Oscar Wilde's Fairy Tales Analytical Essay by Jewellz

This paper examines how Oscar Wilde's reputation as one of the preeminent literary geniuses of the Victorian era remains an extraordinary accomplishment for an Irishman writing for and about English society. It looks at how, after his conviction on sodomy charges led to two years in prison and self-imposed exile to France, Victorian society vigorously denied Wilde's existence in their ranks and how Wilde?s role as an outcast within Victoria's conservative society represents a compelling force in his fairy tales. It analyzes his books, "The Happy Prince", "The Star-Child", and "The Young King", as well as "The Soul of Man Under Socialism", for elements of Wilde's theory of masculine love.