Homosexuality In The Works Of Oscar Wilde Essay

Homosexuality in the Works of Oscar Wilde Essay
Homosexuality in Oscar Wilde's Work
"I turned half way around and saw Dorian Gray for the first time. I knew that I had come face to face with someone whose mere personality was so
fascinating that, if I allowed it to do so, it would absorb my whole nature, my whole soul, my very art itself" (7). During the Victorian era, this was a
dangerous quote. The Victorian era was about progress. It was an attempt aimed at cleaning up the society and setting a moral standard. The Victorian
era was a time of relative peace and economic stability (Marshall 783). Victorians did not want anything "unclean" or "unacceptable" to interfere with
their idea of perfection. Therefore, this quote, taken from Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray,... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Upon his return to England in 1883, Wilde began lecturing on his experiences in America. This is how he came to meet Constance Lloyd, whom he
later married on May 29, 1884. The couple had two children together. However, the marriage began to have problems after Wilde met Canadian, Robert
Ross, which "began his involvement in the disordered, destructive homosexual lifestyle so luridly suggested in The Picture of Dorian Gray and
catalogued in his sensational trials" (Stayley 318). Robert Ross forced Wilde to confront the homosexual tendencies that he had been trying
desperately to suppress. A whole new world opened for Wilde, and his only resource in which to channel this new energy was through his literary works.
In 1888, Oscar Wilde published a set of fairy tales, The Happy Prince and Other Tales and "The Young King." These stories, "revealed another
approach to moral situations and human relationships" (Stayley 319). The fairy tales were perhaps the first time Wilde introduced homosexual
undertones into his works. For example, in the story The Happy Prince, a male bird and a statue of a Prince fall in love. Although it could be argued
that the love between the Prince and the bird was only that of friends, most likely Wilde is expressing his own feelings of homosexuality through the
bird and the Prince's relationship. For example,
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Dorian Gray Questions
Task 1:
Choose a short story, poem or a part of a longer story
I have chosen the novel wrote by Oscar Wilde in 1890: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Task 2:
What Literature did you choose and why?
I have chosen a literature very interesting for me: The picture of Dorian Gray, byOscar Wilde.
The literature in my opinion must have a feeling of attraction like a book is calling you, and when you diced to read it, the words are going
transforming in a story and you notice something: The needing of people for showing their lives or their way of seeing the world through the literature.
This book that I chose promises me the mystery that I love; I am always reading about strange things, doubts, thriller or fear because in literature those
topics make ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
When I started to read "The Picture of Dorian Gray" following the steps, I understood a lot of things: context, feelings, questions, arguments and the
reality behind the story. But I think I should have been more punctual with the presentation of each task. This narrative is very complex because shows
the life, doubts, prejudices, and decisions of people in that generation. In each task, I exceeded the time limit, because I read many times to approach
all the information that exists in this novel, websites, and

Comparing the Myth in OvidвЂ™s Echo and Narcissus and...
Contemporary Ancient Myth in Ovid's Echo and Narcissus and Wilde's Dorian Gray
Each time a story is told, elements of the original are often changed to suit new situations and current societies, or to offer a new perspective. Over the
centuries, Ovid's tale of "Echo and Narcissus" has been told many times to new audiences, and in the late nineteenth–century, it took the form of The
Picture of Dorian Gray. "Echo and Narcissus" is the tale of a beautiful boy who fell in love with his reflection in a pond, and spurned others who
loved him because he was so fixated upon himself. As a result of his extreme self–worship and consequent inability to love another, Narcissus perishes.
Although several aspects of the original myth are ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Basil, the painter of Dorian's portrait, causes the innocent Dorian to realize his beauty when shown his painting. Like Narcissus, Dorian becomes vain
and self–absorbed as a result of recognizing his physical magnificence. Under the influence of Lord Henry, "Dorian throws off all moral restraint and
lives a life of passionate self–indulgence" (Miller 384). Therefore, the lives of both Narcissus and Dorian are shaped by the actions of their mentors.
In adapting Basil's persona from his mythological counterpart Tiresias, Wilde alters the original character to illustrate how Basil's excessive
admiration of Dorian led to the youth's eventual demise. While Tiresias played only an indirect role in Narcissus' life by foreseeing his future, Basil
actively leads Dorian to his corruption. Basil Hallward's extreme fondness for Dorian arises from the inspiration that Dorian's beauty and purity
provides in the expression of his art. Basil says to Dorian, "I quite admit that I adored you madly, extravagantly, absurdly...you became to me the
visible incarnation of that unseen ideal whose memory haunts us artists like an exquisite dream" (Wilde 126). These qualities in Dorian inspire Basil
to visualize a new style of art "which fuses classical and romantic elements and harmonizes body and soul" (Koll 155). Basil argues that the artist

Analysis Of Oscar Wilde's The Picture Of Dorian Gray
In today's world, anti–aging creams range up to hundreds of dollars. The idea of remaining young forever is prevalent in the media. If you could
continually look like you did when you were in your early twenties, would you? In Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, a beautiful
young man gets to stay young because a portrait receives all the signs of aging and sin. Although the portrait grows truly grotesque with the marks
of sin, Dorian gets to continue on his path of immorality, while remaining his youthful appearance. Yet, when he stabs the portrait to free his
conscience, he dies because he has killed the essence of who he is. In the novel, Wilde uses the ideals of conscience and beauty to reveal how a
fixation with one's outward appearance will lead will to complete destruction of morality, and therefore one's self. Before the death of Sibyl Vane,
a beautiful girl who loved him dearly, Dorian is heavily influenced by Lord Henry and still has a moral conscience. Preceding the creation of the
portrait, Dorian is pure and innocent, yet to be touched by the idea of immortality. When Dorian first meets Lord Henry, the portrait is being created
and "a faint blush coloured his cheeks for a moment" (Wilde 11). This shows how Dorian is still innocent, yet Henry has an influence on Dorian from
the beginning. Dorian is described as having "all the candour of youth, as well as all youth's passionate purity" (Wilde 11–12). Dorian has only been
around Basil, who is

The Picture Of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray, a novel laced with sin, treachery, and raging battles of inner conflict, is Oscar Wilde's sole novel. Considered immoral
and scandalous upon publication, the book centers around a young man named Dorian Gray, who does not age or reflect the darkness of his heart
outwardly, and instead a portrait of him bears the damage his destructive life wreaks on his soul. However, the meaning of the story extends past the
simple fact that Dorian lives a life of immorality–he walks the path that takes him there with his two friends, Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotten.
The two attempt to guide and influence Dorian throughout the novel in their own ways, and are a vital piece of Dorian's tale. Basil and Henry act as
character foils as well as a symbolic angel and devil for Dorian Gray's character, and also contribute themes of choosing one's own fate. Basil
Hallward and Henry Wotten are quite the opposite of each other–Basil is unwaveringly conventional in his values while Henry instead enjoys
entertaining the idea of radical and inappropriate ways of thinking (on page 4, he claims that "the one charm of marriage is that it makes a life of
deception absolutely necessary," to which Basil responds that he "hate[s] the way [Henry] talks about his married life). Because of their profoundly
contrasting ideas, they are not so much foils for each other as they are for Dorian Gray. It is by these two men that one measures Dorian's place on the
scale of morality.

