The Monster In Mary Shelley's The Picture Of Dorian Gray

The Monster Within When one hears the word “monster,” the stereotypical horror, the hair-raising cliché is often pictured. While the commonplace image is found to an extent in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Oscar Wilde defies the custom in his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Both novels, however, stress that it is not one’s outward appearance that makes a monster, it is the lack of responsibility for their actions that creates a monstrosity, whether it be a man or beast. The authors emphasize this point to promote social change and public awareness of topics that were controversial during that time as well as to encourage society to take responsibility for their actions to prevent a downward spiral into their “monster.”
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, …show more content…
Ronald Britton, an analytical psychologist, writes in his scientific article Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: what made the Monster monstrous?, “Everything must have a beginning… Invention… does not consist in creating out of void”(Britton 3). Thus, in this statement, Britton asserts his position that “The creation, the Monster”(Britton 6) is Shelley’s intended monster in Frankenstein. However after reading Shelley’s novel, one can see that Shelley intended for Victor to be ultimately seen as the epitome of what makes man a monster and that idea has carried through the generations. After spawning his creation, Victor realizes he made a horrible mistake. Dr. Frankenstein spends the following months in bed, sick with a nervous fever. Enough time having passed, Victor begins to feel as if his creation has simply went away. However, when his brother William is found murdered, Victor comes to the realization it was his creation who killed his brother. Victor, believing his explanation would sound insane in court, allows Justine, a dear family friend, to be executed for the murder stating, "No one, except I, the creator, would believe in the existence of the living monument of rash ignorance which I had let …show more content…
Basil, a painter and good friend of Dorian 's describes him as having "a simple and beautiful nature"(Wilde 10). This nature unintentionally captures the eye of nearly everyone Dorian interacts with including Lord Henry Wotton. Lord Henry, a wealthy nobleman, entrances Dorian through his witty and non-conforming personality. Michael Wainwright, a lecturer and research associate at Staffordshire University believes that Wilde had, “a wholesome dislike of the common place”(Wainwright 8), and goes on to state however, “Wilde is not trenchant on this point, there is a certain amount of intrusion of real life… the pleasures and griefs”(Wainwright 8). Wilde’s rebellious attitude is reflected in Dorian and through Lord Henry’s eventual control over him. Unknown to Dorian at the time, Lord Henry 's influence would be catastrophic and slowly leads to Dorian 's demise. Regardless of Basil 's plea to Wotton, "Don 't spoil him... Your influence would be bad"(Wilde 10), Lord Henry is far too interested with Dorian to void their relationship. Later in the novel, Dorian meets a young actress and within weeks they are engaged to be married, an example of one of Wainwright’s described “pleasures”. Basil cautiously encourages Dorian 's engagement, but it is Lord Henry 's blunt words that have a profound impact on him stating," no life is spoiled but one