"Perhaps, after all, America never has been discovered. I myself would say that it had merely been detected"

Oscar Wilde's quote suggests that America has actually not been found in the standard sense, but rather detected. This indicates that America has constantly existed, but it has just been just recently noticed or acknowledged. Wilde's quote might be translated as a criticism of the concept of discovery, suggesting that it is an incorrect idea. He suggests that America was not found, but rather discovered, which implies that it was already there and only just recently seen. This could be seen as a criticism of the concept of discovery, as it suggests that the idea of discovery is a false concept. Wilde's quote could likewise be analyzed as a criticism of colonialism, as it suggests that America was not discovered, however rather discovered, which suggests that it was already there and just recently observed. This could be viewed as a criticism of the idea of colonialism, as it suggests that the concept of discovery is a false idea which the idea of colonialism is not essential.