Themes, Motifs and Symbols in Oscar WildeвЂ™s the Picture of...
Themes, motifs and symbols in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray
The only published novel by Oscar Wilde, which appeared in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1890, was seen as immoral and scandalous, so the
editors of the magazine censored about five hundred words without Wilde's knowledge. Even with that, the novel was not received very well.
Disappointed with this, Wilde revised his novel, added a preface, where he explains his philosophy of art, and six new chapters. Since Wilde was
devoted to aestheticism, he believed that art had no purpose, nor moral nor political, because art is beautiful and therefore has worth. His attitude was
revolutionary, since Victorian England believed that art could be used for social education and... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
For a period of time, Dorian has only one goal in life, and lives according to it, not paying attention to his conscience, and that goal is only pleasure.
On the other hand, Dorian's portrait represents his conscience and haunts him. The portrait knows his crimes, it reminds Dorian of the cruelty he has
shown towards Sybil Vane, and the murder of Basil Hallward.
Another motif which plays a large role in Oscar Wilde's novel is the homoerotic bond between men. Basil's portrait of Dorian develops from his
adoration of Dorian's beauty, and Lord Henry has a strong desire to seduce Dorian. This relationship between men represents aesthetic values that Wilde
was fighting for, because it brought him back to antique times, when youth and beauty was appreciated most, and it was fundamental in society and
often expressed through a relationship between two men. Since Wilde was a homosexual himself, living in an intolerant society, fighting for this
philosophy was his way of justifying his lifestyle. He thought homosexuality was a sign of refined culture and not a sin. He thought that a relationship
between an elder and a younger man resembled the tradition of Plato, Michelangelo and Shakespeare.
The use of the white colour can represent Dorian's transition from the figure of innocence to the figure of degradation. White usually implies innocence
and blankness, and it is true in the case when the readers are first introduced with

The Influence of Lord Henry in The Picture of Dorian...
In analyzing Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, concepts such as influence and the origin of evil in Dorian Gray play an exceptionally valuable
role in understanding the motives of the characters. Although some critics argue characters such as Lord Kelso significantly influence Dorian's
corruption, Lord Henry Wotton's toxic personality undeniably impacts Dorian the most. Throughout the course of the novel, Lord Henry remains the
ultimate source of evil and uses deception and persuasion to poison Dorian from a naГЇve boy to a destructive monster. Shortly after meeting Dorian
for the first time, Lord Henry calmly declares, "to influence a person is to give him one's own soul" (20). In these few words, Lord Henry foreshadows
the... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The colorful diction and syntax in this paragraph allow the reader to witness Lord Henry's sturdy grip on Dorian's future as he begins to transform
from virtually flawless to rotten. Word choices and phrases such as motionless, parted lips, strangely bright, fresh influences, secret chord, vibrating,
throbbing, and curious illustrate Dorian's puzzling mood of total absorption as he stands stationary and lifeless for ten whole minutes, a remarkably
long time to comprehend a stranger's thoughts. While Dorian initially exhibits a clueless and unenlightened perspective on life, Lord Henry's
dominating opinions strike a chord in Dorian, causing him to flood with waves of understanding about the purpose of life. By comparing Dorian's
brain to a chord, it generates a visual image of Lord Henry plucking a single string that stimulates newborn thoughts to dance around in Dorian's
mind as his angelic eyes open up to corrupting theories about the dark world of pleasure. Although the fact that Lord Henry generates a completely
new influence over Dorian's mind is as plain as black and white, critic Esther Rashkin asserts the abusive acts of Dorian's grandfather, Lord Kelso,
plant the seed for Dorian to eventually grow into a vile man. By blaming the tyrannical Lord Kelso for Dorian's corruption, Rashkin demands the
"widely shared view that Lord Henry is the evil figure in the story who corrupts the innocent Dorian Gray and

The importance of symbols in The Picture of Dorian Gray is that everyone seems to experience life in a different way based on influences that are set
upon them. Most movements that one partakes in each day, allows one to gather information and assess how it influences them. Not everyone assesses
how all things affect them, and that is when there become a common sight for predominant patterns to take effect in one's life. The great array of
symbols in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, can quite easily allow one to believe that anything is possible of influencing your judgment
whether you want it or not. Just like Dorian exhibits beauty, Max Beerbohm mentions that Oscar Wilde himself who was the first one to truly present
his beauty ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
With his great looks and wealth, Dorian has nothing to worry about in terms of trying to impress anyone as everything is already as good as it will
possibly get. It is the fact that Dorian can resist gratification, but he cannot resist the temptation to do it. This is clearly evident when Lord Henry
speaks to Dorian about what exactly his influence is on others; "The mutilation of the savage has its tragic survival in the self–denial that mars our
lives. We are punished for our refusals. Every impulse that we strive to strangle broods in the mind, and poisons us. The body sins once, and has
done with its sin, for action is a mode of purification. Nothing remains then but the recollections of a pleasure, or the luxury of a regret. The only
way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for
what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful. It has been said that the great events of the world take place in the brain. It is in the
brain, and the brain only, that the great sins of the world take place also" (Wilde 21). The fact that even when Basil warns Dorian about the negative
influence that Lord Henry has on others, Dorian is rather more curious about what Lord Henry is all about, rather than staying safe and keeping
himself away from Lord Henry. He truly did not live a fulfilling childhood as it is evident with

