Dr Andy Smith will take you through a close reading so that you can gain deeper insights into its meaning and significance. To try to understand the dynamics of the tale we need to look at some of the detail of the opening passage.
There are five things Andy will look at:
1) References to authority, particularly to titles
2) References to money - new and old money
3) Age - the New World versus the Old World
4) Nature - what is meant by this term?
5) The name ‘Otis’
By looking at these areas we can see how Wilde establishes his tensions between America and England. These are tensions which are renegotiated as the tale progresses.
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