Final answer:
Oscar Wilde attacked Victorian values by using satire to expose the upper class's hypocrisy and rigid social mores, but he also sometimes upheld these values through his characters' conformance to societal norms by the ends of his plays. Wilde's relationship with Victorian values was complex, echoing the wider modernist critique of established norms while also personally adhering to some of these values.
Step-by-step explanation:
Oscar Wilde's engagement with Victorian morality is multifaceted, reflecting both critique and adherence to its principles. In his works, Wilde often employs satire to attack Victorian values, particularly those surrounding hypocrisy, pretentiousness, and the rigid social mores of the upper class. Characters in his plays, such as 'The Importance of Being Earnest,' mock the serious adherence to social norms and trivial concerns of the Victorian elite, exposing their often shallow and pretentious nature.
Despite this criticism, Wilde's writing can also be seen to uphold certain Victorian values. For instance, he emphasizes the importance of wit and intellect, qualities that were highly regarded by Victorians. Moreover, many of his characters ultimately conform to societal expectations, marrying and settling into traditional roles by the end of his plays. This suggests a complex relationship with Victorian values, where Wilde is both a critic and a participant of his time.
In understanding Wilde's approach to Victorian values, we should look at the broader context of modernist artists and writers who often used their creative works to critique established norms. They highlighted the complexities of inner life that contradicted the Victorian pretense of morality and often pointed out the repressive and violent nature hidden behind a veneer of civility and control. Nonetheless, while Wilde openly critiques these elements in his art, some of his personal and professional actions indicate a degree of complicity with the very values he seemingly despised.