Art Provoking the Deterioration of Dorian Gray
Everywhere in someone’s life there are external forces that change them in some way or form. Whether they are good or bad, the person will remain changed for the rest of his/her life. In the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, the main character, Dorian Gray, is the epiphany of all that is beautiful within the human genome. His two friends, Basil Howard and Lord Henry, influence Dorian into good/bad decisions and philosophies. Dorian received a ‘poisonous’ book from Lord Henry which is a pivotal point for all symbolism within the novel. The common theme of art as a mirror of oneself is proven through the use of color scheming, constant references to beauty and youth, and obsession in general.
First of all, color scheming was used in almost every description of any object, setting, or characters. Red, a common color …show more content…
Every character is crafted artfully to perfectly fit with the story line and prolonging the conflicts properly. Wilde used art as a main topic within the novel because he felt that, “[His] art is not a mirror held up to nature” (Oates 1). Wilde may have artfully written this novel and expressed many of his own life conflicts within, he never actually had the confidence that he gave Dorian. Because of his lack of confidence, he believed his works could never be better than what mother nature has produced. Wilde is the artist creating something beautiful and hiding a deep meaning, but not revealing himself effusively. Although Basil painted the portrait of Dorian, it only captured the details he loved about him, but the painting truly mirrored, quite literally, Dorian’s decay, both mental and physical, throughout the novel. Dorian Gray and Basil Howard are a split that combines into the personality of Oscar
Everywhere in someone’s life there are external forces that change them in some way or form. Whether they are good or bad, the person will remain changed for the rest of his/her life. In the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, the main character, Dorian Gray, is the epiphany of all that is beautiful within the human genome. His two friends, Basil Howard and Lord Henry, influence Dorian into good/bad decisions and philosophies. Dorian received a ‘poisonous’ book from Lord Henry which is a pivotal point for all symbolism within the novel. The common theme of art as a mirror of oneself is proven through the use of color scheming, constant references to beauty and youth, and obsession in general.
First of all, color scheming was used in almost every description of any object, setting, or characters. Red, a common color …show more content…
Every character is crafted artfully to perfectly fit with the story line and prolonging the conflicts properly. Wilde used art as a main topic within the novel because he felt that, “[His] art is not a mirror held up to nature” (Oates 1). Wilde may have artfully written this novel and expressed many of his own life conflicts within, he never actually had the confidence that he gave Dorian. Because of his lack of confidence, he believed his works could never be better than what mother nature has produced. Wilde is the artist creating something beautiful and hiding a deep meaning, but not revealing himself effusively. Although Basil painted the portrait of Dorian, it only captured the details he loved about him, but the painting truly mirrored, quite literally, Dorian’s decay, both mental and physical, throughout the novel. Dorian Gray and Basil Howard are a split that combines into the personality of Oscar