Oscar Wilde Influences

Throughout mankind, there have been plenty of time where disobedience has lead to  greater changes for humanity. Author Oscar Wilde once stated “Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history. Is man's original virtue. It is through disobedience and rebellion.” Wilde’s statement claims that disobedience is a trait that every human possesses, disobedience is the reason society is so developed. As history has shown us, humans have never been satisfied when there is a higher power over them. For this reason, it is through disobedience and rebellion that social progress has been made.

Human beings possess several virtues that differentiate them from other creatures and can use them in ways that represent their perceptions of social order. Surprisingly, Oscar Wilde believes that disobedience is an original virtue of every human and that it is responsible for progress and development. While Wilde’s claim is not entirely accurate, it is largely valid as evidenced by the recent events across the world, including the US, that have led to positive outcomes in spite of being termed and perceived as acts of disobedience.

An object at rest will remain at rest and an object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Newton’s first law of motion identifies what is needed to produce change. Oscar Wilde shared similar observations when he said, “Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.” Both Newton and Wilde recognized how force was essential in order to successfully achieve change. Although Wilde was an influential leader in the late 1800s, his ideas are still applicable to today’s world just like Newton’s laws of motion. The force of disobedience and rebellion has followed Wilde’s claim by historically altering the world and continuing to serve as a powerful platform for change.

    "I turned half way around and saw Dorian Gray for the first time. I knew that I had come face to face with someone whose mere personality was so fascinating that, if I allowed it to do so, it would absorb my whole nature, my whole soul, my very art itself" (7). During the Victorian era, this was a dangerous quote. The Victorian era was about progress. It was an attempt aimed at cleaning up the society and setting a moral standard. The Victorian era was a time of relative peace and economic stability (Marshall 783). Victorians did not want anything "unclean" or "unacceptable" to interfere with their idea of perfection. Therefore, this quote, taken from Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray,

Throughout life we are told not to do anything bad and to not break the rules, however how is a person supposed to learn from what they do wrong? Oscar Wilde once wrote, “Disobedience in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is a man’s original virtue…,” through historical evidence this statement is made true because without minor disobedience and rebellion, we wouldn’t have the basic human rights that we have today. In the second part of his quote, Wilde makes a point that through the disobedience and rebellion of historical figures, social progress would not have been made, and the shape of American culture wouldn’t be the way it is today.

James Mercer Langston Hughes was African American poet, who wrote for more than the average African American male. Hughes’s was a Social activist for African Americans during his lifetime. Hughes took great interest in the music of the Harlem Renaissance which can be seen in his later works by taking the beat and message of the Jazz music played in Harlem at the time. It is safe to say that Langston Hughes influenced many African Americans through his writing, social and political activities, and the Harlem Renaissance.

Many students are in one shape or form familiar with the work of the American writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864.) Much of his very influential themes have in one way or another been incorporated in movies that are now popular among teenagers for example the movie starring Emma Stone, “Easy A.” (Gluck) This particular movie has a reference to one of Hawthorne’s most well-known and read books “The Scarlet Letter.” It has been proven that a more recent trend among teenagers is that they are no longer reading as many books as they were in decades prior, this includes reading for classes in school and for pleasure at home. (Alter) The former book reading has been replaced by movie viewing and screenwriters see this as an opportunity in order to import some educational information from which the viewers can benefit from. “The Scarlett Letter” has several references to Puritan religion that Hawthorne grew up knowing well. (Gollin) This leads to the question to which extent and whether or not Hawthorne was influenced by his life events when writing his many novels?

Throughout his life Oscar Wilde had many strong influences exerted upon him. During his early childhood his mother influenced him and into college some of his professors and certain philosophers left a substantial impression upon him. Into adulthood these influences leaked out in his writing. These influences gave him ample ideas for writing The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde's study of the Hellenistic ideals of Epicurus, his coddled lifestyle as a child and his devotion to the movement of Aesthetics and Moral Ambiguity have produced one of the most astounding works of horror fiction.

Oscar Wilde’s play, The Importance of Being Earnest; A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is best described as such, a trivial comedy for serious people. Wilde’s play is structured through the influences of social drama and farce. This play was written in 1895 during the Victorian era where an expected behavior governed all areas of life including sexuality and frivolity. Oscar Wilde’s own sexuality is historically well-known as he was married to a woman, but partook in sexual relations with men (“Oscar Wilde”). This play was birthed during the midst of pressures that Wilde experienced in balancing his marital life and precariously trying to maintain his homosexual proclivities. Wilde’s response to the English aristocracy, in all its arrogance,

Despite what many might think, Satire in The Importance of Being Earnest: Oscar Wilde is known for his satire, and The Importance of Being Earnest is no exception to Wilde's usual mode of satirical writing. The effect of satire will change, however, depending upon the audience, and one of the fascinating things about this play is that the people Wilde satirizes are also the people he expects to be watching the play. Why does Wilde satirize the viewers who will be buying the tickets? What kind of reaction might he be aiming to evoke in his audience? Historical research into social issues of the time might be helpful here.

John Lahr, a critic of the famous author and playwright Oscar Wilde, once claimed, “To stand out in Victorian culture,Wilde had to stand against it.” Wilde definitely did not conform to the society by which he was surrounded; being an aesthetic homosexual was not the typical or ideal Victorian man. His distaste for the era he lived in is seen clearly in his humorous play The Importance of Being Earnest. Wilde was personally judged and outcasted by his own society, which caused him to mock his audience and argue that the Victorian Era was not as virtuous as those of that time attempted to appear. He uses this piece of writing as an opportunity to not only stand against and disprove the Victorian ideals, but to persuade his audience to realize

In Oscar Wilde’s play, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, we find many comedic elements strengthening his criticism of Victorian society. With a range of devices providing comedic elements, this comedy of manners is a play varied in its provision of humour. Firstly, Wilde uses satire in the play in order to mock society at the time, with the many ideals and manners of the people of the time challenged, the satirized theme of marriage featuring heavily in Act 1. A great example of such is in Gwendolen’s erroneous insinuation that men with the name of Ernest are more ‘safe’ in terms of marriage.

Because of his mother’s actions when he was a boy, to this day, Hemingway is known to actually have a deep hatred for his mother. Ernest Hemingway was born July 21st, 1899, In a town called Oak Park, Illinois. Hemingway was the son of a Physician and a Musician. His childhood was a miserable one, and due to his childhood, he has acquired a “deep hatred” for his mother, Grace Hall-Hemingway.

Oscar Wilde was born in the height victorian age. His dad was a doctor tell he died. His mother who wrote under an alias for an irish newspaper called The Nation until it was raided in 1848 and had to close. He had 5 siblings, Willie Wilde, Mary wilde, Emile Wilde, Isola Wilde, and Henry Wilde. He has been rich and poor all his life and today he has been remembered for all the good he did and all the bad.

Gale Hawthorne is an 18-year-old boy who lives in District 12. He is Katniss's best friend and her hunting partner. They meet while Katniss is attempting to hunt to feed her family following their fathers' deaths. Gale is described by Katniss as muscular and very handsome, and catches the attention of girls in District 12. Both Gale and Katniss bear the typical resemblance of those from the Seam; dark hair, olive skin, and grey eyes. He has three younger siblings and is skilled with snares and hunting with bow and arrow.