Legacy
Websters dictionary defines a legacy as “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past,” which is usually considered as valuable. It is probably safe to say literary critics and readers abroad greatly appreciate the thousands of works left by Stevenson, Wilde and Hardy; therefore, the three men have effectively created their own distinct legacies that thrive even today.
Of a remarkable group of writers containing Oscar Wilde and Thomas Hardy, Robert Louis Stevenson's legacy remains unparalleled. Since his death in 1894, Stevenson's fame has grown exponentially as his name becomes more well known from the abundance of recent and modern works modeled from his masterpieces. According to the Internet Movie Database, an official total of 231 movies and television series were inspired by his novels and short stories. His name has become well-known to present generations because of movies such as Treasure Planet (2002): “A Disney animated version of 'Treasure Island'... set in outer space with alien worlds and other galactic wonders;” Muppet Treasure Island (1996); Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931); and a movie that premiered on television in 1984: The Master Of Ballantrae (IMDb). Robert Louis Stevenson also composed songs, some of which include “Fanfare,” “Tune for Flageot,” “Habanera” and “Quadrille”. In 1968, Robert Hughes went on a tour of the Pacific Northwest and arranged some of Stevenson's songs for the tour.
Along with numerous works of art influenced by his own accomplishments, Robert Louis Stevenson has had several memorials and monuments resurrected in his honor. The Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in California, Silverado Museum in St. Helena, California and the Robert Louis Stevenson School established in 1987 in Samoa are a just a few building that have been devoted to his memory. A bronze memorial honoring Stevenson designed by the gifted American sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, was mounted on the Moray Aisle of St. Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland in 1904. Stevenson's tomb on the summit of Mount Vaea in Western Samoa also serves as a memorial dedicated to him by his beloved friends, the Samoan people.
Over 200 biographies have been written over the subject of Stevenson's life; an astonishing amount for any man. His poem, “Requiem” was inscribed on his tomb and was translated to a Samoan song of grief which is well-known and still sung Samoa. In 1994, on the 100th anniversary of Robert Louis Stevenson's death, the Royal Bank of Scotland issued two million commemorative 1 pound notes. The first note to be printed was presented at the ceremony commemorating his 100th anniversary on the summit of Mount Vaea.
In the latter years of his life, Oscar Wilde's eminence quickly transitioned to infamy with his appearance in the media as a convicted sodomite. Once the “most sought after man in London,”his bad reputation doomed him to disgrace in the years following his release from prison and the people who once cherished his brilliant work now perceived it as practically invalid. In the years following his death, the magnitude of his legacy had not yet developed due to the damage caused by his infamous trials, but as time passed the trials became a thing of the past and people soon began to recognize him for his masterpiece works once again.
Today, 112 years after Oscar Wilde's death, he still retains a plethora of recognition from readers all across the globe. Granted it is not quite the level of notability he received during the prime of his career, but he is still able to compete with some modern authors. There are several organizations and clubs devoted to his persona such as Societe Oscar Wilde en France, Oscar Wilde Society (U.S.), and The Oscar Wilde Society (UK) whose objectives are “to advance the education of the public in the works of Oscar Wilde by promoting knowledge, appreciation and study of his life, personality and works” (“Society” 1). Oscar Wilde even has a fan club which includes information on his life, career, and trials and offers Oscar Wilde memorabilia like posters, fridge magnets, and t-shirts (Walsh 1).
Oscar Wilde has been the inspiration for many biographies, theater productions, and a few movies. In 1960, two films were made of Oscar Wilde; the first being a biographical film of his early life and career entitled Oscar Wilde; the second being of the infamous trials called The Trials of Oscar Wilde. The two movies were based on a play written by Leslie and Sewell Stokes in 1936 about Wilde's life. There are about 40 adaptations of works by Oscar Wilde (IMDb). The most popular choice is his prized novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, which recently had a reproduction in 2009 in Britain and was nominated for best film, although it did not receive the reward (IMDb).