Similarities Between Holden Caulfield And Dorian Gray
Wilde Sentences Dorian Gray and Holden Caulfield are dynamically dissimilar; one is a young man trying to fall into his natural place of perfection
in the upper class while the other is a boy attempting to find himself within the chaos of the world. Dorian has a main passion of becoming the perfect
dandy and Holden is seeking out who he should become through the hectic city of New York. Both of these goals are plot driven but subliminally can
seen through sentence structure as developed by Salinger and Wilde. Both authors make efforts to subliminally highlight the goals of their characters,
but they do so differently; Wilde uses extravagant sentences and rich language while in contrast Salinger uses cruder sentences and vernacular: Wilde...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Initially, there is a strong focus on each physical detail in a scene. Such is true when Dorian is being first introduced, there is a heavy focus on his
beauty rather than his personhood, Lord Henry says, "Upon my word, Basil, I didn't know you were so vain; and I really can't see any resemblance
between you, with your rugged strong face and your coal–black hair, and this young Adonis, who looks as if he was made out of ivory and
rose–leaves." Here Wilde chooses to delicately describe the beauty of Dorian in a positive light. He takes a lot of time to describe his beauty
because this is Dorian's best feature. In that moment Dorian is seen as perfect, so when he is not seen as perfect, Wilde chooses to use quick
abbreviated text to deal with it. When James Vane confronts Dorian about the death of his sister Sibyl, it goes by in an instant. James addresses
Dorian, "You wrecked the life of Sibyl Vane," was the answer, "and Sibyl Vane was my sister. She killed herself. I know it. I swore I would kill you in
return. For years I have sought you. I had no clue, no trace.". Here James is direct with Dorian; Wilde does not create detail in these remarks, he
merely puts them there for the reader to address. This breakdown in language is showing how Dorian is flawed for not

People can easily be influenced by one another. Many...
People can easily be influenced by one another. Many people can affect the thoughts and actions of others either deliberately or unintentionally. In the
novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde it is evident that various characters influence one another's actions and thoughts. The novel
demonstrates various occasions of impact by others. Such as Dorian's influence on Basil Hallward, as well as Lord Henry Wotton's multiply influence
on Dorian Gray, and additionally Dorian Gray's influence towards Sibyl Vane. Relationships can have the dominance to not only have a control on one
another but also to derive a lesson or bring out personality traits of the characters. Throughout the novel, there are many relationships that cause a great
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Lord Henry tells Dorian that he should take advantage of his youth and beauty now, or else he will lose all that maters, youth. Dorian is easily
impressionable by Lord Henry because he believes that their conversation fabricated a change in him in ways that Basil and his friendship hasn't.
Lord Henry's influence on Dorian merely acknowledged that there were thoughts that were already inside him. Additionally, not only does Lord
Henry influence both Dorian but he also influences the Duchess of Harley in chapter three. For instance, the Duchess of Harley remarks that she
would like to go to her youth. In reply, Lord Henry replied that all she needs to do is commit the mistakes of her youth again. Also, in chapter three
Lord Henry influences, yet again Dorian Gray. Although Basil has warned Lord Henry to not influence Dorian, and lead him to his own destruction,
Lord Henry makes it's a goal to have a great influence over Dorian. Lord Henry's influence on Basil is demonstrated when Lord Henry was leaving
and Dorian asks to come with him, although he had already had plans with Basil. Moreover, throughout the novel, it demonstrates great influence that
Lord Henry has on Dorian Gray. Dorian Gray feels obligated to Lord Henry. Lord Henry influenced him to go search for pleasures and new sensations,
which brought him to Sibyl. Therefore, Dorian feels that he must tell Lord Henry nothing but the truth. When Dorian met Sibyl and told

Dorian Gray, Lord Henry, And James Vane
7. During the course of chapters seven through ten, there are three antagonists: Dorian Gray, Lord Henry, and James Vane. Dorian Gray is an
accidental antagonist, whereas both Lord Henry and James Vane are deliberate antagonists. Dorian Gray does not fully comprehend that he is the one
who has brought upon himself a sickening obsession of youth and beauty. His decisions have forth brought upon the degradation of the portrait. After
Sybil's death, he wants to become a good–hearted person for the sake of not wanting to witness more changes on the portrait. However, he allows the
influence of Lord Henry's philosophies to dominate his mind throughout these chapters, "Eternal youth, infinite passion, pleasures subtle and secret,
wild joys and wilder sins– he was to have all these things" (92).... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Lord Henry is a deliberate antagonist because he intentionally tries to always bring Dorian back into a world of sin and pride. Before Lord Henry met
Dorian, Dorian was innocent and pure and it was until after their friendship that Dorian became ill–minded. When Dorian felt pity for the death of
Sibyl, Lord Henry twisted her death into an act committed to showing worship towards Dorian, "Some one has killed herself for love of you. I wish
that I had ever such an experience"(89). Lord Henry consciously targets Dorian's weaknesses and will not stop getting into Dorian's head until Dorian
allows him to do so. James Vane is a deliberate antagonist because he had promised Sibyl that he would kill Dorian if anything wrong was to happen
to her. Although he is not present in these chapters, surely he will triumph over Dorian when he learns about his sister's "accidental"

Nature In Oscar Wilde's The Picture Of Dorian Gray
" I wasn't like this before I met you.' ' Like what?' 'I didn't feel like this. I didn't think like this. You– you did this to me...("Fallenoracle")." This quote
from the television series Quantico does an effective job of expressing what Lord Henry's influence does to Dorian Gray throughout the philosophical
novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. While some might argue that Dorian's actual nature does not change significantly, an additional
perspective is that Dorian Gray is a dynamic character who gains negative character traits by becoming vain of his youth, increasingly paranoid of
someone learning of his portrait as well as the crimes he has committed, and attempting to gain pleasure from a number of depraved acts.
The occurrence of vainness in Dorian by Lord Henry directs him to develop a number of other negative characteristics. As Dorian realizes how
beautiful he is, he begins to form attachments to other winsome things, such as Sibyl Vane. This faux love awakens him to the excessive amount of
influence he has over people. When Sibyl Vane acts horribly on purpose on stage Dorian responds with, " I loved you because you had genius and
intellect, because you realized the dreams of great poets and gave shape and substance to the shadows of art. You have thrown it all away. You are
shallow and stupid" (Wilde, 84). Dorian successfully conveys that he loved Sibyl because of her theatrics, and when she fails at what he finds
captivating about her he retaliates

The Homosexuality In The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar...
When first published in 1890, Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray was considered to be "scandalous and immoral" by Lippincott's Monthly
Magazine because of the homosexuality displayed in the story. During the time the book form of the story was released, Wilde started engaging in
affairs with another man as his marriage was failing. The Picture of Dorian Gray reflects Wilde's shifting sexuality during the 1890s through Dorian
Gray's relationship with Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton. Dorian Gray, the extremely handsome protagonist, attracts Basil Hallward, the artist
who inspired by Gray's beauty, painted the portrait of him. Upon first seeing Dorian, Basil "knew that [he] had come face to face with someone whose
mere personality

