Oscar Wilde and Contemporary Literature - the Power of Influence

 I am been studying the life and works of Oscar Wilde for a few years now. I am writing what I call a "dissertation" (in quotation marks because I have not yet begun my PhD. However, I hope to possibly use this work for my actual dissertation when the time comes). As a part of this study, I have also researched and read various books that influenced Wilde himself. (Keep an eye out, in future posts, for my discussion of Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Maturin). Imagine my thrill with reading a more contemporary book (published in 1992) that reminds me of Oscar Wilde, his ideology, and his works. Oscar Wilde is still an influence on today's writers. 

A few months ago, I ran across a book called The Little Friend by Donna Tartt in a little library/book drop. What caught my attention was the vintage doll pictured on the cover of the book. (I collect dolls, as well as other vintage and antique oddities). Once I began reading this book, I could not put it down. I was so impressed with the author's literary writing style. Once I read this Southern Gothic novel, I just had to read more of her works. I was especially intrigued by the dark academia in and of The Secret History. (Please note: the remainder of the post contains spoilers). 

I have always enjoyed books (and movies) with academic settings. I also love it when characters hover on the border between good and evil. A dark cloud hanging over those questionable characters draws me in even more. The Secret History has all the above. It includes an interesting psychological study. 

Something else that stood out to me about this novel is the idea that academic studies are too often not often valued by society. I could relate to that. I could empathize with these questionable characters in this respect. 

However, what really caught my eye (and my heart, because of these years of Oscar Wilde research) is the influence I just have to think Oscar Wilde had on Donna Tartt and her writing of this novel. Let me discuss some of the similarities. I think you may see some of my points. 

First allow me to point out some of the similarities between The Secret History and Oscar Wilde's only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. 

1. Both novels include a character who influences another with Greek ideals - Lord Henry Wotton in Dorian Gray and Julian Morrow in The Secret History. 

2. All influencers need an influencee. Both novels contain a character that is the influencee, or one who becomes quite close to the influencer - Dorian Gray in The Picture of Dorian Gray and Henry Winter (and to a lesser extent, Bunny, Richard, Francis, Camilla, and Charles) in The Secret History. Both Julian and Lord Henry mold their disciples into the image they create. 

3. Is there not even a similarity in the names - Dorian and Julian and Henry and, well, Henry? 

4. The influencers in both novels encourage their disciple(s) to lose control of themselves, to let it all go. 

5. Both novels have disastrous results - a suicide, an accidental death, a murder, and an accidental suicide in The Picture of Dorian Gray and two murders (one premediated) and, later, a suicide in The Secret History. 

6. Descriptions of seedy bars and drug use in The Secret History are reminiscent of the opium den visited by Dorian Gray. 

7. Both novels have a moral gray area.  

8. In both novels, there is no guilt for atrocities committed by protagonists. 

9. Both novels reflect both the good and bad of Greek ideology. 

Now to the similarities between The Secret History and the life of Oscar Wilde himself. 

1. Oscar Wilde, who majored in classics at Oxford and was a scholar of all things Greek, was a proponent of aestheticism or art for art's sake and beauty for beauty's sake. This is an idea that is prevalent in The Secret History. 

2. Francis, a character in The Secret History, is said to have reminded the narrator, Richard, of Alfred Douglas. Lord Alfred Douglas was Oscar Wilde's secret lover. 

3. Honesty is called a dangerous virtue in The Secret History. How can this not remind one of an Oscar Wilde epigram? 

4. Julian Morrow is not only similar to Lord Henry Wotton; he is similar in many ways to Lord Henry's creator. He is charming, well-spoken, and has an heir of innocence with just a touch of questionable ideas. He is, in a word, delightful. 

5. The young students of Julian Morrow become convinced that experience is everything. There's another Oscar epigram in there. 

6. Carnal and spiritual are woven together in The Secret History, as they were for Oscar Wilde. It must be those ancient Greek ideas. 

7. Henry Winter, our wealthy young murderer in The Secret History, was said to relate to the poor. He even attracted our outcast narrator. Oscar Wilde was similar. He recognized differences in nineteenth-century class, but he was attracted to those who were not considered respectable. He detested all things middle class.

8. The character Bunny Corcoran, even though he was, so I have read, inspired by Tartt's college friend, author Bret Easton Ellis, also bears some resemblance to Lord Alfred Douglas - particularly in Tartt's descriptions of Bunny's outbursts. 

9. Oscar Wilde always had a fascination with Catholicism and, in fact, converted to this religion on his deathbed. Catholicism figures into the storyline of The Secret History. Even the pagan Julian Morrow shows a respect for the Catholic faith. 

10. Superstition plays a role in the ideas of the characters in The Secret History. Oscar Wilde was, himself, quite a superstitious individual. There is even a psychic who plays a minor role in the novel. Likewise, a fortune-teller, played a minor role in Osar Wilde's life. 