Thomas Hardy was a lucky man in the sense that he was renowned for his works all throughout his life and well after his death to the present time. Oscar Wilde and Robert Louis Stevenson, Thomas Hardy was able to live the fullest life, producing works up until his late years before his death in 1928, which is about thirty years after the two other comparable writers of his time. Similar to Wilde and Stevenson, Thomas Hardy also has an organization, “The Thomas Hardy Association,”which has devoted itself to “promote the study and appreciation of Hardy's work in every corner of the world” (Morgan 1).
An artists legacy is defined by the number of people who still recognize the works of the creator for all that it was intended and continue to pass it on to others. When Thomas Hardy is searched on the Internet Movie Database, a total of 44 titles is returned, the first being a silent black and white production of his novel Far from the Madding Crowd in 1909; this makes Thomas Hardy one of the first writers to have a film of one of their works made during their lifetime. Hardy certainly was deserving of such an honor since he was so dedicated to his work; “[h]e allegedly declined British knighthood but accepted the Order of Merit for his services to literature.” The latest work Thomas Hardy has influenced in Trishna, a movie produced in 2011 that is an adaptation of Tess of the d’Urbervilles (Teisch 1).
Thomas Hardy so thoroughly described the fictional settings of his books that maps of his fictional Wessex exist. These maps contain all of the routes and fictional cities his characters are part of such as the town of Casterbridge which Michael Hencard becomes the head of in The Mayor of Casterbridge. While reading his stories, one can actually follow these intricate maps (Malcolmson 1). Three years after Hardy's death, in 1931, a 10 ft. granite monument at The Thomas Hardy Memorial was erected behind the cottage he was born in on June 2, 1980, which is not only a significant location because he was born there, but also since it is where he wrote Under the Greenwood Tree and Far From the Madding Crowd; the first two novels that helped set Hardy's writing career into motion.
While most people can accept a writer for their work, there will always be a numerous group who never learn to do so. In the minds of those few, the work left by these literary virtuosos are not sufficient to support their legacies, so they tend to express their incertitude.
Of a remarkable group of writers containing Oscar Wilde and Thomas Hardy, Robert Louis Stevenson's legacy remains unparalleled. Since his death in 1894, Stevenson's fame has grown exponentially as his name becomes more well known from the abundance of recent and modern works modeled from his masterpieces. According to the Internet Movie Database, an official total of 231 movies and television series were inspired by his novels and short stories. His name has become well-known to present generations because of movies such as Treasure Planet (2002): “A Disney animated version of 'Treasure Island'... set in outer space with alien worlds and other galactic wonders;” Muppet Treasure Island (1996); Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931); and a movie that premiered on television in 1984: The Master Of Ballantrae (IMDb). Robert Louis Stevenson also composed songs, some of which include “Fanfare,” “Tune for Flageot,” “Habanera” and “Quadrille”. In 1968, Robert Hughes went on a tour of the Pacific Northwest and arranged some of Stevenson's songs for the tour.
Along with numerous works of art influenced by his own accomplishments, Robert Louis Stevenson has had several memorials and monuments resurrected in his honor. The Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in California, Silverado Museum in St. Helena, California and the Robert Louis Stevenson School established in 1987 in Samoa are a just a few building that have been devoted to his memory. A bronze memorial honoring Stevenson designed by the gifted American sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, was mounted on the Moray Aisle of St. Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland in 1904. Stevenson's tomb on the summit of Mount Vaea in Western Samoa also serves as a memorial dedicated to him by his beloved friends, the Samoan people.
Over 200 biographies have been written over the subject of Stevenson's life; an astonishing amount for any man. His poem, “Requiem” was inscribed on his tomb and was translated to a Samoan song of grief which is well-known and still sung Samoa. In 1994, on the 100th anniversary of Robert Louis Stevenson's death, the Royal Bank of Scotland issued two million commemorative 1 pound notes. The first note to be printed was presented at the ceremony commemorating his 100th anniversary on the summit of Mount Vaea.
