De Profundis Literary Elements

De Profundis Literary Elements

Genre

Oscar Wilde's letter addressed to one of his close friends

Setting and Context

Oscar Wilde was sent to prison for indecency in 1895, an experience which made him write the letter,

Narrator and Point of View

Narrator: Oscar Wilde
Point of view: first person

Tone and Mood

Tone: Despairing, hopeful towards the end
Mood: somber, lonely

Protagonist and Antagonist

Protagonist: Oscar Wilde, Antagonist: society that made him an outcast

Major Conflict

While in prison, Wilde is confronted with himself which makes him think about the true meaning of life and art.

Climax

Wilde decides to not despair and to see the events that happened to him as a path towards a new beginning.

Foreshadowing

n/a

Understatement

Wilde understated the effects that every little action of life has on the development of one's character.

Allusions

Allusion to Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and its characters Ariel and Caliban

Imagery

Imagery of nature as a source of healing

Paradox

n/a

Parallelism

"Morality does not help me."
"Religion does not help me."
"Reason does not help me."

Metonymy and Synecdoche

Metonymy: clergymen

Personification

"If I can produce only one beautiful work of art I shall be able to rob malice of its venom, and cowardice of its sneer, and to pluck out the tongue of scorn by the roots."

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