An entertaining and moralistic novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray combines multiple literary elements into a well-written novel with underlying ideas about the inherency of evil and its roots. Many prominent literary themes stand out throughout the novel, but the most common and prominent ones remain: “man vs. self” and “man vs.society”. Throughout the story, the questions of moral values such as the creation of evil and the importance of beauty standards in society appear frequently and are…
they like. However, the attractiveness of the physical appearance does not represent one’s soul. In The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, the protagonist Dorian Gray’s excess obsession with beauty, easily influenced nature, and irresponsibility for himself ultimately trigger his downfall in the end of the novel. The superficial and excessive desire for beauty of Dorian Gray distorts his mortal value and leads to denigration…
In "The Picture of Dorian Gray," Oscar Wilde conveys a compelling theme centered on the detrimental use of influence personal in our relationships. Although the philosophical novel has multiple themes, the theme involving the detrimental use of influence in personal relationships manifests itself through the destruction of various characters including: Dorian Gray and Basil Hallward. One of the broader notions presented in the novel reveals itself as the stark disapproval of sacrificing one's…
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…
In Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Lord Henry is portrayed as an artist, while Dorian Gray is portrayed as the canvas in which Henry paints on. In the beginning of the novel, Dorian’s first meeting with Lord Henry immediately shows how easily influenced Dorian’s character is. Lord Henry’s charismatic manner in speaking captivates Dorian causing Dorian to “never [take] his gaze off him” and be put “under a spell.” By captivating Dorian, Lord Henry is able to take advantage of…
adjust to till it comes to a point in their life where beauty isn 't enough and ugliness beneath the surface is revealed. Nassaar states, "In The Picture of Dorian Gray, fate also exist, but it is not external force. Dorian is presented as being predetermined by his personality" (Nassaar "Lord Arthur Savile 's Crime"). The cause of Dorian Gray 's death was a result from the inability to function with the understanding that all those who adored him could never take him serious at the person he…
What is the importance of Lord Henry’s introduction in the novel Dorian Gray? Lord Henry Wotton is the first character introduced in Oscar Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. From the start of the novel it is evident that Lord Henry lives an extremely lavish lifestyle and has an eye for beautiful things and their aesthetic. His eye could “just catch the gleam of the honey-sweet and honey-coloured blossom of a laburnum” as he is lying on a “divan of Persian saddle bags.” Wilde portrays…
Monsters are featured in both Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. There is a discrepancy, however, in what makes a man a monster. In both Shelley and Wilde’s novels, it is the creators, not the creations, who are the real monsters. Frankenstein is the culprit of his creation’s evil deeds because he abandoned him at the time of his birth, and Lord Henry leads Dorian Gray on a destructive path by being too involved in his life, and in both novels, appearance…
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…
The novel The Picture of Dorian Gray written by Oscar Wilde is about the life of the character Dorian Gray. Dorian is a young and beautiful man who makes a Faustian pact that his self-portrait, drawn by painter Basil Hallward, would grow older as time past instead of Dorian. Throughout the story, Dorian commits many sins, for example, using his influence to ruin others’ lives and the murdering of Basil Hallward. However, Dorian’s appearance is still young and beautiful because the portrait…