Chapter 16, Sailing into the Wind Summary

The relationship between Wilde and Douglas continues, although Oscar tries to break it off several times. Douglas exhibits extreme behavior to manipulate himself back into Wilde's life several times, going so far as to follow him to Paris. Meanwhile, Douglas' father, the Marquis of Queensberry, expresses his disgust for Wilde and the homosexual relationship.

While Douglas is not interfering in his life, Wilde continues to write plays. During August and September of 1894, he works on his best play, The Importance of Being Earnest. The writing goes smoothly and quickly, with the themes coming out of Wilde's imagination after much development that started in 1889. The play opens in London on February 14, 1895, and receives positive reviews, perhaps surprisingly so to Wilde. Paralleling this success, the conflicts among Wilde and Douglas, Douglas and his father, and London authorities...