Social Criticism In Oscar Wilde's Aestheticism

Noted as one of the great writers of Aestheticism, Oscar Wilde is a literary commodity. In his rejection of upper class Victorian values and famous wit, Wilde became one of England’s most noted reform writers. His work first presents the reader with an artistic portrait, but looking deeper, always illuminates a criticism about society. Even in his shortest of poems, one can find beautifully transcendent words that reveal a societal injustice. Wilde’s notoriety as an Aesthetic writer buries this critical aspect of his work, but when looking at his poetry one can see the deeper meanings employed in his Aesthetic images. A social criticism can especially be seen in his use of feminine symbols as critiques of gender roles in English society. Wilde uses symbolic characters to represent the continually unequal gender politics associated …show more content…
The prostitutes Oscar Wilde creates represented the fusion of Victorianism and Aestheticism. Wilde rejected Victorian gender roles and thoughts on morality, but could not totally escape their influence, as they were the backbone of his society. In “Wilde as Poet,” Karl Beckson and Bobby Fong discuss Wilde’s literary multiplicity. They write, “Wilde could not sustain his Aestheticism, for he was driven by conviction […] that life and art were ultimately shaped by one’s moral and spiritual nature” (57). Even though people consider him a great Aesthetic poet, Wilde creates moments in his poetry that represent feelings of the Victorian period. These moments criticize the strictness of the Victorians. Wilde uses his natural proclivity towards the Victorian ideal of justice to critique the implications of gender roles on women in society. Wilde rebelled against the constraints put on people by social pressure. Social pressure, the habit of people and society