Kim Wilde

“There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all” (Wilde 0). These are the words of Oscar Wilde, the author of the 1890 philosophical fiction novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, who is prefacing said novel with the notion that art, be it books, paintings, music, or anything similar, should only serve one purpose: to be admired. Throughout this novel, he presents the argument of aestheticism: that art should not hold an inherent moral…

towards them. If ever women should seek a voice in that society men would take immediate action to force them into uncomfortable situations as they did not perceive women as actually possessing their own voice. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is a misogynistic novella that is made evident by the perils and later suicide of Sybil Vane due to Dorian’s impacts, the tragic love life of Margaret Devereux due to her father’s influence…

conversation with Lord Henry Wotton, who he met through his friend, Basil Hallward, the true culprit of the tragedy, for he was the one who painted the portrait of Dorian, which became the symbol of corruption within the youth’s own soul. The author, Oscar Wilde, has managed to contrive a unique story, considered indecent for its time due to its plot as well as elaborate metaphorical allusions and character depiction that violated public morality. While it may seem…

between the corrupted and the corruptor. The gothic novels The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and The Turn of the Screw by Henry James share the idea of corruption, but in different ways; The Picture of Dorian Gray tells the story of moral corruption and extreme narcissism while The Turn of the Screw tells of corruption of innocence, though the effects of corruption are the same in both novels. Wilde used Lord Henry Wotton in The Picture of Dorian Gray to represent the forces of…

everything whose beauty does not die. I am jealous of the portrait you have painted of me” (Wilde 28). Dorian was jealous because he knew that he would get older and uglier. Dorian says about the painting, “If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that—for that—I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!” (Wilde 28). From this quote, one could imagine that Gray would stop at nothing…

His use of imagery is best during dark and morbid scenes such as the murder of Basil Hallward. Wilde describes how Dorian “dug the knife into the great vein... crushing the man’s head... and stabbing again and again,” in gruesome detail (pg 163). Wilde made sure to keep even his most morbid scenes eloquent though. He is able to relate scenes of evil without creating a horror story. Both The Picture of Dorian Gray and Lord…

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…

are due to his deteriorating soul and corrupt morals. In the Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde accompanies Dorian with death to advocate the importance of selflessness. Dorian’s sense of his mortality leads him towards the downfall of his personality. In the beginning of the book, Dorian has a strong sense for his eventual death. "How sad it is!” He says, “I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful” (Wilde 25). Dorian…

Taking place in England during the 1890s, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde tells the tragic story of a young and beautiful man named Dorian Gray. Artist Basil Hallward becomes infatuated with Dorian and his beauty after capturing a glimpse of him at a party. Basil invites Dorian over to paint a portrait of him, but Dorian is soon swept under the influence of Basil 's friend, Lord Henry Wotton. He tells Dorian that beauty and youth are the essence of humans ' existence, and because of…

his roadmap to corruption. It is also arguable that the painting of himself is the strongest influence over him, Art and books are a part of society, they express and enlighten when our own minds can’t. “ “All art is quite useless” (Wilde 4). In this one sentence, Wilde encapsulates the complete principles of the Aesthetic Movement popular in Victorian England. That is to say, real art takes no part in molding the social or moral identities of society, nor should it. Art should be beautiful and…