English literature the book is designed to acquaint students with the main outlines

art’s sake” doctrine.

In his plays the author mainly dealt with the life of educated people of refined tastes. Belonging to the privileged layer of society they spent their time in entertainments. In “The Importance of Being Earnest” the nUtlior shows what useless lives his characters are leading. Some of them are obviously caricatures, but their outlook and mode of behavior truthfully characterize London’s upper crust. Wilde rebels against their limitedness, strongly opposes hypocrisy, but, being a representative ofthe upper class himself, he is too closely connected with that very society; that is why his opposition bears no effective resistance.

The most popular works of the author are “The Happy Prince and Other Tales” (1888), “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (1891), and the comedies “Lady Windermere’s Fan” (1892). “A Woman of No Importance” (1893), “An Ideal Husband” (1895), “The Importance of Being Earnest” (1895). At the height ofhis popularity and success a tragedy struck. He was accused of immorality

and sentenced to two years imprisonment. When released from prison in 1897 he lived mainly on the Continent and later in Paris. In 1898 he published his powerful poem, “Ballad of Reading Gaol”. He died in Paris in 1900.

“The Picture of Dorian Gray” is the only novel written by Oscar Wilde. It is centered round problems of relationship be­ tween an: and reality. In the novel the author describes the spiri­ tual life of a young mao and touches upon many important prob­ lems of contemporary life: morality, art and beauty. At the begin­ ning of ihe novel we see an inexperienced youth, a kind and innocent young man. Dorian is influenced by two men with sharply contrasting characters: Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton. The attitude of these two towards the young man shows their different approach to life, art and beauty. The author shows the gradual degradation of Dorian Gray. The end of the book is a contradiction to Wilde’s decadent theory. The fact that the por­ trait acquired its former beauty and Dorian Gray “withered, wrinkled and loathsome of visage” lay on the floor with a knife in his heart, shows the triumph of real beauty - a piece of art created by an artist, a unity of beautiful form and content. Be­ sides tha:, it conveys the idea that real beauty cannot accompany an immoral life.

Questions and Tasks

1. C)e:;cribe the Edwardian period in English literature.

2.