SoSe 19: PS-Surveying English Literatures II: Oscar Wilde: Notions of Literature, Authorship, and Criticism
Lea von der Linde
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The words and works of Oscar Wilde have long found their way into popular culture. His novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, has been adapted for the big screen many times. His aphorisms can be found on everyday objects such as postcards, mugs, and stationary items. In his own time, the second half of the 19th century, Wilde’s popularity was of a more controversial nature. His works and person became the subject of intense moral scrutiny. After the publication of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde saw himself confronted with the accusation that his novel was unethical, and it was even used as evidence against him during the trial that eventually led to his imprisonment in 1895.
In response to these accusations, Wilde claimed that art and morality did not share a common ground and that he as the author of the novel was not to be held responsible for the various possible interpretations of its content.
In this course, we will explore the concepts of literature, authorship, and criticism as they are reflected in the writings of Oscar Wilde and take a look at how these concepts function in the contexts of the fin-de-siècle and of present-day literary studies.
We will read The Picture of Dorian Gray¸ as well as other examples of Wilde’s works. Participants of this course are required to get hold of a copy of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray in the Norton Critical Edition (Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Ed. Michael P. Gillespie. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2007) and to have read the second version of the novel from 1891 by the beginning of the semester. Additional reading material will be announced over the course of the semester.
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Regular appointments