Oscar+Wilde's+family+life

October 16th 1854, Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was born to Sir William and Lady Jane Francesca Wilde in Dublin, Ireland (Terpening, 1). He attended Trinity College in Dublin and then graduated from Magdalen College, Oxford in 1878 (Collins, 513). He married Constance Lloyd on May 29, 1884 and they had two sons together (Broad, 87). Wilde's most widely known works include the novel //The Picture of Dorian Gray// (1890), the play //Lady Windemere’s Fan// (1892) and poem //The Ballad of Reading Gaol// (1897). Aside from his written works, Wilde is often remembered for the publicity of his homosexuality that led to his trial, imprisonment, and, indirectly, death. The scandal of his trials were widely spread due to his prominence as a writer and his societal standing.

Despite Wilde’s preference for men and his “bachelor’s principles,” he decided to propose to Constance Lloyd and they were married in spring of 1884 (Terpening, 1). Terpening, like many others, claim that Wilde’s homosexuality put a strain on the author, causing him to neglect his family (Terpening, 1). Other critics, such as Lewis Broad and Richard Ellman, state that Wilde not only ignored his wife, but his children as well. Broad claims, “There is no room for doubting that Wilde was passionately in love” (Broad, 86). Ellman says that while Wilde “lost enthusiasm for playing husband”, “he did not feel this way about being father, for his boys delighted him” (Ellman, 267). Others choose to focus on questioning why, despite his homosexuality, Wilde chose to marry Constance and later have children with her (Woodcock, 14).

[|James Abbott McNeill Whistler] even “dubbed” Wilde “’le bourgeois malgré lui’” a phrase that implied that Wilde’s life with his wife and children was a sham (Ellman, 275). Wilde, who felt he had “restlessly performed his roles as husband and father” saw this as “a label he was determined now to accept” (Ellman, 275). Wilde played the role of husband very well, supporting Constance through her endeavours with writing and public speaking, even after giving birth to their sons (Stetz, 526). The rumors about Wilde’s sexuality “subsided after the birth of his two children" (Adut, 227). This particular piece of information has left historians and critics curious about Wilde’s intentions for years (Adut, 227). However, Wilde remained a caring father and husband. He continuously made efforts to have a strong emotional relationship with Constance, as she was the mother of their children and “he [had] no intention of giving them up" (Ellman, 278). [|Vyvyan Holland], (born Vyvyan Oscar Beresford Wilde) (Ellman, 266) Wilde’s younger son, was only ten years old when Wilde went to prison. While Wilde had been away for large portions of Vyvyan’s childhood, Constance told artist [|Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones] that Vyvyan had forgotten about Wilde, but his other brother, Cyril, regularly asked about his father (Ellman, 499). While Cyril knew his father was in prison, he was unaware of the true reason, as Constance did not want the children to know (Ellman, 499). Nonetheless, despite all the hardships between Constance and Oscar, the couple still cared deeply for each other. Constance visited Wilde in prison on Febuary 19th, braving social condemnation. She chose to offer Wilde “some consolation” and she “kissed him and comforted him” while he offered advice about the children. This was the last time the two saw each other (Ellman, 499; 500).

-C.A./Engl335/WhittierCollege/Fall2012



__Works Cited__

Adut, Ari. “A Theory of Scandal: Victorians, Homosexuality, and the Fall of Oscar Wilde.” American Journal of Sociology. 111.1 (2005): 227. Print.

Broad, Lewis. The Friendships and Follies of Oscar Wilde. Binghamton, New York: Vail-Ballou Press, 1954. 86-87. Print.

Collins, Thomas J., and Vivienne J. Rundle. The Broadview Anthology of Victorian Poetry and Poetic Theory. Toronto: Broadview Press, 2000. 513. Print.

Ellman, Richard. //Oscar Wilde. // New York: Random House, 1987. 266-500. Print.

Stetz, Margaret Diane. “The Bi-Social Oscar Wilde and ‘Modern’ Women.” Nineteenth-Century Literature. 55.4 (2001): 526. Print.

Terpening, William. "The Picture of Oscar Wilde: A Brief Life." The Victorian Web. Ed. George P. Landow. N.p., 8 June 2007. Web, .

Woodcock, George. The Paradox of Oscar Wilde. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1949. 14. Print.