The Theme of Decadence in the Picture of Dorian Grey by...
The theme of decadence in The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde Staring from the definition found in the dictionary, the decadence is a literary
movement especially of late 19th–century France and England characterized by refined aestheticism, artifice, and the quest for new sensations. [1] In
decadence, important is not necessarily what is seen, but the hermeneutics: what man feels when he sees the creative result of this feeling. It is the
current that requires a co–operation from the public to the artistic work for the purposes of re–creation. The image proposed by the decadents is a
violent one, an image that shocks by having a fascinating and terrifying power. It is a image that stimulates and also stimulates.... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
His conception is hedeonistic. If Basil is the art creator, the picture's creator, Lord Henry is the creator of Dorian's new aspect. The experience of
the sin is finished by killing his friend, Basil Hallward. His act does not stirs remorse, his only concern being to erase the traces in order to avoid
getting discovered. His diabolism can be compared to the one of Des Esseintes , which attempts to transform a young man, Auguste Langlois, into an
assassin, through vice, but the difference is that the Huysmans's character has not the power to commit a murder himself. The murder is followed by
the destruction of the portrait. A strong element related to the decadent movement is the dandyism, the social phenomenon, meaning a man who
places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a
cult of Self.[5] A first determination of dandyism is shown when old Lord Fermor says to his nephew Henry Wotton "Well, Harry, what brings you
out so early? I thought you dandies never got up till two, and were not visible till five." [6] Lord Henry Wotton is fully a dandy, most of the qualities
found at him. His modality of choosing the people he comes into strengthens the claim that Henry is a dandy, " I choose my

The Importance Of Hamartia In Oscar Wilde's The Picture Of...
The concept of a fatal flaw in a protagonist's personality is recognized by the Greek term, hamartia. Hamartia is a feature used in several novels and
Oscar Wilde utilizes this concept in his own novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. The novel follows the tale of a young man, Dorian Gray, living in
nineteenth century London that eventually meets his own demise due to his narcissistic behavior and endless pursuit of pleasure. Originally, he has a
beautiful nature that is tainted by the dangerous curiosity he develops from Lord Henry Wotton's influence over him. These flaws are what lead to his
inevitable end. Lord Henry's influence over Dorian is quite evident to the reader just from their first interaction. During their initial conversation, Lord
Henry explains his philosophy of how, "the aim of life is self–development. To realize one's nature perfectly,–that is what each of us is here for,"
(Wilde 15). Dorian takes this quite literally and later states that, "when one loses one's good looks, whatever they may be, one loses everything,"
(Wilde 20). This is when Dorian's narcissistic behavior begins to show as he believes that beauty is the key to everything. He gives up one of the
most important aspects of life, being an individual. In reality, one should find acceptance with themselves regardless of their own beauty, rather than
"sell [themselves] to the devil for a pretty face," (Wilde 107). Instead, Dorian embraces the pride of beauty and with this mindset, commits many

In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde warns against immorality, vanity and selfishness using his protagonist's downfall to show the dangers of
overindulgence and depravity. The preface is contradictory and reveals that Wilde's beliefs on art and its ties to morality were inconsistent. He
appears to be trying to show that we shouldn't subscribe to just one clear ideal without questioning it or considering other opinions. However, it's
clear throughout the book that there is a strong moral ideology behind the story. Wilde claims that 'an ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable
mannerism of style,'1 but then breaks his own rules by showing Dorian Gray's downfall to be inextricably linked to his exposure to and infatuation
with hedonism and immorality. In this essay, I will demonstrate how the gradual moral decline of Dorian Gray and his eventual demise are used to
send a very clear message about morality, corruption and overindulgence.
When the book begins, Dorian is a blank slate – naГЇve, youthful, and 'unspotted from the world.'2 The beginning of his corruption is clearly marked
by his introduction to Lord Henry, and ultimately, his introduction to indulgence and immorality. Lord Henry tells Dorian '...you are unconscious of
what you really are...' and comments on '...how tragic it would be...' if Dorian was wasted.3 He also brings up the idea of indulgence and the taboo
surrounding it, claiming that if a man resists temptation, his soul 'grows sick with longing for the

Homosexual Elements in The Picture of Dorian Gray by...
Homosexual Elements in The Picture of Dorian Gray
In spite of the novel's heterosexual text, many critics agree that it has various homosexual elements in its characters, in the dialogues, and even in the
portrait itself. One of the critics, Richard Dellamora, mentions this feature of the text, and comments that "By definition this context is heterosexual.
Wotton is married and pursues actresses. Basil himself is a graduate of Oxford, a well–established artist, and respectable to a fault" (28). However, he
also remarks the intensity of male friendships, and referring to Basil, he continues "Later, he repeatedly enjoins Dorian to conformity. Both older men
live in a network of male friendships that ramify through the novel " ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
A curious
sensation of terror came over me. I knew that I had come face
to face with someone whose mere personality was so fascinating
that, if I allowed it to do so, it would absorb my whole nature,
my whole soul, my very art itself... Something seemed to tell me
that I was on the verge of a terrible crisis in my life... I take no
credit to myself for trying to escape... We were quite close,
almost touching. Our eyes met again. It was reckless of me, but
I asked Lady Brandon to introduce me to him. Perhaps it was
not so reckless, after all. It was simply inevitable. We would have

spoken to each other without any introduction. I am sure of that,
Dorian told me so afterwards. He, too, felt that we were destined
to know each other. (11–12)
Towards the middle of the novel, Basil confesses his worship of Dorian to the young model himself :
...Dorian, from the moment I met you, your personality had the
most extraordinary influence over me. I was dominated, soul,
brain, and power by you. You became to me the

The Picture Of Dorian Gray Research Paper
When Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, first version was published it received horrible reviews from critics. The novel's first version was
published in "Lippincott's Monthly Magazine" in July, 1890's issue. "The St. James Gazette of June 20, 1890, refers to the 'garbage of the French
DГ©cadents' and the 'prosy rigmaroles' of the story." There was another review 10 days later from the Daily Chronicles that called the novel a
"poisonous book." The reason why the critics' reactions to the novel were horrible was because they thought that the novel was "immoral" and
"poisonous." Most of the readers were shocked by the novel because the society back then was against homosexuality. "In the spring of 1891, Wilde
edited The Picture of Dorian

