Graham's Magazine

The Picture of Dorian Gray The Picture of Dorian Gray depicts the life of Dorian a young impressionable aristocrat who captures Basil’s artistic imagination and soon becomes a friend to basil. Along with becoming Basil’s friend and muse Dorian meets the famous Lord Henry at one of the painting sessions. Lord Henry is a witty man who enjoys celebrating youth, beauty, and the selfish pursuit of pleasure. Basil reluctantly introduces Dorian to Lord Henry, who soons influences the young Dorian.…

In Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian Gray exhibits a perpetual amount of ambiguous morals; his points of redemption along with feelings of guilt contribute to the complexity of his nature throughout the course of the novel. The opening chapter presents Dorian Gray as an innocent young male with exceptional beauty. He captures the eyes of characters like Basil Hallward and becomes a muse. However upon meeting Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil’s, he becomes introduced to the…

In literary works, allusions exist in order to create deeper meanings within the text. When a reader recognizes and understands a reference, it allows them to appreciate the work on a different level. The Picture of Dorian Gray contains many parallels to the myth of Narcissus. Much like Narcissus, Dorian Gray is blessed with entrancing beauty, develops obsessive love for his own image, and wastes away due to that love. To begin with, both texts describe in detail how beautiful the young men are…

In the novel of The Death of Ivan Ilyich and The Picture of Dorian Gray, both main characters landed up in a place of desolation and unhappiness through their heavy pursuit of what they thought would give them happiness. Both characters started off young with a large potential for happiness by following their own individual pursuits, but instead the route that they took ultimately lead them down a slippery slope of tragedy and melancholy. They followed a way of denial from the factors that would…

In the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Dorian Gray, a handsome young man, has his portrait painted by Basil Hallward, a respected artist among the community. When realizes his beauty is only going to last for so long, he expresses out loud how he wishes it was the painting that ages instead of him. When he learns that his wish has become true, his actions become more sinister and his morals lose their importance. Dorian Gray is a dynamic character that goes through several…

In the book Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, an artist by the name of Basil Hallward becomes obsessed with a man named Dorian Gray, whom he meets at a party they both attend. Basil intrigued with Dorian and his looks, decides to paint a portrait of the charming, wealthy, young man. Dorian ends up loving the portrait painted of him, and starts to in-vision himself as the man Basil has depicted of him in the picture. A picture that at the time promises eternal youth and beauty. A friend of…

Personal identity has lost itself in a sea of branding and old pajama pants that society has deemed acceptable to be worn outside of the home to Walmart, but Oscar Wilde might not be as opposed to this as one might think. Comfort is not defined by luxury and process like the carefully designed bedrooms, home décor, and fashions that Wilde conjured up such with loving detail in his writings, most notably The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Grey. However, the influence of famous personalities, works…

Oscar Wilde is known for his wit, which is expressed through his countless epigrams. Specifically, many are stated in The Picture of Dorian Gray, a novel that discusses the imitation of life through art. Dorian Gray, the titular protagonist, never ages; instead, a portrait of him does. He is influenced into immoral activities by Lord Henry, who is often seen as a Devilish figure. Dorian is inspired by—but later kills—Basil Hallward, an artist known for his lavish paintings. All three…

Black, White, and Gray The Picture of Dorian Gray, is a well-known story about a innocent young man’s fall into corruption. In the beginning of the book, the main character, Dorian, is depicted as a very attractive, innocent, young man; ‘“…the willful sunbeams of life…”’(Wilde 56). A painter, engrossed to Dorian’s beauty, paints a portrait of Dorian, capturing his essence on canvas. However, after listening to his friend, Lord Henry, about the horrors of growing old, he wishes his sins and old…

People think that their children naturally accumulate knowledge when they have access to high quality education. Actually, the higher education gives a possibility for them to grow and to develop themselves, when they know what needs to be improved. However, the education does not guarantee their growth and development when they do not acknowledge their weaknesses. Knowing one’s weakness is indispensable for developing or overcoming it. In the novel of Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray,…