Date

12-19-2024

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree

Master of Arts in Literature (MA)

Chair

Brenda Ayres

Keywords

Oscar Wilde, Authenticity, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Earnest, Earnest, Victorian, Victorian England, Aestheticism, Authenticism, Social Media Entertainment, Domesticity, Social Norms, Morality, Dandyism, Age of Decadence, Nineteenth Century

Disciplines

English Language and Literature

Abstract

Oscar Wilde’s critical, theatrical, and fiction works (notably The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray), critique Victorian societal norms through themes of authenticity, duplicity, and identity. In a period marked by strict domesticity and concealed social contradictions, Wilde’s satire dismantles rigid ideologies, exploring self-discovery and societal expectations. Through a retroactive and contemporary definition of authenticity, Wilde’s works exhibit an advocacy for art as a central pursuit rather than purely a reflection of societal norms, which is a defining value of his Authenticism. Wilde’s emphasis on Aestheticism is a key component of his authentic representation of self, and is both a social and personal endeavor, resonating with modern Social Media Entertainment (SME) culture’s focus on genuineness. His works question traditional expectations and societal factors that impact identity, including gender. This examination underscores Wilde’s approach to art and self-expression, highlighting its relevance in both Victorian and contemporary contexts, as it relates to the understanding of authenticity throughout the nineteenth and subsequent centuries.

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