The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde
Introduction (Book – Author – Genre): The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is a philosophical/gothic fiction. Setting: The novel takes place in
the peak of the Decadent artistic movement of the 1890s, which occurred in the Victorian era of London and is known for its judgmental social
standards, highlighting the contrast between the wealthier, materialistic higher classes and the dull middle–class society, making the novel more
audacious. Plot: A famous artist named Basil Hallward completes his first portrait of Dorian Gray: a wealthy, beautiful young man who intensely
captures Basil's artistic motivation. Dorian is furious at his painting however, after Basil's friend, Lord Henry Wotton, explains to him how momentary
and fragile his beauty and youth are; and in a fit of madness Dorian promises his soul if the artwork could bear his burden of mortality, guaranteeing
him to stay young forever. Dorian corrupts himself throughout the novel with Lord Henry's accompaniment, spurring rumours of his delinquency and
fraudulence, and repeatedly committing horrible sins – spurring his fiancГ©e to kill herself; his brutal, selfish murder of Basil – but always manages to
forgive himself. His painting, however, grows older by each sin. When he finally decides to repent his sins, Dorian is youthful still, but his painting is
deformed and scarred by his emotional detachment, selfishness and brutality. He stabs the portrait but instead, kills himself. Characters – Dorian Gray is

The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde In Oscar Wilde's first novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde strategically uses his main characters Lord
Henry Wotton and Basil Hallward to represent good versus evil influences throughout the reading. In the book, Dorian Gray plays the role of the
everyman who is in a vicious circle on having to decide between the side of good or evil. Lord Henry is the evil influence and is seen as a more
devil–like character while Basil Hallward is the good Christianity like influence that is trying to counteract the teachings of the devil. From the very
beginning of the novel Lord Henry's evil forces tempt Dorian and a battle quickly begins between good (Basil) and evil (Henry) over control of
Dorian's soul. This essay aims to prove that Wilde's strategical use of influence from Basil and Henry on Gray ultimately destroy Dorian and lead to
his surprising death. The Picture of Dorian Gray opens on a beautiful summer day in Basil Hallwards studio which is filled with the rich aroma of
roses and lilac flowers. In the middle of the studio stood a full length portrait that displayed Dorian's personal beauty with such great detail. Just inches
away from the painting sat the artist, Basil, who was putting the finishing touches on his greatest creation as an artist. Basil's friend Lord Henry was
also in the room admiring his friends work calling it the best thing Basil had ever done and insists that Basil introduce him to the subject, but Basil

Corruption In The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde
Corruption is and was everywhere in the world. It is present in many fields of society, such as in the government, in organizations, and in people
themselves. According to CNN, every year, Kids Wish Network raises millions of dollars in donations for dying kids and their family. But, they spend
less than 3 cents on the dollar helping the kids and their families. This illustrates the corruption of an organization that has a faГ§ade of goodness, but
on the inside, is very corrupted. As displayed within the real world, Oscar Wilde illustrates how Dorian is corrupted by the society that he lives in and
the people around him. Authors often use symbolism when one thing is meant to represent something else completely. For example, symbols like
colors can represent ideas or emotions. To illustrate, blue can represent calm, gray can represent neutral and red can represent anger. Wilde uses the
portrait, that Basil Hallward painted, of Dorian Gray to portray his corrupted soul, Lord Henry to show the influence he has on Dorian, and the yellow
book to show the journey Dorian is about to take. In the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, symbolism is used to symbolize the
corruption of Dorian Gray.
Wilde often uses the portrait to symbolize the corruption of Dorian's soul. When the portrait was first painted, it represented the innocence of Dorian
before the corruption of his soul. As Dorian grows into an older and a horrible man, the painting alters to symbolize his changing

All Quiet On The Western Front By Erich Maria Remarque
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque Character Analysis: Corporal Himmelstoss Corporal Himmelstoss is not one of the more
prominent characters in the book, but he proves to be one of the more important. War brings out a hunger for power that each of the characters
eventually give in to. Himmelstoss is a prime example of what happens when people become obsessed with moving up in the ranks. Himmelstoss is
cruel and inflicts unnecessary pain on the recruits he is in charge of training. His idea of a cure for Tjaden's bed–wetting was making him share a bunk
with Kindervater, another bed wetter which is just malicious. Towards the end of the novel, Himmelstoss represents the meanest, most hateful aspects
of humanity that war brings out. Despite all of his harshness towards the trainees, when he is sent to fight at the front, he experiences the same horror
and trauma as the other soldiers. Himmelstoss's development from a strong, authoritarian in the training camp, to a fearful, cowardly soldier at the
front lines is just confirmation that war has the ability to ruin even the mightiest man. Central Conflict: Person vs. Self, Paul vs. Himself Paul has his
first real encounter with death when his friend Kemmerich dies in the hospital. The realization that he and his friends can and will die makes the war
suddenly real to Paul. He battles with internal opposing forces of hope and despair, as he grows from an ignorant child to an educated veteran. He
begins to

In Chapter XI of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, the eponymous character, Dorian, practices escapist behavior. Upon noticing his portrait
changing to reflect his immoral acts, he hides the picture in his upstairs schoolroom and distracts himself with New Hedonism, the amoral lifestyle
preached by Lord Henry Wotton. Chapter XI chronicles Dorian 's material pleasures over the course of eighteen years. Initially, I believed that the
purpose of this cataloguing chapter was to illustrate Dorian 's escapist behavior and unhealthy coping mechanisms. The unsuspecting song "Gronlandic
Edit" by Of Montreal (stylized as of Montreal), however, suggests that escapism is often accompanied by a search for a more permanent solution to
one 's ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In the first verse, the speaker, presumably lead singer Kevin Barnes (or his stage persona, Georgie Fruit) asserts that he is "satisfied hiding in [a]
friend 's apartment," a sentiment Dorian would likely parrot regarding his New Hedonistic lifestyle. In the same verse, however, Barnes admits facing
anxieties at night, just as Dorian does on page 128. This establishes that the primary characters of each work are practicing escapist behavior and
allows the rest of the song to cast new light on Chapter XI of The Picture of Dorian Gray. In the second verse of "Gronlandic Edit," Barnes sings "I
guess it would be nice to give my heart to a god / But which one, which one do I choose? / All the churches fill with losers, psycho or confused / I
just want to hold the divine in mind / And forget all of the beauty 's wasted," revealing an irreverent search for religion. Barnes is less interested in
institutionalized faith and more invested in personal spirituality and beauty. In my analysis of the song, this echo of Dorian 's obsession with physical
beauty and reluctance to join an organized faith made apparent the unexpected textual connections (Wilde 128). "Gronlandic Edit" illustrates the link
between escapism and a search for a permanent solution to one 's problems – in Barnes ' case, religion. With this in mind, my analysis turned to what
Dorian may be seeking while practicing avoidant

