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Oscar Wilde is a well-known novelist. When Oscar Wilde published his novel it became the most famous playwright in London. It has been documented by others that Wilde uses his characters to portray the dangers of negative influences. Patrick Duggan once wrote, "Dorian lives according to what Lord Henry professes without hesitation, and how Lord Henry inspires Dorian." Duggan explains how Dorian Gray values Lord Henry's philosophy over anything else. In the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar…

In “The Painter of Modern Life,” Charles Baudelaire gives his definition and explanation about the true beauty of art. In the first section “Beauty, Fashion, and Happiness,” Baudelaire shows his concern about the “present” in the painting because he thought that the beauty of the art is “its essential quality of being present” (p.1). In the following passage, Baudelaire uses a lot of words to praise a man named as “Monsieur G” in the essay. He describes Monsieur G, just like the title of this…

"All art is quite useless"(Wilde, XVI) is the phrase Wilde concludes his preface with. The preface, which was added after The Picture of Dorian Gray received severe backlash, condemns the over-analyzation of art. Society was not ready for the aestheticism lifestyle and scandalous behaviours that were glorified in the novel, and they criticized Wilde for his radical ideas and degenerate characters. Wilde felt that it was preposterous that people were offended by art, as its sole purpose is to…

Edmond Dantès, the protagonist, is the epiphany of innocence during a time of immense turmoil. His journey from a freeman and soon-to-be husband into a prison of the state then into one of the most powerful men in Paris. This shows the jealousy and cruelty of humans while also establishing the gay youth of Edmond. He is betrayed by those whom he was meant to trust the most and painted into a Bonapartist. Still though, he dreams of the days he wishes to spend with his love. He still has hopes…

Painting the Canvas of the Psyche “I can resist everything but temptation” (Oscar Wilde). Temptation and influences exist all around an individual and it is up to them to choose what can or cannot be of effect. The strength to resist this temptation and influence stems from one’s mental state; the human psyche is similar to a blank canvas. Like the canvas, external and internal forces are what cause changes in a person. As these forces influence an individual their mind is distorted and their…

Influence In the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, the main character, Dorian Gray, turns towards a life of sin that ultimately leads to his death. These actions were influenced greatly by Lord Henry. Although Dorian cannot be without blame as he made the final decision of each action, Lord Henry can be considered the antagonist in this novel as he influences Dorian’s dreadful sins, and succeeds in making Dorian live his life for art and forget moral responsibility. When Dorian…

Based on the playwrite “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray: Preface” both by Oscar Wilde, it could be inferred that the author fits under The Sage archetype because of the tone of the text, and the morals of the texts. To illustrate how the author fits under The Sage archetype because of the tone of the text is when “The Picture of Dorian Gray: Preface” by Oscar Wilde says, “We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it. The only excuse…

Moral Development Outline – The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde I. Dorian Gray’s moral decay begins with painter Basil Hallward’s discovery of him and the subsequent collision of influences Dorian faces. A. When Basil first meets Dorian, Dorian’s purity and untainted youth capture the imagination of Basil to an almost dangerous extent that eventually harms Dorian. 1. When Basil confesses he “couldn’t be happy if [he] didn’t see [Dorian] every day” (Wilde 7), Wilde suggests the…

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…

For the Wages of Sin is Death: The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray tells the tale of a beautiful young man with a disturbing curse. The novel follows the moral corruption of the protagonist Dorian Gray, who is introduced to us as someone innocent and unspoiled. It is only after he gets his portrait painted by an artist named Basil Hallward, that his death begins its countdown. Basil reluctantly introduces him to Lord Henry, a rather interesting character…