The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Read Free Book Online Page A

sexuality, at least not in the first edition.
    22 ‘The Critic as Artist’,
Complete Works
(1994), 1137.
    23 And even this aspect is subjected to scientific scrutiny by Dorian. As he reasons: ‘Had it indeed been prayer that had produced the substitution? Might there not be some curious scientific reason for it all? If thought could exercise its influence upon a living organism, might not thought exercise an influence upon dead and inorganic things?’ (Chapter VIII).
    24 The first quote is from Acton,
The Functions and Disorders of the Reproductive
Organs
(1865), 67; the second from Spitzka, ‘Cases of Masturbation (Mastur-batic Insanity)’ (1888), 34, 52; the third from Tiss ot,
A Treatise on the Diseases Produced by Onanism
(1760; 1832), 51, 86. On this literature, its ‘Gothic’ elements and its possible contribution to
Dorian Gray
, see Mighall (1999), Chapter 5.
    25
Complete Works
(1994), 1082, 1091.
    26 ibid., 1106.
    CHRONOLOGY
1854
Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wilde born (he added ‘Wills’ in the 1870s) on 16 October at 21 Westland Row, Dublin.
1855
His family move to 1 Merrion Square in Dublin.
1857
Birth of Isola Wilde, Oscar’s sister.
1858
Birth of Constance Mary Lloyd, Wilde’s future wife.
1864
Wilde’s father is knighted following his appointment as Queen Victoria’s ‘Surgeon Oculist’ the previous year. Wilde attends Portora Royal School, Enniskillen.
1867
Death of Isola Wilde. 1871– 4 At Trinity College, Dublin, reading Classics and Ancient History.
1874–8
At Magdalen College, Oxford, reading Classics and Ancient History (‘Greats’).
1875
Travels in Italy with his tutor from Dublin, J. P. Mahaffy.
1876
First poems published in
Dublin University Magazine.
Death of Sir William Wilde.
1877
Further travels in Italy, and in Greece.
1878
Wins the Newdigate Prize for Poetry in Oxford with ‘Ravenna’. Takes a double first from Oxford. Moves to London and starts to establish himself as a popularizer of Aestheticism.
1879
Meets Constance Lloyd.
1881
Poems
published at his own expense; not well received critically.
1882
Lecture tour of North America, speaking on art, aesthetics and decoration. Revised edition
of Poems
published.
1883
His first play,
Vera; or, The Nihilists
performed in New York; it is not a success.
1884
Marries Constance Lloyd in London, honeymoon in Paris and Dieppe.
1885
Moves into 16 Tite Street, Chelsea. Cyril Wilde born.
1886
Vyvyan Wilde born. Meets Robert Ross, to become his lifelong friend and, in 1897, his literary executor. Ross might have been Wilde’s first homosexual lover.
1887
Becomes the editor
of Lady’s World: A Magazine of Fashion and Society,
and changes its name to
Woman’s World.
Publication of‘The Canterville Ghost’ and ‘Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime’.
1888
The Happy Prince and Other Tales
published; on the whole well-received.
1889
‘Pen, Pencil and Poison’ (on the forger and poisoner Thomas Griffiths Wainewright), ‘The Decay of Lying’ (a dialogue in praise of artifice over nature and art over morality), ‘The Portrait of Mr W.H.’ (on the supposed identity of the dedicatee of Shakespeare’s sonnets) all published.
1890
The Picture of Dorian Gray
published in the July number of
Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine;
fierce debate between Wilde and hostile critics ensues. ‘The True Function and Value of Criticism’ (later revised and included in
Intentions
as ‘The Critic as Artist’) published.
1891
Wilde’s first meeting with Lord Alfred Douglas (‘Bosie’).
The Duchess of Padua
performed in New York. ‘The Soul of Man Under Socialism’ and ‘Preface to Dorian Gray’ published in February and March in the
Fortnightly Review.
The revised and extended edition of
The Picture of Dorian Gray
published by Ward, Lock and Company in April.
Intentions
(collection of critical essays),
Lord