The Irony of “an Inventor” - “Impressions of America”
Wilde explains, “In England an inventor is regarded almost as a crazy man, and in too many instances invention ends in disappointment and poverty. In America an inventor is honoured, help is forthcoming, and the exercise of ingenuity, the application of science to the work of man, is there the shortest road to wealth. There is no country in the world where machinery is so lovely as in America.” Regarding an inventor as crazy because inventions have contributed to the discovery of groundbreaking and extremely useful applications and machines. Moreover, invention is the driving force of modernity. The unfortunate disappointment of European inventors indicates that the European culture does not endorse or treasure inventions like the American culture.
The Irony of Newspapers - “Art and the Handicraftsman”
Wilde argues, “There should be a law that no ordinary newspaper should be allowed to write about art. The harm they do by their foolish and random writing it would be impossible to overestimate - not to the artist but to the public, blinding them to all, but harming the artist not at all. Without them we would judge a man simply by his work; but at present the newspapers are trying hard to induce the public to judge a sculptor, for instance, never by his statues but by the way he treats his wife; a painter by the amount of his income and a poet by the colour of his neck-tie.” Newspapers have failed in writing the appropriate content concerning arts and artists. They focus more on matters that are not related to the artworks. Instead of criticizing the artworks or appreciating them, they dwell on sensational news concerning the artists’ personal lives and money which are immaterial in the value of art. The columnists violate professionalism when they undermine artistry by writing about non-related issues. The violation is detrimental to the thriving of art.
The irony of Niagara - “Impressions of America”
Wilde confesses, “I was disappointed with Niagara—most people must be disappointed with Niagara. Every American bride is taken there, and the sight of the stupendous waterfall must be one of the earliest, if not the keenest, disappointments in American married life." Wilde's ironic dissatisfaction with the sight of magnificent falls confirms that he does not love nature. Besides, if 'most people' were disillusioned, then there would be no annual visitors to the falls. Wilde's conclusion about the fall, which he makes before interviewing other people, is a hasty generalization that cannot be deemed factual. For some individuals, the falls could be the most astonishing phenomenon in their lives. Nevertheless, appreciation and perceptions of Niagara are utterly subjective.
The Irony of Altruism - “The Soul Of Man Under Socialism”
Wilde remarks, “Just as the worst slave-owners were those who were kind to their slaves, and so prevented the horror of the system being realised by those who suffered from it, and understood by those who contemplated it, so, in the present state of things in England, the people who do most harm are the people who try to do most good.” The slave-owners’ kindness is intended to blind the slaves and the society regarding the iniquities of slavery. Accordingly, their kindness worsens the situation of slavery instead of improving it. The slave owners exploit kindness as means of ensuring the longevity of slavery; their kindness is superficial because it does not consider the inequality and oppression with is attributed to racism.
The Irony of Bryon and Shelley - “The Soul Of Man Under Socialism”
Wilde explains, "Byron's personality, for instance, was terribly wasted in its battle with the stupidity, and hypocrisy, and Philistinism of the English. Such battles do not always intensify strength: they often exaggerate weakness. Byron was never able to give us what he might have given us. Shelley escaped better. Like Byron, he got out of England as soon as possible. But he was not so well known. If the English had had any idea of what a great poet he really was, they would have fallen on him with tooth and nail, and made his life as unbearable to him as they possibly could." Byron's poetical skills would have made him revered and increased his chances of being esteemed in society by highlighting his strengths rather than flaws. Wilde's speculation about how English would have reacted to Shelley upon discovering his greatness is ironical. Instead of complicating his life, they would have respected him and honored him by responding positively to the themes he explores in his poetry. The ironies in Bryon and Shelley’s life demonstrate how complicated it is for great people to win some wars. Their greatness imperils them instead of smoothing and simplifying their success journeys.
