Paolo's "list of facts" as presented on sunday 15th April

OSCAR WILDE

The first years and the relation with the Catholic Church

First Years

·      Born in 1854 in Ireland by a protestant family

·      Lady Wilde was herself quite a character in terms of her social life and appearance in public “Lady Wilde was a rebel who relished the opportunity to cause controversy”

·      It is in this context that we read her flirtation with the catholic Church. As Oscar was five, Lady Wilde brought Oscar and his brother on holyday where they met a young converted catholic priest, and asked him to baptize her children. (pg 7)

·      Various anecdotes about his mother (Nationalism, age, name…) on one side, and on the other his father’s promiscuity: Oscar had several illegitimate half brothers (i.e. Mary Travers allegation of rape towards Oscar’s dad)

·      1864: Oscar and his brother William start studying at Portora School in Enniskillen

·      1867: his sister Isola dies. Lady Wilde is shattered, for years. Oscar hides the wound (pg 18)

·      Oscar turns out to be extremely intelligent since the beginning of his studies – child prodigy

Trinity College Dublin

·      1870 Newman publishes his Grammar of Assent. Since the ‘60s the Oratory started spreading both in England and Ireland and many were converted, following the charismatic figure of Newman (who founded a uni in Dublin pg 25)

·      It is also a period of ‘trouble’ for the church – 1870 Pope infallibility creates tensions in the Church

·      Wilde is attracted maybe only as a form of rebellion – it is the only thing his father would not accept

·      Hopkins, student at Oxf before Wilde and great poet, converted and became a Jesuit after university – not even Oxford was ‘safe’ from Catholicism

Oxford

·      Starts in oct 1874 – many transformations

·      First aspects of dandysm – clothes, accent… starts his aesthetic views

·      He becomes a disciple of the art critic Ruskin – rival of Pater. The discussion was on the roots of Renaissance: at the roots (Ruskin) or in opposition to (Pater) Catholicism

·      They both talked of Catholicism – aesthetic and life.

·      ROME UNVISITED and SAN MINIATO – Trip to italy

·      Back in Oxford becomes friend with many catholics, such as Blair Hunter and Ward

·      Wilde meets and falls in love with Florence Balcombe in 1876

·      Discussions with his mother about religion throughout summer ’76 (pg 47)

·      Attends both catholic and protestant services, and knows people on both sides

·      1875 he became a Manson

·      1877 Planned trip to Italy-Rome with Ward & Hunter. Going there he changes route and follows his trip-mates to Greece. Then went to Rome – MEETS THE POPE

·      His father doesn’t leave him anything in the will because of his fling with roman church

·      Syphilis?

·      1878 last attempt with Catholicism: meeting with Father Bowden – letter – doesn’t show up to the second