The Eternal Contradictions And Conflicts

Through a detailed and thorough analysis of the contradictions and conflictsdemonstrated by Oscar Wilde in his personality, thoughts, theory and literarycreation, this thesis aims to get a better and more comprehensive understanding ofWilde and his aestheticism as well as the essence and defects, so as to give acorrect evaluation of his important position in the world's literary histo.y.Epitomizing aestheticism, Wilde brought forth the prosperity of the latter withhis own rise and its decline and termination with his imprisonment and death. Theformation of Wilde's aestheticism and its inborn contradictions and conflicts cannotescape the influence of certain historical background and literary environment, notto say its close relation with Wilde's family, experience, education and personaltemperament. To Britain and even to Europe as a whole, the late 19t1i century is atime when contradictions in all senses mounted to the peak. Hidden beneath theapparent tranquil political situation were dangerous undercurrents and reefs,together with the soaring economy came the prosperity of the bourgeoisie whosought nothing but profits, and the poverty of common people who had to struggleunder the poverty line. The development in science and Darwin's theory ofevolution had weakened the foundation of divinity being. Behind the curtain offeudal residue and the Church which maintained its rigid morality, the upperclasses of the society behaved like thieves as men and prostitutes as women. Theugly and dreary reality forced some radical and sensitive artists to try to build aspiritual Utopia. With the condensed slogan of Art For Art's Sake, a group ofadherents of art gradually gathered up, including Gautier and Baudelaire Qf Franceand John Ruskin and Walter Pater of Britain, who developed aestheticism indifferent aspects. It was just under this self-contradictory background of that timeand the literary environment filled with confused noises that Wilde with his.aestheticism appeared. Wilde not only reflects the characteristics of that time, but3ABSTRACTalso embodies the complexity of the contradictions, including the contradictionbetween his world view and his character, the contradiction between his theoreticalsystem itself and his literary creation practice, and the contradiction between Wildeand the literary characters he created as well as among the characters themselves,etc.The aestheticism of Wilde forms a complete theoretical system, however, thereare great contradictions, conflicts and paradoxes behind. And in thesecontradictions and conflicts between art and real life, between art and morality,between art and truth or realness, and between the form and content of art, Wildeabsolutely takes the side of art and is against the forced interference and plunder ofart as the subject by politics, utilitarianism, morality and ethics, against the erosionof the artistic realm of beauty by over-realness, against taking the form of art as theaccessory to certain content or subject. Wilde advocates "art for art's sake", " lifeimitates art", "art has nothing to do with morality", "art are lying", and "form iseverything", etc. Considering Wilde's contempt against tradition and authority aswell as his intentional rebellion, these above-mentioned viewpoints inevitablysomewhat exceed the proper limit in righting the wrong, or even appear to bearbitrary and biased. However, through thorough analysis, we can see theirinevitable objective reasons and their active realistic meaning. While indeconstructing others Wilde is deconstructing himself. He tries to build a ivorytower of beauty but cannot break off his attention from this mortal world, he tries toseparate art from utilitarianism and preaching of morality but always fails on...