SOURCE: Horan, Patrick M. “1888-1891: Wilde's Stories, Fairy Tales, and Novel: The Nature of Love.” In The Importance of Being Paradoxical: Maternal Presence in the Works of Oscar Wilde, pp. 75-92. Madison, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1997.

In the following essay, Horan finds a connection between the portrayal of love in Wilde's short stories and the author's own romantic experiences.

I can not think otherwise than in stories.

—Wilde to Andre Gide

Introduction

Speranza and Sir William were active in the Irish literary revival; naturally, the telling of ancient stories and Irish legends was a favorite pastime in their household. Two years before Wilde was born, Sir William even published a collection of Irish fairy stories entitled Irish Popular Superstitions. He never finished his second manuscript on Irish fairy lore, but some of this information was taken over by Speranza who included it in her most famous...