The Picture of Dorian Gray: Corruption Through Aestheticism
The Picture of Dorian Gray: Corruption Through Aestheticism
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is the story of moral corruption by the means of aestheticism. In the novel, the well meaning artist
Basil Hallward presets young Dorian Gray with a portrait of himself. After conversing with cynical Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian makes a wish which
dreadfully affects his life forever. "If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! 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 109). As it turns out, the devil that Dorian sells his soul to is Lord
Henry Wotton, who exists not only as something external to Dorian, but ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
For Dorian, this is the ultimate evil act, the desire to rid himself of all moral sense. Having failed the attempt to escape through good actions, he
decides to escape by committing the most terrible of crimes. Aestheticism has claimed its final victim. "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord
Henry what the world thinks of me: Dorian Gray what I would like to be – in other ages, perhaps" (Hart–
Davis 352). Because of the endings he creates for these characters, Oscar Wilde proves that he does not envisions himself in the immoral characters of
this story nor is he attempting to promote their lifestyles. Of all the characters whom he creates, he sees himself as Basil, the good artist who
sacrifices himself to fight immorality. "It was his beauty that had ruined him, his beauty and the youth that he had prayed for" (Wilde 242). Contrary to
Wilde's claim in the preface that,
"there is no such thing as a moral or immoral book" (vii), this novel has a deep and meaningful purpose. "The moral is that an absence of spirituality,
of faith, of regard for human life, separates individuals like Wilde's Dorian Gray from humanity and makes monsters of them" (West 5831). W.H.
Auden feels that the story is specifically structured to provide a moral. He compares the story to that of a fairy tale, complete with a princess, a
wicked witch, and a fairy godmother.

The Balance of Dorian Gray's Structure of Personality in...
THE BALANCE OF DORIAN GRAY'S STRUCTURE OF PERSONALITY IN OSCAR WILDE'S NOVEL THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY: A
STUDY OF PSYCHOANALYSIS
Background of the study
Human lives with their desire though some of their desire are failed to deliver because of the norms border. As a human, we live in a community
and it is impossible to do as we please. Norms play the role as law where it limits our behavior and make the standard law points about what we can do
or what we cannot do. This law usually opposes our desire. When we choose to follow our desire rather than the norms, our society will see us as a
bad person. It is because they belive that life has to be bordered by norms and people cannot do as they please without considering their social ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
There are unconsciousness, dreams and symbols, the meaning of sexuality, and the meaning of death. In this study, the writers use tenet stucture of
personality, especially id, ego, and super ego. According toSigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality, personality is divided into three
elements. There are known as the id, the ego and the superego which work together to create human behaviors. Id is completely unconscious part
of personality that keep our desires, wishes, and fears. Every people have their id at the time they were born. Ego which is a conscious part of the
personality processes experiences and operates as a mediator between the id and superego. Ego is built when people are two to three years old.
Superego is a part of personality which act as a moral judgments. Usually, people will build their superego at five years old. If one of these aspects is
higher than others, it will lead to an unhealthy personality. The key to a healthy personality is a balance between the id, the ego, and the superego.
The superego is in direct opposition to the id, the psychological reservoir of our instincts, and our libido, or sexual energy. The id is devoted solely to
the gratification of prohibited desires of all kinds–desire for power, for sex, for amusement, for food–without an eye to consequences. In other words,
the id consists largely of those desires regulated or forbidden by social convention. Thus, the

Who Is Sibyl Vane's Death
In the gothic novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde a young man named Dorian Gray gains a immortal reputation by partaking in
self–pleasure events which results in Sibyl Vane's suicide, inner–conflict between good and evil, and the deteriorating painting that symbolizes his soul.
Dorian Gray is a 20 year beautiful young man who in the beginning of the novel has a great and lovely reputation. As the book continues an older man
named Lord Henry who is known for his horrific epigrams on life twists the juvenile's mind to endure in self–pleasure activities. Dorian begins to
commit several crimes that result in the decay of his soul. These horrific actions that the character takes upon results in him making a deal with the
devil and becoming a faustian legend.... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
On the night where Sibyl gave up her acting career was betrayal to her love for Dorian. Not only did Dorian feel disloyal by his love, but did not
care for Sibyl at all. His mentality towards the young juvenile is that he sees her as an object and not a real person. Her heart broken by Dorians
words of pure hatred Sibyl committed suicide by drinking poison. Disturbed by these actions Dorian vows to be good and learn from this
experience, but ironically, during this time of mourning Dorian's heart began to change as well as his mentality. This act of love or heroic deed that
Lord Henry describes to the young man alters his mentality. Instead of feeling remorse and guilt he feels nothing and his conscience begins to struggle
to reach Dorian's heart. He is no longer " Sorry for anything that had happened. It has taught [him] me to know myself better" (Wilde 86). Once the
painting begins to change and the facial expression is slightly crooked Dorian begins to think more about himself then Sibyl and soon forgets about the

The Importance Of Hedonism In Oscar Wilde's The Picture Of...
Hedonism is the "pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle" (Dictionary.com). In Oscar Wilde's, the Picture of Dorian Gray, the story
revolves around a young lad named, Dorian Gray. Throughout the story, three recurring characters appear which are Basil, Dorian, and Lord Henry.
The three begin a discourse on philosophy whilst Basil refutes Lord Henry's hedonistic philosophies. Gray damns the picture, stating that whatever
ailments of age may affect him may be put onto the picture. Basil pleads Dorian not to be influenced by the figure Lord Henry, yet Dorian is so
infatuated by his ideals that he cannot resist the temptation. Later on, Gray begins to act more and more selfishly, committing many atrocities such as,
leading young men away from diligence, slaining an actress, and murdering the artist of the picture, Basil. Guilt consumes Gray as his actions alter the
picture into a horror. Planning to end it all, Gray gives the picture one last stab, unknowingly reversing the curse the picture held and unleashing his
own knife upon himself. In Wilde's, the Picture of Dorian Gray, hedonism is an attribute that inevitably precipitates consequence and is proved through
literary devices, epigrams, and themes to ultimately discourage the audience from succumbing to fleshly desire.
Firstly, Wilde expresses hedonistic desire leading to punishment through the use of literary devices; namely symbolism and imagery. When Gray
regarded Sibyl with pity and "his chiseled lips curled in exquisite disdain" (Wilde 101). Through imagery, Wilde conveys Gray's character of cruelty
wrought out by selfish desire. After that, what followed was the suicide of his lover. This reveals that living selfishly produces consequences through
others. Another example can be found when Wilde uses symbolism through the picture to reveal reality of emotions. As Dorian got up to check his
painting, it was "unmistakably [...] altered" (Wilde 108). The painting reflected the reality of Dorian Gray's inner beliefs. The change in the picture is a
loss of selflessness. Furthermore, his selfish desires are reflected through the picture and the change in the portrait is the consequence for doing
hedonistic actions. Therefore through symbolism and

