Date of Award
Fall 12-12-2025
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
English and Linguistics
Department Chair or Program Director
Jonathan Levin
First Advisor
Dr. Chris Foss
Major or Concentration
English
Abstract
This analysis examines Lady Windermere’s Fan and An Ideal Husband, arguing that Oscar Wilde categorizes women within restrictive moral binaries of “good” and “bad.” Both plays depict women navigating social expectations, private honor, and the idea of a pure marriage; however, despite their central roles, female characters are not portrayed as empowered with appropriate agency. Wilde renders the women as contradictory, dangerous, shifty figures if they try to operate outside of marital bounds. While Wilde’s plays foreground women in prominent positions, they largely reinforce, rather than challenge, the gendered stereotypes of late Victorian society.
Recommended Citation
Fowler, Lia, "Women Made By Oscar Wilde" (2025). Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects. 676.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/676