Oscar Wilde was ill, "When you are not on your pedestal you are not interesting." Wilde blamed himself, though, for the ethical degradation of character that he allowed Douglas to bring about in him and took responsibility for his own fall, "I am here for having tried to put your father in prison." The first half concludes with Wilde forgiving Douglas, for his own sake as much as Douglas's. The second half of the letter traces Wilde's spiritual journey of redemption and fulfilment through his prison reading. He realised that his ordeal had filled his soul with the fruit of experience, however
The Manuscripts of Oscar Wilde other stories — e.g., several lines from "Dorian Gray" appear again in L.W.F. Modifications to the work through stage rehearsal are sometimes incorporated on scraps of paper. The secrecy surrounding the plots of "An Ideal Husband" and "The Importance of Being Earnest" is clearly shown in the strict instructions to the typist, being forbidden to show or excerpt lines. Typescripts were delivered by hand under plain cover to 'Oscar Wilde 10/11 St. James's Place'. They were never posted. The Manuscripts of Oscar Wilde The original manuscripts of Oscar Wilde today reside in many collections, including the British Library. The largest