The Consequences Of The Novels InThe Picture Of Dorian Gray
A murder has been committed. The accused enters the court room with an explanation at the ready; "the book made me do it". There is no jury in the
country that would believe that. A perfectly sane man could not commit such an appalling crime simply as a result of reading some words on a page.
Books do not have that much control on a person's life. They cannot dictate a person's actions.
In The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1890), Dorian Gray blames his horrendous misdeeds on the little yellow book Lord Henry gifted to
him. He goes as far as to say that he was "poisoned by a book" (Wilde, Ch 12). What makes this novel so venomous? It appears for all intents and
purposes just some words bound together. Perhaps it was cursed. For a single novel to have such an impact on an individual, there must have been
something unnatural about it. There isn't a book published today that would make a seemingly normal man begin a life of crime. This idea of a cursed
book, however, does not hold up. When reproduced in multitudes of color, the books continue to produce the same effect.
The words themselves might have prompted such a change. Maybe it had been written in an especially persuasive prose. Some writers have the ability
to completely turn the reader inside out with a few lines of text. The idea of them somehow completely altering a conscience, however, seems doubtful.
A perfectly sane man would not succumb to the insanity of murder just because a piece of paper told him to.

How Does Ray Bradbury Use Figurative Language In The...
In the short story "The Flying Machine," author Ray Bradbury conveys how a dutiful ruler will sacrifice an individual all in the means of staying
safe and away from evil. Imagery displays Emperor Yuan's persona perfectly. The narrator explained of Yuan, "Instead he looked at the Great Wall of
China now taking shape out of the farthest mist in the green hills, that splendid snake of stones which writhed with majesty across the entire land. That
wonderful wall which had protected them for a timeless time from enemy hordes and preserved peace for years without number." Moreover, Bradbury
allowed us to visualize the Great Wall of China in the fog rising from the grassy terrains with his figurative language. The audience would imagine the

What Is The Picture Of Dorian Gray: False To Morality?
Oscar Wilde's only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was first published in the July 1890 issue of "Lippincott's Monthly Magazine". Soon, after
publication the story was widely regarded as perverse and immoral with the Daily Chronicle claiming it was "a poisonous book...heavy with the
mephitic odours of moral and spiritual putrefaction". The Scots Observer suggested that the book was "false to morality". The conservative paper
also claimed the book was fitted "for none but outlawed noblemen and perverted telegraph boys." This was a reference to the 'Cleveland Street
Affair' in which a male brothel was discovered to be used by aristocrats to pay telegraph boys for sex. Moreover, one of the characters, Basil Hallward
hinted at having strong

Dorian Gray Theme Essay
Josh Nitz
April 16, 2012
Professor Anders
Response #7
Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde's fictional piece The Picture of Dorian Gray is a wonderful story that provides insight on the effect that sin has on the soul.
In the beginning of the story Dorian is a kind hearted man, but by the end he becomes a cold blooded murderer who thinks only about himself. The
ending is also very interesting in the sense that although Oscar Wilde escaped suspicion, revenge from James and those who could put his pursuit of
pleasure in jeopardy, Dorian could not escape himself. This is the theme that really stuck with me. Dorian pursued pleasure with complete disregard
for his soul or his conscience and in the end it led to his lack of pleasure and death. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Rather this strategic silence allows the author to move on with the story while still impacting the reader in the way he wants. In Hop Frog and
Dorian Gray, the author's vague description of wrong doing enables the reader to presume the worst from the antagonists and justify the antagonist's
grisly end. After Dorian murder's Basil, Dorian begins to feel guilty and he swears he will start a new and wholesome life. Despite his efforts and
his fortunate luck (James who was going to kill him died is a bizarre accident) Dorian cannot escape himself. The portrait of himself will always
remind him of what he truly is inside. No matter what he does Dorian cannot escape the past or his wrong doings. This situation applies to most
readers, as most people have gotten away with a sin. Although no one else knows about the wrong doing, the individual cannot escape the guilt or
memory of what they have done. This is what happens to Dorian and the only way to escape his guilt is through suicide (unintentional). The Picture of
Dorian Gray provides many good moral lessons that should be observed by anyone who reads the book. Morals that come to mind are "Beware your
sin will find you out," and selfishness will only bring you pain. Dorian Gray tried to find individual pleasure, but pleasures are not found in the
individual. Rather pleasure is found in love, God and

Lord Henry Wotton Considered Responsible For Dorian Gray's...
How much can be Lord Henry Wotton considered responsible for Dorian Gray's actions?
Dorian Gray, that's his name, described as eerie being, pure, naive and innocent, boy. However, when he encountered Sir Henry Wotton, his life
changed. Some people make other 's life better, some make it worse. And that was the case of Henry Wotton. His words poisoned Dorian's mind like old
Victorian substance, Laudanum or Morphine. Pure, innocent self–got tainted by something so simple as a few words that left other lips. "You have
only a few years in which really to live. When your youth goes, your beauty will go with it, and then you will suddenly discover that there are no
triumphs left for you, or have to content yourself with those mean triumphs that the memory of your past will make more bitter than defeats." (The
picture of Dorian Gray, 36). That late afternoon, when he met Basil's acquaintance, when he got introduced to him, he was lost. Like Adam, being
expelled from heaven, for tasting the forbidden fruit, and that fruit was given to him by Satan in disguise, Lord Henry Wotton.
Lord Henry Wotton is described as someone who despises simple things and feasts on the pleasure of life. Sharp, intelligent and cynical. His theories
and stories tend to shock ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He opened young man 's eyes, from the dream of childhood and made him see the world in different, raw and adult shade. Making him realize that
what he has now will be soon past and with some time he will start to age. His body will wither and his skin wrinkle. He, hedonist, pleasured himself
with uneasiness that shackled the blonde cherub, and because of that, he expressed that crucial wish. "If it was only the other way! If it was I who
were to be always young, and the picture that were to grow old! For this–for this–I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world, I
would not give!" (The picture of Dorian Gray,

