TEMA 51

O. WILDE Y B. SHAWN

1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................ 1
2. OSCAR WILDE (1854-1900).............................................................................................. 1
2.1 Oscar Wilde’s Works...................................................................................................... 2
● The picture of Dorian Gray.........................................................................................2
● The Importance of Being Earnest............................................................................... 2
3. BERNARD SHAW (1876-1950).......................................................................................... 3
3.1 Bernard Shaw’s Works................................................................................................... 4
● Major Barbara............................................................................................................. 4
● Pygmalion................................................................................................................... 4
4. TEACHING IMPLICATIONS........................................................................................... 5
5. CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................5
6. BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................................ 5
 1. INTRODUCTION

Literature serves as a fundamental aspect of human interaction, culture, and communication.

This essay will explore the significance of Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw's works,
focusing on how their writings challenge conventional societal views and emphasize the
importance of self-awareness, social critique, and transformation. First, the analysis will
begin with Wilde’s works and next, the essay will delve into Shaw's plays.

Understanding the works of Wilde and Shaw is essential for enhancing cultural literacy and
communication skills, particularly in navigating the complexities of societal expectations and
human behavior. Their writings encourage readers to question societal norms, challenge the
status quo, and engage in more meaningful and informed discussions.

2. OSCAR WILDE (1854-1900)

Oscar Wilde, born in 1854, in Dublin, Ireland, was a celebrated author known for his wit,
aesthetic sensibilities, and controversial life. Wilde received a privileged education, attending
prestigious schools and earning multiple scholarships. In the 1880s, his charm and intellect
introduced him to social and artistic circles, though his devotion to the Aesthetic Movement
was mocked in Victorian society.
Wilde's major literary works emerged in the 1890s, including his sole novel, The Picture of
Dorian Gray (1890), which fused Gothic elements with French decadence. He also gained
widespread acclaim for his society comedies.
Despite his success, Wilde’s private life brought scandal in Victorian England, where
homosexuality was illegal. Wilde was convicted of "gross indecency" and sentenced to two
years of hard labor, during which he suffered ill health. After his release in 1897, Wilde
reunited with his partner, Bosie Douglas, but his health declined. He died in 1900, of
meningitis in Paris. Wilde converted to Roman Catholicism shortly before his death.

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2.1 Oscar Wilde’s Works

● The picture of Dorian Gray

In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian Gray is a wealthy and handsome young man who,
when painted by artist Basil Hallward, expresses his wish for the portrait to age in his place
while he preserves his youth and beauty. Influenced by the hedonistic Lord Henry Wotton,
Dorian embarks on a life of pleasure and corruption, distancing himself from moral values.
Throughout the novel, his portrait ages and reflects the effects of his wrongdoings, while he
remains physically young and beautiful.

Dorian falls in love with actress Sibyl Vane, but cruelly rejects her when she performs poorly.
She commits suicide, and Dorian, seeing changes in his portrait, decides to hide it. Over time,
he continues a life of excess and vice, while his portrait becomes increasingly distorted.
Eventually, Basil Hallward confronts him about his reputation, and Dorian kills him in a fit of
rage. Finally, when attempting to destroy the portrait, Dorian dies, and his body is found aged
and deformed, while the portrait returns to its original form.

In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde challenges Victorian views on art, advocating for
aestheticism, the idea that art exists purely for beauty, without moral or social purpose. He
critiques a society that values appearance over character, highlighting the obsession with
youth and beauty. This workreflects a superficial society that prioritizes physical appearance
above all else.

● The Importance of Being Earnest

In The Importance of Being Earnest, Jack Worthing, the protagonist, leads a double life under
the fictitious identity of his irresponsible brother, Ernest, which allows him to escape his
duties as a major landowner and justice of the peace. Meanwhile, Jack is in love with
Gwendolen, but she is determined to marry only a man named Ernest, as she believes the
name signifies trustworthiness and sincerity.

