Stry of higher and secondary specialized education of the republic of uzbekistan state university of world languages

Chapter II Oscar Wilde’s popular works
2.1. Oscar Wilde and “The Picture of Dorian Gray”.
The second half of the 19th century in England was characterized by the development of two literary trends. The representatives of the first direction continued the traditions of their predecessors - "The brilliant school of English writers" It was represented by such writers as George Eliot (surname of Marian Evans); George Meredith, Samuel Butler, Thomas Hardy. These writers gave a true picture of today's society. 
The writers of the other direction tried to lead the reader away from life to the world of dreams and fantasy, the world of beauty, as a protest against harsh reality. In the end, that theory found expression in decadent literature and art.
One of the exemplars of this trend was Oscar Wilde. He was considered a leader of the aesthetic movement, but many of his works do not follow his decadent theory of "art for art's sake". In point of fact, the very best of them are more in line with Romanticism and Realism than with debauched literature.Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin on October 16, 1854. His father was a famous Irish surgeon. His mother was known in Dublin as a graceful writer of poetry and prose. 
At school and later in Oxford, Oscar showed considerable talent in the arts and humanities. The young man received several classical awards and graduated with first class honours. At university, Wilde became one of the most prominent personalities of the time, wearing long hair, decorating his room with peacock feathers, lilies, sunflowers, blue china and other beautiful objects. His paradoxes and witty sayings were quoted everywhere. Under the influence of his teacher, the writer John Ruskin, Oscar Wilde joined the Aesthetic Movement and became its sincere supporter. 
After earning a university degree, Oscar Wilde turned his attention to writing, traveling and lecturing. The Aesthetic Movement became popular and Oscar Wilde gained a reputation as a leader of the movement. In 1882 he went to America to lecture on the Aesthetic Movement in England. His lecture tours were very successful.
During the next ten years his main works appeared: "The Happy Prince and Other Stories" (1888), the novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1891), the comedy "Lady Windermere's Fan" (1892), "The Ideal Husband" (1895), "The Importance of Being True" (1895). The wit and brilliance of these plays help keep them on the stage. Wilde also wrote poems, essays, reviews, political treatises, letters on history, drama.
At home and abroad, the writer attracted the attention of the public with the brilliance of his conversation, the breadth of his knowledge and the power of his personality.At the height of his success and popularity, tragedy struck, he was accused of immorality and sentenced to two years in prison. After his release from prison in 1897, he lived mostly on the Continent and then in Paris. In 1898, he published his powerful poem "Ballad of the Purpose of Reading". He died in 1900 in Paris.