Morality in the Victorian Era

While reading Oscar Wilde, De Profundis. One quote really stuck out to me. “Morality does not help me. I am a born antinomian. I am one of those who are made for exceptions, not for laws. But while I see that there is nothing wrong in what one does, I see that there is something wrong in what one becomes. It is well to have learned that.” I made a connection to Great Expectations. I think the theme of morality is one that we can draw connections on through many pieces of this course. Specifically here, Pips struggle with morality, with who he becomes, how he treats other people is one reflective in the quote pulled from the reading for today. Pips development as a character is one where he loses certain aspects of his morality along the way. This is seen as his focus is narrowed in one what he wants even if that meant disregard for others. Overall, morality is a theme we can track throughout this course with many readings. We see how certain aspects of morality are either followed, or disparaged, and it is interesting to see the different values, expectations and further the effects of them.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.