Jack’s best friend, Algernon, discovers Jack's secret and decides to visit Jack's country estate
pretending to be Ernest. Meanwhile, Gwendolen and Cecily, Jack's ward, both fall in love
with "Ernest," creating a comedic love triangle full of mistaken identities and

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misunderstandings. As the play unfolds, the two men’s deceitful identities create a series of
misunderstandings and comic situations, especially when both women discover they are
engaged to men who are not who they claim to be. In the end, the truth is revealed, and it
turns out that Jack’s real name is indeed Ernest, making him the legitimate brother of
Algernon, and all the characters find resolution in their relationships.

In The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde critiques Victorian views on marriage, which
focus more on social status and wealth than love. He also mocks Victorian morality,
presenting it as a rigid, hypocritical set of rules. The concept of earnestness is satirized,
highlighting the contradictions and superficiality of societal expectations. The play follows a
classic comedic structure, with characters undergoing transformations in a pastoral setting,
leading to a resolution where marriage symbolizes a return to order and a fresh start.

3. BERNARD SHAW (1876-1950)

George Bernard Shaw, born in 1856, in Dublin, Ireland, was a renowned dramatist, literary
critic, and socialist thinker who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925. Raised in
poverty, Shaw pursued self-education after finding formal schooling unsatisfactory. He
moved to London, where he endured years of frustration and poverty, relying on his mother's
support while reading extensively at the British Museum and attending intellectual debates.

In 1884, Shaw joined the Fabian Society, a middle-class socialist group advocating for
societal reform through education and legislation. He became a leading voice within the
organization, excelling as an orator and social critic. Despite early rejections of his literary
work, Shaw persevered, eventually becoming a prominent public intellectual and one of the
Fabians' most influential figures.

Shaw, known for his wit and showmanship, remained active and influential throughout his 94
years. After his wife's death, he lived in Hertfordshire until his death in 1950.

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3.1 Bernard Shaw’s Works

● Major Barbara

In Major Barbara, Lady Britomart Undershaft urges her son Stephen to take control of the
family business, as Barbara has joined the Salvation Army. Lady Britomart reveals that her
ex-husband, Andrew Undershaft, a wealthy armaments dealer, disinherited Stephen in favor
of an orphan as his successor. Undershaft arrives and, despite his past, is intrigued by
Barbara’s work with the Salvation Army. He decides to demonstrate his power by donating a
large sum of money, which Barbara rejects because it comes from the armaments and alcohol
industries. Barbara becomes disillusioned, and Undershaft argues that material support, not
religion, is the true means of salvation, as he believes money and resources are the real means
of saving people from poverty.

Major Barbara shows a series of conversations on morality, religion, and armament. The
characters acquire a more materialistic view on the problems of the world. The world is not in
God’s power but in the power of the military industrialist. Shaw criticises the Salvation
Army’s flaws. The Army fails to realize that man does not need salvation from evil but from
the material abjection of poverty.

● Pygmalion

Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw is a play that explores themes of social class, identity,
and the power of language. The story follows Eliza Doolittle, a young flower girl from a
lower class, who seeks to improve her social status. One day, she encounters Henry Higgins,
a phonetics professor, who bets that he can transform her into a lady of high society simply
by teaching her how to speak properly. Throughout the play, Eliza evolves from a simple,
unrefined woman into someone who speaks and behaves in an elegant manner.

However, Eliza's transformation goes beyond just language. As her relationship with Higgins
develops, tensions arise over control, independence, and dignity. Initially treated as a project,
Eliza realizes her own worth and begins to challenge the expectations placed upon her.

Pygmalion raises questions about identity and the role of education in social mobility.
Through wit and humor, Shaw critiques the rigid class structures of Victorian society.

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 4. TEACHING IMPLICATIONS
5. CONCLUSION

In summary, Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw’s literary works provide profound
insights into the nature of society, identity, and communication. Wilde’s examination of
aestheticism and morality, along with Shaw’s critique of class and authority, offer enduring
lessons on the importance of self-reflection and social critique.

The impact of these authors' works can extend into various fields, including teaching,
communication, and literature. Further research into how their themes shape contemporary
views on individual identity, social justice, and moral philosophy can provide valuable
insights into modern societal challenges.

Therefore, this topic is of great importance in the curriculum. Since a language cannot be
separated from its speakers, it is through the acquisition of cultural aspects that our students
will be able to understand and communicate in English, achieving a proper accuracy in
English.

6. BIBLIOGRAPHY