Dorian Gray

The sixteenth of October 1854, a child was born into a garden for his intellect to grow. The name on the birth certificate was Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde. He was to be one of the most thought-provoking characters of the 18th and 19th centuries, and also one of the most provocative. He was a very interesting man.

His parents were William Wilde and Lady Jane Francesca Wilde. Oscar's father was a prominent eye and ear surgeon. His mother, Jane, was a big supporter of Irish independence and a poetess, critic, and supporter of women's rights. She was a very good picture of what Oscar would turn out to be. He had one brother, Willie, who had two years on Oscar. He was also no doubt a very large influence on Oscar.

Oscar lived in a very rich aristocratic society. At the age of...