Campus Location
Abilene Campus (Residential)
Date of Award
8-2001
Document Type
Thesis
Department
Literature
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Committee Chair or Primary Advisor
Chris Willerton
Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor
Steve Weathers
Third Committee Member or Committee Reader
Gay Barton
Abstract
This thesis examines Oscar Wilde's construction of the self. Three major aspects of Wildean literary work serve as handles for this thesis examination. They are the Wildean interpretation of theoria, Wilde's literary technique and philosophical assertion of masks and poses and Wilde's favor of the social dandy.
In addition to these three aspects, this thesis utilizes four of Wilde's works as primary sources. These are The Pictureo f Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Earnest, "The Decay of Lying," and "The Critic as Artist."
Like most current critiques of Wilde, this thesis relies on many of the reading strategies of postmodern criticism. Additionally, this study takes into account the overall critical history and personal biography of Wilde.
Finally, this thesis asserts that Wilde's constructed self is a self that is multiessenced and, therefore, in direct conflict with the traditional Western notion of the self.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Pankl, Elisabeth Erin, "Oscar Wilde: Constructing the Self" (2001). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 31.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/31
Comments
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank my committee members for the time and effort they have spent working with me on this project. Special thanks goes to my committee chair for his enthusiasm about the issues addressed by this thesis and for his guidance in the research and development of the original idea.