Oscar Wilde and His Fairy Tales

Oscar Wilde and His Fairy Tales

I. Introduction

Wilde, Oscar (Fingal O’Flahertie Wills) (b. Oct. 16, 1854, Dublin, Ire ?d. Nov. 30, 1900, Paris, Fr.) Irish wit, poet and dramatist whose reputation rests on his comic masterpieces Lady Windermere’s Fan (1893) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1899). He was a spokesman for Aestheticism, the late19th-century movement in England that advocated art for art’s sake. However, Oscar Wilde’s takeoff of his enterprise and, his shaping of his characteristic style of works could be both considered originating from his fairy tales. It was not until his first collection of fairy tales had come out that he was regarded as an influential author. The British magazine Elegance, in which his The Selfish Giant is said to be adequately regarded as “the perfect works?and, his complete collection of fairy tales are even said to be the quintessence of the pure English language, equates him with the famous Danish writer of fairy tales Hans Christian Anderson.

In order to explore and study the fact why Oscar Wilde’s takeoff of his enterprise and, his shaping of his characteristic style of works could be both considered originating from his fairy tales, and the social, religious and aesthetic aspects of Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales, in this essay, I try to analyze from the angles of sociology and religion three of Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales, namely The Happy Prince, The Selfish Giant and The Young King, which personally I regard as the most typical characteristic style of Oscar Wilde’s works.

In this essay, the first chapter gives a brief introduction and background of Oscar Wilde and his fairy tales; the second chapter summarizes the three fairy tales which I have chosen to study, namely The Happy Prince, The Selfish Giant and The Young King; the third chapter expounds from the angles of sociology and religion my personal in-depth study and analysis of the three fairy tales of Oscar Wilde; the last chapter gives a personal brief conclusion of the value of Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales.

II. A Brief Introduction and Background of Oscar Wilde and His Fairy tales

Once upon a time there was a boy named Oscar Wilde. Oscar lived on a far way land called Ireland with his mother and father. His parents loved him very much. They would often tell him folklore of their native land that greatly interested Oscar. One day, Oscar ...

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...other aspects of society. However, through the use of rhetorical strategies such as manipulation of genre and persona, tone, and allusion he creates a means of expression that goes beyond overt social commentary to speak these beliefs to many, including those who may otherwise disagree with him. By making his views and creating stories immersed in fairy tales and Christianity, Wilde reveals his hope for the future of society and, more importantly, humankind.

VI. Bibliography

Drabble, Margaret. The Oxford Companion to English Literature. Britain: Oxford University Press, 1985.

Holy Bible. China: China Christian Council, 2001.

Oscar Wilde Homepage

. (10 Mar, 2004?6 May, 2004)

Snider, Clifton. “On the Loom of Sorrow.?Eros and Logos in Oscar Wilde’s Fairy Tales.

. (30 Apr. 2004)

The editorial departments of Merriam-Webster and Encyclopedia Britannica. Merriam Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature. Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, Publishers Springfield, 1995.

Wilde, Oscar. The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde. the U.S.: Harper Perennial, 1989.

Wilde, Oscar and Jack Zipes. Complete Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde. the U.S.: New American Library, 1996.