sense of humor and loved to come up with witty comments, so it is clear to see why they got along so well (Anderson).
Oscar Wilde’s obsession with art and beauty is one of the main themes that comes out in his writing. While most forms of art invite the audience into its world, Wilde’s art does the opposite. He seems to invite himself and his opinions into the life of the spectators. He wants to entertain his audience, but he does so in a way that is also enjoyable for him. His emphasis on appearance reflects his personal beliefs, instead of the majority beliefs (McCarthy).
Dante Gabriel Rossetti and James McNeill Whistler had a very strong friendship, but that eventually turned to many arguments. This rivalry is what led to the creation of the Aesthetic Movement. The men were very flamboyant, similar to Wilde. Whistler had been a close friend to Wilde, and eventually became one of his biggest influences. Both men had a huge sense of humor and loved to come up with witty comments, so it is clear to see why they got along so well (Anderson).
Oscar Wilde’s obsession with art and beauty is one of the main themes that comes out in his writing. While most forms of art invite the audience into its world, Wilde’s art does the opposite. He seems to invite himself and his opinions into the life of the spectators. He wants to entertain his audience, but he does so in a way that is also enjoyable for him. His emphasis on appearance reflects his personal beliefs, instead of the majority beliefs (McCarthy).
Comedy
Oscar Wilde also uses a strange sense of comedy and wit in his literature, one that not all people find entertaining. According to a essay, written by Mary McCarthy, Wilde's sense of humor didn't really have an 'off button'. He was constantly trying to come up with ways to make people laugh and sometimes his humor didn't appeal to everyone. The author also discusses the fact that the small jokes he throws in start to get repetitive.
As in "The Importance of Being Earnest", the men make jokes about the tiny cucumber sandwiches in the first act, and then they come back with similar jokes when they are eating the muffins in the courtyard. There isn't much creativity when it comes to his jokes (McCarthy). It seems as though he just tries to make someone laugh, and once he does, he just sticks with that one liner until it eventually dies on its own.
As in "The Importance of Being Earnest", the men make jokes about the tiny cucumber sandwiches in the first act, and then they come back with similar jokes when they are eating the muffins in the courtyard. There isn't much creativity when it comes to his jokes (McCarthy). It seems as though he just tries to make someone laugh, and once he does, he just sticks with that one liner until it eventually dies on its own.
Absurdity
Going along with the comical aspect, Wilde accompanies this technique with that of irony and paradox. He loved to write about situations that were primarily fiction, with aspects that could be considered reality. Wilde enjoyed writing with a style that was not common of his time and he played around with a few different techniques. He didn't want to be held down by the conventional ways of writing, so he decided to break free and take a chance (Short Story Criticism).
He first began these new styles when writing "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and these eventually became his favorite works. He began exploring with "irony, paradox, and the complete reversal of situations into their opposites." He goes above and beyond in his descriptions of the characters, and even the atmosphere. When it comes to "The Model Millionaire", Wilde uses the sense of reversal in a way that he makes his characters completely change personality. They become someone totally different in the end than they were in the beginning. He transforms their traits and behaviors into something entirely different and opposite by the end of his story (Short Story Criticism).
On top of Wilde writing with crazy techniques, he creates situations that are very unrealistic. In "The Importance of Being Earnest", the small jokes at the name hint at the improbability. We all know that no one would marry someone just because they had a certain name. While this seems like it wouldn't be a smart way to write, Wilde proves that he had some logic behind it. According to an essay, written by Robert Keith Miller, a play written in this style serves an important purpose. The author refers to the method as a 'moral vacuum' because Wilde forces us to forget about the parts of his story that we would naturally critique. Basically, his method helps the audience overlook all the small details and artificiality so we can focus on the morals and messages he is trying to portray. Miller writes, "Deliberately removed from the world as we know it, we are forced to reexamine the sort of values we normally take for granted" (Miller). This is an aspect that is not commonly thought of when someone evaluates the work of Oscar Wilde, but it definitely puts it all in a different perspective.
He first began these new styles when writing "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and these eventually became his favorite works. He began exploring with "irony, paradox, and the complete reversal of situations into their opposites." He goes above and beyond in his descriptions of the characters, and even the atmosphere. When it comes to "The Model Millionaire", Wilde uses the sense of reversal in a way that he makes his characters completely change personality. They become someone totally different in the end than they were in the beginning. He transforms their traits and behaviors into something entirely different and opposite by the end of his story (Short Story Criticism).
On top of Wilde writing with crazy techniques, he creates situations that are very unrealistic. In "The Importance of Being Earnest", the small jokes at the name hint at the improbability. We all know that no one would marry someone just because they had a certain name. While this seems like it wouldn't be a smart way to write, Wilde proves that he had some logic behind it. According to an essay, written by Robert Keith Miller, a play written in this style serves an important purpose. The author refers to the method as a 'moral vacuum' because Wilde forces us to forget about the parts of his story that we would naturally critique. Basically, his method helps the audience overlook all the small details and artificiality so we can focus on the morals and messages he is trying to portray. Miller writes, "Deliberately removed from the world as we know it, we are forced to reexamine the sort of values we normally take for granted" (Miller). This is an aspect that is not commonly thought of when someone evaluates the work of Oscar Wilde, but it definitely puts it all in a different perspective.
Image Source: www.forest.wbschools.org
Sources: Anderson, Anne
McCarthy, Mary
Short Story Criticism
Miller, Robert Keith
Sources: Anderson, Anne
McCarthy, Mary
Short Story Criticism
Miller, Robert Keith