Death of Wilde's Father, Sir William Wilde
Poet involved
What happened
Sir William Wilde, a prominent Dublin surgeon and antiquarian, died in Dublin, Ireland, leaving the family's finances in a precarious state. The loss affected young Oscar Wilde during his university years and marked the beginning of the family's declining fortunes.
Literary impact
The financial instability following his father's death made Wilde acutely conscious of social position and economic precarity, themes that later inform his satirical treatment of Victorian class and wealth in his society comedies.
Source: Wikipedia
