The Picture of Dorian Gray As Albert Camus once stated, “At the heart of all beauty lies something inhuman.”
In this novel, beauty is a key component. Multiple characters, such as Lord Henry and Dorian Gray, obsess over it and how it affects one’s life and how long it will last. The obsession with beauty and mortality within the story uncover how superficial and selfish the characters are. They feign as though they are compassionate and caring, but deep down, all they care about is their appearance. This exposure is an important element in the novel. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde depicts the upper class within Victorian society as corrupt and inconsiderate through the use of details and imagery surrounding their beliefs and actions. …show more content…
Dorian’s description of the enjoyable sensations of an opium high represents the corruption of the upper class. He was fascinated by the drug addicts’ “twisted limbs, gapping mouths, staring, lusterless eyes” and he believed that “they were better off than he was” (Wilde 138). Dorian is at the opium den because he is trying to forget murdering Basil Hallward. Wilde’s usage of words such as “twisted” and “lusterless” have negative connotations that emphasize the immoral choices made within this society. The upper class had an abnormal way of thinking. They made detrimental decisions in order to forget their evil actions, continuing to add insult to injury. Dorian’s fixation with the changing of his portrait illustrates how beauty was valued more than morality. It is stated that “a cry of pain and indignation broke from him” because “he could see no change” (Wilde 163). Dorian has just discovered that his “good deed” did not alter the ugliness of the portrait painted, by Basil, for him. He is not upset that “sins” he committed changed the portrait. He is angered by the fact that his kind act of mercy did not resurrect the beauty within the portrait. The use of words like “pain” and “indignation” depict how upset Dorian is. Wilde is using this moment as a way to expose the shallow nature of the Victorian society. They were more worried about appearance than their …show more content…
Wilde’s description of how the characters conducted themselves and the way they thought unmask their imperfections. They were self-centered people who acted as though they cared for others, when in reality they did not. Accepting the consequences of their actions was not a concept they were familiar with, and they had a tendency to fault others for their wrong-doings. The upper class tried to escape their “sins” by committing more, which in turn only created more problems for them They only concerned themselves with the surface level of a person. It did not bother them whether someone was immorally corrupt or not, but they pretended as though it did. Wilde’s use of details and imagery reveals their flaws and exposes them for who they truly are, fickle, selfish hypocrites who made poor choices and criticized others for doing the
In this novel, beauty is a key component. Multiple characters, such as Lord Henry and Dorian Gray, obsess over it and how it affects one’s life and how long it will last. The obsession with beauty and mortality within the story uncover how superficial and selfish the characters are. They feign as though they are compassionate and caring, but deep down, all they care about is their appearance. This exposure is an important element in the novel. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde depicts the upper class within Victorian society as corrupt and inconsiderate through the use of details and imagery surrounding their beliefs and actions. …show more content…
Dorian’s description of the enjoyable sensations of an opium high represents the corruption of the upper class. He was fascinated by the drug addicts’ “twisted limbs, gapping mouths, staring, lusterless eyes” and he believed that “they were better off than he was” (Wilde 138). Dorian is at the opium den because he is trying to forget murdering Basil Hallward. Wilde’s usage of words such as “twisted” and “lusterless” have negative connotations that emphasize the immoral choices made within this society. The upper class had an abnormal way of thinking. They made detrimental decisions in order to forget their evil actions, continuing to add insult to injury. Dorian’s fixation with the changing of his portrait illustrates how beauty was valued more than morality. It is stated that “a cry of pain and indignation broke from him” because “he could see no change” (Wilde 163). Dorian has just discovered that his “good deed” did not alter the ugliness of the portrait painted, by Basil, for him. He is not upset that “sins” he committed changed the portrait. He is angered by the fact that his kind act of mercy did not resurrect the beauty within the portrait. The use of words like “pain” and “indignation” depict how upset Dorian is. Wilde is using this moment as a way to expose the shallow nature of the Victorian society. They were more worried about appearance than their …show more content…
Wilde’s description of how the characters conducted themselves and the way they thought unmask their imperfections. They were self-centered people who acted as though they cared for others, when in reality they did not. Accepting the consequences of their actions was not a concept they were familiar with, and they had a tendency to fault others for their wrong-doings. The upper class tried to escape their “sins” by committing more, which in turn only created more problems for them They only concerned themselves with the surface level of a person. It did not bother them whether someone was immorally corrupt or not, but they pretended as though it did. Wilde’s use of details and imagery reveals their flaws and exposes them for who they truly are, fickle, selfish hypocrites who made poor choices and criticized others for doing the