11. Oscar often referred to those with whom he disagreed as Philistines, a term used in The Secret History. 

 12. Perhaps the greatest possible reference to Oscar Wilde arises in the the contrast between Julian and Oscar Wilde. Julian ran when he was confronted with possible legal repercussions for his influence. Oscar Wilde did not. He, in fact, blatantly refused to run from his legal problems, even when his friends attempted to convince him running was the best plan. Henry Winter considered Julian a coward for running. Oscar refused to be called a coward, whatever it may cost him. Henry Winter became like Oscar, perhaps, when he chose suicide over cowardice. 

13. There is also an interesting critique of aestheticism in the pages of The Secret History. I will quote from this critique here: "There is nothing wrong with the love of Beauty. But Beauty - unless she is wed to something more meaningful - is always superficial. It is not that your Julian chooses solely to concentrate on certain, exalted things; it is that he chooses to ignore others equally as important" (511). The reader is left to wonder which ideology Donna Tartt prefers. 

These comparisons are all the more fascinating to me because I recently read an interview with Donna Tartt. In this interview, Tartt responded to a question about which author from the past she would most like to meet with the answer "Oscar Wilde." Perhaps there is a clue in there. 

I probably have no need to say I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Secret History as much as I enjoyed The Little Friend. I, no doubt, will be using some of my ideas in my Oscar Wilde project. This is especially exciting to me since, as I indicated above, I am currently reading Melmoth the Wanderer, which was an influence on Oscar Wilde. I look forward to continuing an interesting study about influences, influencers, and influencees. 

Welcome to the Blog and a Discussion of Poor Miss Finch

 I want to share a bit about what you can expect from this blog. 

I am a historian and a lover of classic literature. My historical foci are social and literary history of the nineteenth century. These areas of history will be themes of this blog. Because classic literature was a part of history, I will also write about literary works - especially, but not limited to, works of the nineteenth century. I believe we need more historical and literary studies in our world today. I want this blog to show why history and classic literature are important. Please note: the posts I share may contain spoilers of the works.

I am going to begin this blog with today's post about the novel Poor Miss Finch by Wilkie Collins. I, just today, finished my reading of this classic work. Wilkie Collins was a nineteenth-century, British sensationalist author. Edgar Allan Poe was the inventor of detective fiction, with his short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue." Around twenty years later, Wilkie Collins wrote The Moonstone, the first full-length detective novel. His use of page breaks and pauses kept his readers wanting to read what came next in his novels. I consider him one of the first thriller writers. 

I began reading Wilkie Collins novels around three years ago, thanks to his monumental work The Woman in White being mentioned by the author of a book I had read. (The Woman in White was so monumental, in fact, that the title is written on his tombstone). Being interested in the history of asylums (a theme of The Woman in White), I had to read this classic novel. I became hooked on Collins' writing. I am still regularly reading Wilkie Collins' novels. Like his friend Charles Dickens, Collins wrote several. My latest reading was, of course, Poor Miss Finch. 

There are a few areas for interesting historical research in Poor Miss Finch. The first, a study undertaken by Collins himself, is a study of the understanding of physical blindness throughout history. The protagonist of the novel is blind. Collins' purpose was to show what studies had stated - sometimes people who have been without their vision for most or all of their life are more content with not being able to see than they are with being able to see. At least, that was the conclusion he drew in the nineteenth century. My Oxford World's Classics edition provides an interesting essay by Catherine Peters that discusses such studies. 

Another area of historical research which I, as a collector of antique medicine bottles, found fascinating is the use of Nitrate of Silver to treat epileptic seizures. I did a bit of research on this medication. It was not used for long. It was replaced by a better treatment - one that did not have a side effect unique to silver. Nitrate of Silver, as happens to a character in Poor Miss Finch, could turn the skin of the patient blue. 

The narrator of Poor Miss Finch is a historical study in and of herself. Readers of the novel may find themselves researching nineteenth-century, Italian conflicts after reading Madame Pratolungo's history. I, myself, love her independent attitude. Her history is an important part of this. 

Something I, as a scholar of Oscar Wilde history, found particularly interesting was a note in Peters' introductory essay about John Ruskin's dislike of Poor Miss Finch. Ruskin, according to Peters, considered the novel too extravagant and morbid. This interests me because Ruskin was a professor of and influence on Wilde, who, himself, could be quite extravagant and even morbid at times. I love it when my various studies merge. 

Aside from the historical studies within the pages of Poor Miss Finch, the novel is also a fascinating study of different types and levels of fear and anxiety. This also attracted me. I recognized an important theme of human nature (perhaps with bits of narcissism thrown in for good measure). The idea that brought tears to my eyes was that of grace, mercy, and forgiveness. 

I encourage anyone who is interested in nineteenth-century history and wonderful works of literature to delve into the world of Poor Miss Finch. I welcome your comments and ideas as well. Happy Reading!