This article from The New Yorker goes into the implications the book had on Wilde’s life. Due to the homoerotic symbolism in the novel, Wilde was convicted of “committing acts of gross indecency with certain male persons” and thrown in prison. After his death Wilde was known as a homosexual martyr that even inspired a nascent gay-rights movement.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/08/08/deceptive-picture
I’m intrigued by Wilde’s courage in writing this book and at his trial for it, and am surprised that the LGBT community doesn’t see Wilde as much of a figurehead now. I also found the various theories about his character interesting; the theories about his sexual orientation coming from reading really showcases how little people understood the topic, and the questions about his past demonstrate that we still know so little about people who lived so recently. Reading this article also made me realize the contrast to our last novel, Jekyll and Hyde. We talked about how Jekyll and Hyde suggested homosexual activity by Hyde, which Stevenson, as would be expected for that time, painted as deplorable. Wilde brought these to the surface and encouraged them by having the most wholesome character, Basil, experience them.
Your entry this week really interested me. I loved how you looked into Wilde’s life and how that connected to the book. I always thought Basil was a little to fond of Dorian to just be his friend. Seeing what Wilde went through and who he liked, I can make sense of the book a little more.