In the latter years of his life, Oscar Wilde's eminence quickly transitioned to infamy with his appearance in the media as a convicted sodomite. Once the “most sought after man in London,”his bad reputation doomed him to disgrace in the years following his release from prison and the people who once cherished his brilliant work now perceived it as practically invalid. In the years following his death, the magnitude of his legacy had not yet developed due to the damage caused by his infamous trials, but as time passed the trials became a thing of the past and people soon began to recognize him for his masterpiece works once again.
Today, 112 years after Oscar Wilde's death, he still retains a plethora of recognition from readers all across the globe. Granted it is not quite the level of notability he received during the prime of his career, but he is still able to compete with some modern authors. There are several organizations and clubs devoted to his persona such as Societe Oscar Wilde en France, Oscar Wilde Society (U.S.), and The Oscar Wilde Society (UK) whose objectives are “to advance the education of the public in the works of Oscar Wilde by promoting knowledge, appreciation and study of his life, personality and works” (“Society” 1). Oscar Wilde even has a fan club which includes information on his life, career, and trials and offers Oscar Wilde memorabilia like posters, fridge magnets, and t-shirts (Walsh 1).
Oscar Wilde has been the inspiration for many biographies, theater productions, and a few movies. In 1960, two films were made of Oscar Wilde; the first being a biographical film of his early life and career entitled Oscar Wilde; the second being of the infamous trials called The Trials of Oscar Wilde. The two movies were based on a play written by Leslie and Sewell Stokes in 1936 about Wilde's life. There are about 40 adaptations of works by Oscar Wilde (IMDb). The most popular choice is his prized novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, which recently had a reproduction in 2009 in Britain and was nominated for best film, although it did not receive the reward (IMDb).
Thomas Hardy was a lucky man in the sense that he was renowned for his works all throughout his life and well after his death to the present time. Oscar Wilde and Robert Louis Stevenson, Thomas Hardy was able to live the fullest life, producing works up until his late years before his death in 1928, which is about thirty years after the two other comparable writers of his time. Similar to Wilde and Stevenson, Thomas Hardy also has an organization, “The Thomas Hardy Association,”which has devoted itself to “promote the study and appreciation of Hardy's work in every corner of the world” (Morgan 1).
An artists legacy is defined by the number of people who still recognize the works of the creator for all that it was intended and continue to pass it on to others. When Thomas Hardy is searched on the Internet Movie Database, a total of 44 titles is returned, the first being a silent black and white production of his novel Far from the Madding Crowd in 1909; this makes Thomas Hardy one of the first writers to have a film of one of their works made during their lifetime. Hardy certainly was deserving of such an honor since he was so dedicated to his work; “[h]e allegedly declined British knighthood but accepted the Order of Merit for his services to literature.” The latest work Thomas Hardy has influenced in Trishna, a movie produced in 2011 that is an adaptation of Tess of the d’Urbervilles (Teisch 1).
Thomas Hardy so thoroughly described the fictional settings of his books that maps of his fictional Wessex exist. These maps contain all of the routes and fictional cities his characters are part of such as the town of Casterbridge which Michael Hencard becomes the head of in The Mayor of Casterbridge. While reading his stories, one can actually follow these intricate maps (Malcolmson 1). Three years after Hardy's death, in 1931, a 10 ft. granite monument at The Thomas Hardy Memorial was erected behind the cottage he was born in on June 2, 1980, which is not only a significant location because he was born there, but also since it is where he wrote Under the Greenwood Tree and Far From the Madding Crowd; the first two novels that helped set Hardy's writing career into motion.
While most people can accept a writer for their work, there will always be a numerous group who never learn to do so. In the minds of those few, the work left by these literary virtuosos are not sufficient to support their legacies, so they tend to express their incertitude.
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