Oscar Wilde, The Soul of Man under Socialism

Gregory Mackie (University of British Columbia)

Ed. by Gillian Fenwick, University of Toronto
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.07: English Writing and Culture of the Victorian Period, 1837-1901.
Vol. editors: Gillian Fenwick (University of Toronto), Grace Moore (University of Otago)

Domains

Political Science

Dates

First circulation or publication 1891

Places

Ireland, Republic of (Eire) (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Essays/ Lectures (any)
Non-fictional prose

Resources

Oscar Wilde's last major work of critical prose, “The Soul of Man under Socialism,” was likely composed late in 1890, after the dialogue “The True Function and Value of Criticism” (later retitled “The Critic as Artist”) and before the 1891 Preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray. The essay was first published in the Fortnightly Review in February 1891, although it was not collected in Wilde's 1891 volume of critical prose, Intentions. The subsequent publishing history of “The Soul of Man under Socialism” is complex. With the truncated title The Soul of Man, it was published as a book on 30 May 1895, five days after Wilde's sentencing to two years' imprisonment with hard labour. Issued by …

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2251 words

Citation: Mackie, Gregory. "The Soul of Man under Socialism". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 January 2008 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7785, accessed 21 November 2024.]

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