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Abstract: The article analyzes O. Wilde’s comedy Lady Windermere’s Fan from the point of view of its semantic component, substantiates its semantic and formal belonging to the “new drama” of the late 19th century; and presents a number of problems con- nected with the author’s individual ideas and his philosophy of the unreal. The research methods used are determined by the inte- grated approach to the study of Wilde’s play, which allowed using biographical, cultural-historical, and hermeneutic methods. The authors consider Lady Windermere’s Fan in the context of the leading productions of that period and study its sources which are found in ancient comedies, contemporary Irish plays, popular melodramas, and problematic dramas by Henrik Ibsen and Wilde’s countrymen. Comparison with the reputed plays of the predecessors and the contemporaries makes it possible to highlight the originality of Lady Windermere’s Fan, to determine how, within the framework of a well-known plot, the writer presents the ambiguity of the problem of female sin and the absurdity of the laws of society. The urgent social issues are related to the external action of the comedy. Following the traditions of the “new drama”, the writer reveals the most important problems within the framework of the inner action: the theme of love and trust in one’s own heart. Wilde’s philosophy of the unreal is determined by the theme of the power of irrational forces, such as chance and love, over the person. Stereotyped thoughts and actions lead the characters to misfortune: distrust of her husband makes Lady Windermere worry and take wrong decisions. Special attention is paid to the image of the fan, which is connected with the main elements of the plot. The fan becomes a symbol of discord in the comedy. The article discusses the complex nature of Wilde’s interpretation of the relationship between the mother and the child. The writer was among the first to rethink women’s social roles; he declares that motherhood is not an obligatory female duty and anticipates this problem in the drama of the twentieth century. At the same time, the comedy contains an idea that the presence of a woman can be dangerous for the freedom and independence of a man. The article suggests options for reading the finale of Lady Windermere’s Fan in the context of the philosophy of the unreal or the theme of art. The materials of the article can be used in the practical teaching of the university course of the history of foreign literature.

About the author(s) :

Olga M. Valova
Vyatka State University (Kirov, Russia)
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7987-5317

Tatyana V. Shcherbakova
Vyatka State University (Kirov, Russia)
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8785-7307

Publication Timeline:

Date of receipt: 04.03.2024; date of publication: 24.06.2024

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