9.2 Wilde's aestheticism and social satire

Oscar Wilde's aestheticism and social satire challenged Victorian norms. He championed "art for art's sake" and used wit to expose societal hypocrisy. His works, like The Picture of Dorian Gray, explored beauty, morality, and decadence.

Wilde's plays, especially The Importance of Being Earnest, satirized upper-class conventions. His clever epigrams and flamboyant persona made him a cultural icon, but also led to his downfall in conservative Victorian society.

Aestheticism and Dandyism

The Philosophy of Aestheticism

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• Aestheticism prioritizes beauty and aesthetic pleasure above all else in art and life
• Proponents believe in "Art for Art's sake", meaning art should be created and appreciated solely for its beauty, not for any moral, social, or political purpose
• Aesthetes often reject conventional morality and societal norms in favor of pursuing sensual and aesthetic experiences
• Key figures in the Aestheticism movement include Oscar Wilde, Walter Pater, and Algernon Charles Swinburne

Dandyism and Decadence

• Dandyism is a style and attitude characterized by a meticulous attention to personal appearance, refined language, and a cultivation of leisurely hobbies (poetry, art collecting)
• Dandies often flout social conventions and challenge traditional gender roles through their flamboyant dress and behavior
• Decadence, closely related to Aestheticism, celebrates excess, artificiality, and sensual indulgence as a reaction against the perceived dullness and moralism of bourgeois society
• The French novelist Joris-Karl Huysmans's À rebours (Against Nature) is considered a key text of the Decadent movement

Wit and Satire

The Art of the Epigram

• Epigrams are concise, witty sayings that often paradoxical or satirical in nature
• Oscar Wilde was renowned for his clever epigrams, which he used to critique Victorian society and its hypocrisies (e.g., "I can resist everything except temptation")
• Epigrams were a key feature of Wilde's plays and a central part of his public persona as a brilliant conversationalist and wit
• Other notable epigrammatists include the poet Alexander Pope and the playwright George Bernard Shaw

Social Satire and Critiquing Victorian Hypocrisy

• Wilde used his plays, novels, and essays to satirize the double standards and moral inconsistencies of Victorian society
• He often targeted the institution of marriage, exposing the ways in which it could be a facade for social respectability rather than a genuine emotional bond (The Importance of Being Earnest)
• Wilde also critiqued the shallowness and materialism of the upper classes, as well as their obsession with social status and reputation
• His works reveal the gap between the Victorians' professed values (duty, propriety, earnestness) and their actual behavior, which was often self-serving and hypocritical

Notable Works

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)

• Wilde's only novel, which tells the story of a young man who remains eternally youthful while a portrait of him ages and records his sins
• Explores themes of aestheticism, the relationship between art and morality, and the corrupting influence of hedonism
• Challenged Victorian notions of art as a moral and educational tool, suggesting that art should be free from ethical constraints
• Sparked controversy upon publication due to its perceived homoerotic subtext and its portrayal of decadent lifestyles

The Importance of Being Earnest (1895)

• Wilde's most famous play, a satirical comedy of manners that follows two young men who both lead double lives to court their respective love interests
• Mocks the absurdities and hypocrisies of Victorian social conventions, particularly regarding marriage, class, and the aristocracy
• Exemplifies Wilde's signature wit and gift for creating memorable, epigrammatic dialogue ("The truth is rarely pure and never simple")
• Continues to be widely performed and adapted, cementing Wilde's status as a major figure in English literature and theatre