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| Plot Summary of The Stranger Wilde |
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"Schmidgall focuses on Wilde's adult life. He makes much of Wilde's association with the Aesthetic movement at the end of the century in England and the reaction of the more conservative and even mainstream elements of society to his flamboyant persona–his extravagant dress and his homosexuality. His marriage to Constance Lloyd in May of 1884 is discussed as a tragedy waiting to happen because of his homosexuality, despite the births of their sons Cyril in 1885 and Vyvyan in 1886. Most of the book, however concerns Wilde's rather blatant willingness to exposes his various dalliances with young men in a society that generally preferred to keep such things hidden.
The central events of Wilde's life, as Schmidgall presents it, revolve around his sexual relationship with Bosie, Lord Alfred Douglas whom he met in 1891. Bosie's father, the Marquess of Queensberry, objecting to their relationship left an insulting card at Wilde's club and Wilde sued him for libel in 1895. When that case collapsed, Wilde was put on trial for his sexual relationships with several young men. The first trial ended in a hung jury, but a retrial got him convicted and sentenced to hard labor. Wilde spent about two years in prison and died in 1900."
Jack Goodstein, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Stranger Wilde |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Taboo Sex Story?
Yes
Kind of sex:
- gay guy
Period of greatest activity?
- 1800's
Subject of Biography
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- writer
Age:
- 40's-50's
Biography of famous person?
Yes
Ethnicity
- White
Nationality
- Irish/McCourt
How sensitive is this person?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other people
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 3 ()
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Misc setting
- prison
Century:
- 19th century
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Book makes you feel?
- challenged
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- male homosexuals doing their thing
Commentary on society?
Yes
Commentary on
- love/sex
Writer's slant towards subject:
- very favorable
Story of entire life, or part?
- story of set of events during life
If this is a kid's book:
- Age 16-Adult
Pictures/Illustrations?
- A lot 11-15 B&W
How much dialogue in bio?
- little dialog
A LOT of info about personal vices?
Yes
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life?
- 51%-75% of book
How much is philosophy rather than life story?
- 0-25% of book
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Click here for more information about this book
Gary Schmidgall Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Jack Goodstein
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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