preview

How Did Oscar Wilde Use Crime In The Victorian Era

Decent Essays

Crime in the Victorian Era
During the 1800’s crime was a rising concern for many residents of the British Empire, crime scene investigation was greatly lacking and tedious. During this time tracking down culprits was the equivalent of looking for a needle in a haystack. Crime was one of the common events in the Victorian era, it occurs at least once or more in a day. Most people who commit crime have reasons of committing it in the first place though not all get away peacefully. As evident in many Victorian works, Crime was a means of survival and escape for those who encountered an obstacle in the Victorian society.
Pickpocketing was a means of freedom and adventure to many poor and unfortunate members of society. In certain Victorian works …show more content…

Murder was also common during this era it tends to happen among lower class people since they are struggling to maintain survival due to low income however, it can also happen to high class people. It all starts with this; people who have a sad life and /or have any particular addiction will likely commit murder. Why it happens is simple, people want to satisfy their need at all cost and if they fail to do so they become frustrated and depressed and look for something or someone to blame for their failure. In the case of Dorian Gray from “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde he was frustrated and depressed on the painting of himself since the painting signifies all his sins and mistakes. As Dorian mentions “Each of us has Heaven and Hell in him, Basil,” (Wilde, 178) it illustrates how people have two sides within one’s self, an evil side and a good side. In general goodwill is what people live for but for Dorian his deep remorse for all his actions sapped every bit of his good will and drove him to the edge of despair and hatred; as a result Dorian murders Basil Halward. Dorian gray is an example of a person who encountered a great deal of hindrance in society and resorted to crime by means of escaping the treacherous …show more content…

Deception was common among the poor; many residents in Victorian England are deceived and swindled for the sole purpose of surviving the cruel society. Christina Rossetti’s “The Goblin market” provides insightful evidence on how deception is depicted through Victorian art and literature. Through her poem it is visualized that people were very incompetent to the dangers of persuasion. Deceptive methods of proclaiming sweet delectable taste of fruits and irresistible taste of fruits, the goblins were able to snare one of the protagonists of the poem, Laura. In comparison to Victorian society many men were deceived in the streets of London by prostitution most women seek sex for money however, some deceive men and take all that they own and leave them with nothing. All these vile acts are done for the intent of continuity of life in Victorian society, through acts of deception those who are less fortunate are able to make a living and are able escape the grasp of despair and

Get Access