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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How do Oscar Wilde's spending habits change when he gets married?

2. When did Oscar Wilde's father die?

3. Which direction does Oscar Wilde's lecturing tour travel in?

4. Which American writer found Oscar Wilde to be contemptuous?

5. What were the gate receipts for Oscar Wilde's first lecture in America?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were Oscar Wilde's greatest challenges in his first year at Oxford?

2. What was Oscar Wilde like as a young boy?

3. Describe Oscar Wilde's contact with Catholicism at Oxford.

4. What is Oscar Wilde's father's profession, and what are his political views?

5. How did Oscar Wilde feel about his studies at Oxford?

6. Describe Oscar Wilde's relationship with Rennell Rodd.

7. What did Oscar Wilde do when he lost his University Demyship?

8. Describe Oscar Wilde's financial situation while he was courting Constance Lloyd.

9. What themes does Oscar Wilde write about in his journalism?

10. Describe the history and premier of Oscar Wilde's play "Vera."

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What were the social conditions surrounding homosexuality in Oscar Wilde's times? What did his fellow students feel about homosexuality? What did the school authorities feel? What did society feel? Were there different groups among whom homosexuality was more acceptable?

Essay Topic 2

More than one of Oscar Wilde's plays was not produced on the stage. What effect do these failures have on his career? How does he compensate for failing to produce the plays? What does he learn from the experiences? Does he benefit in any way from the plays not being produced?

Essay Topic 3

Oscar Wilde's parents both espoused Irish independence. How does the Irish cause figure in Oscar Wilde's life? How does he espouse Irish values? Did he become more English than Irish? In what ways did he remain Irish?

(see the answer keys)

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