Dorian Gray And Transgression Essay

Fatal transgression: Dorian Gray as a symbol of symbolic insupportability
Presented with the task of understanding socially constructed self in The Picture of Dorian Gray, it is virtually impossible to evade the questions of gender and sexuality. In the years since its publication, Dorian Gray’s depictions of homoeroticism have garnered much speculation, controversy, and reinterpretation. The aim of this paper is to address commentary on constructions of normative gender behavior, and how entangled they are with sexuality throughout differing interpretations – some of which, to be later addressed, reject this conflation entirely. Integral to this task is a comprehensive gender theory toolkit: I plan to utilize the works of both Wilde scholars …show more content…
Put in Ragland-Sullivan’s own terms: “The novel’s climax is attributable, then, to Dorian’s final realization that it was impossible to sustain his own narcissistic ideal image in light of the harsh judgements meted out by the social order. The picture becomes the ultimate proof that outer voices find an inner resonance within Dorian himself” …show more content…
It is clear that while the reign of structuralism in literary theory may be far from over, it’s observations on narrative arcs (particularly surrounding death) may find redemption in utility to explain the psychological effects of life in a society that repudiates an individual’s very