Beyond Literary Landscapes—Oscar Wilde

From my early beginnings as a young introvert, the public library has always been a bit of a refuge.  Years later, not much has changed, albeit with an additional affinity for endless hours spent scouring second-hand bookstores to add to my ever-growing “to-read” pile.

From one bookworm to another, this column will be underscoring and outlining various literary genres, authors, and recent reads and can serve as an introduction for those unfamiliar with these works, as a refresher for long-time aficionados, and maybe as an inspiration for readers to share their own suggested topics.  Do you have a topic that you would like covered in this column?  Feel free to contact me for an interview and a feature in an upcoming column.

Who

This week, we continue our recent focus on notable authors from the literary world with a overview of the life and works of Oscar Wilde.

Born on October 16, 1854, in Dublin, Ireland, Oscar Wilde remains one of the Western cannon’s well-known writers, poets, and dramatists.

What

Examples of famous works by Oscar Wilde include The Importance of Being Earnest, The Portrait of Dorian Gray, and Lady Windermere’s Fan.

Other works include various poems, such as “Ravenna” and “Requiescat,” as well as several essays, such as An Ideal Husband and The Duchess of Padua.

Where

These works are set throughout England, including London.

When

These works take place throughout the nineteenth century, or what was known as the Victoria Era in England.

Why

These works may be of interest to AU students who would like to learn more about gender, class, and religion in the Victorian Era, as well as enjoy some of the Western cannon’s notable comedic dramatist’s works.  In addition, students may be interested in learning more about the author’s biographical background.

How

AU’s wide range of diverse courses make it easy to study this topic in depth.  Courses related to Oscar Wilde are available in a variety of disciplines, including ones that may fit into your Degree Works.  (Always check with an AU counsellor to see if these particular courses fulfill your personal graduation requirements!)

AU students interested in learning more about this topic may enroll in ENGL 395: The Nineteenth-Century English Novel, a senior-level, six-credit course, which “introduces the student to some of the major English novels of the nineteenth century … [and] moves chronologically through the century, examining the development of fiction through … [several] representative works.”  (Please note that this course requires several prerequisites, namely ENGL 211: Prose Forms and ENGL 212: Poetry and Plays).

Students may also be interested in HIST 202: The West from the Enlightenment to the 21st Century, a junior-level, three-credit course, which examines “the West’s development from the eighteenth century to the twenty-first century.”  (Students should note that this course does not require any prerequisites).  Happy reading!