The three-volume novel is described as what in the material?

• A. Object Of Satire
• B. Response To Critics
• C. A Major Work
• D. A Tragedy

Answer: (A)

Satire targets how Victorian publishing and literary culture hype form and prestige. In the material, the three-volume novel is described as an object of satire, using that format to poke fun at the idea that books must come in three bulky volumes to be valuable, the way critics laud such formats, and readers pay for the spectacle rather than for substance. This framing shows Wilde’s habit of turning social and literary conventions into targets for humorous critique, inviting readers to question the merit of the format itself rather than treat it as a serious edifice. The other descriptions don’t fit because the material isn’t presenting the work as a direct reply to critics, nor as a serious, canonical major work, nor as a tragedy; it’s using the three-volume format to ridicule the culture that surrounds it.