What is Vivian's critique of Nature, with which he opens the conversation?
Does this critique of Nature, as well thinking, have anything in common with Nietzsche's essay?
According to Vivian, what did Plato understand about the relationship between poetry and lying?
Is this an accurate representation of Plato's position?
What might be the significance of the different subtitles for Vivian's essay and Wilde's?
What does Vivian identify as the shortcomings of modern writing?
Why does Emile Zola's work seem to come under particular attack?
What does Vivian say about the "roman psychologique"? About masks?
What is Vivian's view of the work of Honoré de Balzac?
What is Vivian's problem witih modernity of form and of subject matter?
What Cyril does say is the "best rough test of what is literature and what is not"?
What are the three stages of art Vivian summarizes? What example does he use for illustration?
Why does he argue that realism is a "complete failure"?
What kinds of texts does Vivian cite in the section that follows?
How does he feel about America at the conclusion of this passage?
Are we to take seriously Vivian's claim that the liar is the basis of civilized society?
Vivian argues that art is a veil, not a mirror. Comment on these metaphors and think of others one might use for art in relation to life.
How does Vivian support his claim that "Life imitates art far more than Art imitates life"?
What is the point of the anecdotes Vivian tells about his friend Mr. Hyde and his beautiful female friend?
How does Vivian respond to Cyril's assertion that art expresses the spirit of its age?
What does Vivian mean when he says that "the whole of Japan is a pure invention"?
What are Vivian's views of the English Church?
Review the four doctrines of Vivian's aesthetics he summarizes at the end of the essay.
What is the significance of the form Wilde's essay takes?
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