An Account of Oscar Wild’s Carceral Narrative

The book An Account of Oscar Wilde’s Carceral Narrative or A Study of Oscar Wilde’s Prison Works, compiled by Mohsen Gholami, has been published by Rahnama Publications. This book examines and analyzes three works by Oscar Wilde: De Profundis (1905), The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), and Two Letters to the “Daily Chronicle” (1897–1898).

Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde, an Irish writer and poet, was born in 1854 in Dublin. During his short life, he created timeless literary works and left a profound impact on Irish literature. Wilde was imprisoned during the late Victorian era, during which he penned three of his most enduring works.

Among his most notable works are The Picture of Dorian Gray, Salome, The Importance of Being Earnest, A House of Pomegranates, An Ideal Husband, and A Woman of No Importance.

Structure of An Account of Oscar Wilde’s Carceral Narrative

The book An Account of Oscar Wilde’s Carceral Narrative consists of five chapters, each addressing specialized topics about the author and his works.

The first chapter, titled Introduction, outlines a biographical summary and the rationale for studying his works. It also discusses the Methodology and Approach and the literary style of his writings.

The second chapter, Review of the Related Literature, provides a brief overview of cultural materialism, Victorian-era punishment and prison conditions, and related themes.

The third and fourth chapters are titled New Historicism Applied to Oscar Wilde’s Carceral Narratives and Cultural Materialism in Oscar Wilde’s Carceral Narratives, respectively.

The final chapter is dedicated to summarizing and concluding the collection of essays and the three works examined in the book.

“It is difficult for most people to grasp the idea. I dare say one has to go to prison to understand it. If so, it may be worthwhile going to prison.”
—Oscar Wilde (De Profundis, 1905)