One of the students whose work was published in our 9th edition of Fields was Qurratulain Javid from the School of Arts and Humanities.

We asked Qurratulain to tell us a bit more about the research below and you can read the full article here:

"Oscar Wilde’s reputation as a scandalous celebrity was enough to destroy his role as one of the most prolific writers of the late nineteenth-century. Contrary to popular belief, Wilde was extraordinarily human – he was passionate about social change and displayed great sympathy towards the oppressed. Yet while his satirical comedies are at the front of his literary prowess, his tragedies remain unresearched and unloved. My article bridges this gap in Wildean research by identifying the complex and fascinating development of his tragic plays, portraying a man who was entirely disobedient to the conventions of Victorian standards. He believed in individualism, an ideology that emphasises the individual and rejects societal control. He also took a large role in the development of aestheticism, which highlighted the value of art against an industrial society. Both ideologies are utilised in his tragic plays as political gestures aimed to contravene orthodox Victorian tradition."

Fields: Journal of Huddersfield Student Research Open Access Author Spotlight Literature