Overland Monthly

In the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, sin and redemption is an occuring theme. The main character, Dorian Gray, commits plenty of sins and has the opportunities for redemption, however, when Dorian tries to atone for his wrongdoings he is unsuccessful. Dorians’ underlying intentions keeps him from redemption, due to his hedonistic views. In the beginning of the novel, Dorian is portrayed as a young and innocent boy that is easily influenced by Lord Henry, a character with a…

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…

The Picture of Dorian Gray As Albert Camus once stated, “At the heart of all beauty lies something inhuman.” In this novel, beauty is a key component. Multiple characters, such as Lord Henry and Dorian Gray, obsess over it and how it affects one’s life and how long it will last. The obsession with beauty and mortality within the story uncover how superficial and selfish the characters are. They feign as though they are compassionate and caring, but deep down, all they care about is their…

Furthermore, Oscar Wilde projects himself in addition to the Id, Ego, and Superego through Dorian Gray, based on how Wilde lived a “Double Life”(Schmidt 3). Dorian was thought to be pure and innocent when really his inner self reflected the complete opposite. Dorian “desperately wanted to find his true identity”(Schmidt 4) and longed to be known for more than just his appearance. Dorian’s desperation resulted in an unhealthy intrigue with Henry Wotton. Henry’s fascination with Dorian resulted…

The yard was filled with the sickeningly sweet scent of blooming flowers, from the hard-petaled magnolias to the soft brittle trilliums, all competing and vying for the attention of the beholder, Dorian Gray. In a place not accustomed to the cruelty of the outside world he lived peacefully with his only true friend and companion, Basil Hallward. They ate, drank, and talked together in the luscious garden of flowers, day by day. This peaceful and monotonous life was home to them: that is, until…

The Picture of Dorian Gray written by Oscar Wilde contains many characters with flaws. Dorian Gray, who is the main character, shows his character flaws throughout the book. At the beginning of the book, Dorian was innocent and kind young man. However, the reader soon figures out that he is a person that actually like bad things and gives up easily. Because of these two character flaws, Dorian sadly dies at the end of the book. First of all, throughout the book, Dorian seems to look like a kind…

To illustrate my point, regarding the key theme Wilde uses symbols and literary devices in order to highlight authority of one leading to negative consequences. Dorian was innocent in the beginning of the book and changed into a criminal by the middle. The influence behind the cruel man was Lord Henry; Dorian’s manipulative “friend”. Henry’s lectures and cynical attitude reeled Dorian in and soon led to his negative behavior. For example, the portrait, a key symbol in the novel is a mirror image…

The Picture of Dorian Gray, a book by Oscar Wilde, is the story of a man who lost his friendships, trust, and ultimately himself, because of his own insanity. His life was wasted away by his fear of others finding out his true identity, and by his constant state of guilt. Throughout the story, Dorian exhibits many symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder. He struggles to maintain the peaceful relationships he has, and these relationships only get worse as his disorder and the story progresses…

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…