Importance Of Art In Oscar Wilde's The Decay Of Lying
"A work of art is useless as a flower is useless." Oscar Wilde stated this in his The Decay of Lying, he states that a flower only will blossom for its
own happiness. There is a moment of happiness while looking at flowers, but it is not true happiness. This feeling arises when looking at art as well.
A man can sell a flower, and then it has a use for him, yet it hasn't anything to do with the flower itself. Flowers and art are useless and unimportant.
Oscar Wilde is looking for significance in art and flowers. In his work, The Decay of Lying, he is stating this to seem normal. He does not believe in
this at all. He thinks that art has importance, and in the novel, he wanted to show everyone just exactly how strongly emotional art can be. The fact
that he chose such a controversial topic at the time, and made it the object of the novel, says a lot about his personality. He brought art to life. He took
art, an inanimate thing, and made it into a real character in the novel. Not only is art strongly linked to human behavior, but art also is so much more
than just paint on a canvas.
Oscar Wilde shows us that art has symbolic meanings by giving us specific details about what The Portrait can, actually, represent. Throughout the
novel, we watch the painting get uglier and uglier. We learn that The Portrait starts to bear the ugliness that is Dorian'ssoul. When he does something
horrid, it forms a new wound, or presents an even uglier sneer. The Portrait represents Dorian's sin. In class we argued that The Portrait represents
Dorian's conscience. It more represents his soul. It does help him halfway develop a conscience, but mainly he ignores it and does a nasty thing
anyway. It helps him develop a conscience by making him want to do good. It makes him want to be a better person, so then The Portrait might not
be as ugly as it is. The Portrait represents the ugliness of someone that is perceived as beautiful. The first time we notice that The Portrait changes, is
after Sibyl Vane commits suicide. Dorian feels partially responsible, but at the same time he does not even care. He says "She had no right to kill
herself. It was selfish of her" (pp. 134). He does not feel guilty until he looks at the painting for the

Oscar Wilde 's The Picture Of Dorian Gray
The Victorian era is an extraordinarily complex age that occurred throughout the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. The Victorian Era was a
tremendously exciting period that created the emergence of many various artistic styles such as literacy, poetry, and painting. In addition, the Era
caused the social, political, and religious movements to flourish. The Victorian Era, although being known as the beginning of modern times, still
embraced some radical views that today we would associate as "prudishness" and "repression". In 1890, author Oscar Wilde wrote The Picture of
Dorian Gray and submitted it to Lippincott's Monthly Magazine. The magazine's editor, J.M. Stoddert, immediately declined the novel and determined
that it would offend the sensibilities of his readership (Wilde x). It was believed that Oscar Wilde's book contained explicit sexual, especially
homosexual, content which contradicted the time period of the Victorian Era and was deemed obscene. It was not until 2011, that Wilde's novel was
published as originally written under the title, The Picture of Dorian Gray: An Annotated, Uncensored Edition. The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray
highlights the triangular relationship between the three leading characters: Basil Hallward, Dorian Gray, and Lord Henry Wotton. Although it is
arguably debated, there is an appearance of homosexual content in The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray which appears in Basil Hallward's
emotions toward Dorian and in the

The Supernatural in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
If you can get past most of the superficial and unlikeable characters in The Picture of Dorian Gray, this story does indeed have its place in the
horror genre. While I understand the setting and the characters were a reflection of the actual class distinctions during the Victorian time period, I
found the shallowness and narcissism of Dorian Gray and his circle of acquaintances tedious. "Fops" came to mind more than once along with "don't
these people have a purpose other than to dine out and indulge themselves?" Even the women were for the most part portrayed as imbeciles. It almost
hurt to read the section in chapter four where Lord Henry's wife appears for the first and only time: "She was usually in love with somebody, and, as her
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It is interesting to note that he doesn't ask for it to show his sins, only take on his aging. The painting gets progressively more horrible throughout
the story, but it is not just aging it shows, it seems to portray an awful decay. Dorian uses a mirror to compare himself to the painting (one that Lord
Henry gave him) and seems to take pleasure in his corruption: "...looking now at the evil and aging face on the canvas, and now at the fair young
face that laughed back at him from the polished glass. The very sharpness of the contrast used to quicken his sense of pleasure. He grew more and
more enamored of his own beauty, more and more interested in the corruption of his own soul ... wondering sometimes which were the more
horrible, the signs of sin or the signs of age" (Wilde 106). The use of the mirror further points out his narcissism. This is also the same mirror that
he crushes under his feet the night he tries to "kill" the painting. The devil is suggested a couple of times (and I may have missed more instances).
Once by the woman at the bar talking to James Vane: "They say he has sold himself to the devil for a pretty face" (Wilde 160). I think the more
important reference was by Basil Hallward in viewing the painting the night Dorian killed him: "Christ! What a thing I must have worshipped! It has
the eyes of a devil" (Wilde 131). Last but not least is the role Lord Henry played with the corruption

Dorian Gray : Moral Responsibility Essay
In The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, it tells of a man's gradual downfall from innocence to corruption. Even the name of the main
character in Oscar Wilde's tale, Dorian Gray, is very symbolic because В‘gray' is the combination of black and white, of good and evil. In many ways,
Dorian Gray is the epitome of mankind. Dorian Gray, an innocent and naГЇve man, becomes corrupted after having one conversation with Lord Henry
Wotton. He shows how easily people can become swayed and changed merely by the words of others. Society plays such an enormous role in the
lives of people. As said by Thomas Babington, "The measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out." How
much of how we act is influenced... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
You will suffer horribly.... Ah! realize your youth while you have it. Don't squander the gold of your days, listening to the tedious, trying to improve
the hopeless failure, or giving away your life to the ignorant, the common, and the vulgar. These are the sickly aims, the false ideals, of our age. Live!
Live the wonderful life that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing. . . . A new
Hedonism–– that is what our century wants." Through him, Dorian faces the harsh realization that his physical attributes are ever fading. Upon this
sudden insight, he dreads the physical burden of aging. He envies the perpetual beauty of Basil's masterpiece. As Dorian says, "If it were only the
other way! 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!" The materialization of this wish and the metamorphosis it will ensue are to
bring his demise. Dorian's figure remains immaculate while the picture bears his abhorrent transformation. This is first confirmed following his
amorous relationship with Sibyl Vane, an actress he meets at an infamous theatre. Like him, she is characterized by an entrancing beauty and a youthful
naivety. Mesmerized by one another, they promptly exchange vows of fidelity. Dorian invites Henry and Basil to

Oscar Wilde 's The Picture Of Dorian Gray
Rackshana Sithirasenan
Mr. Cimetta
ENG4U1–01
24 November 2014
Dorian's Pursuit Towards Hedonism Dorian Gray once told Henry "The soul . . . can be bought, and sold. It can be poisoned, or made perfect"
(Wilde 213). Likewise, it would not be beneficial for one to sacrifice their soul with an exception of exchanging it in order to attain perfection. Oscar
Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray explores the themes and ideologies of Hedonism and Aestheticism. Hedonists believe that pleasure is the most
important aspect in life and can be obtained when one denies their moral instincts to partake in sensual activities, essentially neglecting their soul.
Aestheticism focuses on the principle that art serves no purpose and exists for the sake of beauty alone in which critics illustrated the attitudes of the
movement through The Yellow Book. Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, introduces the protagonist, Dorian Gray, as a young and handsome
male during the Victorian Era in England. The story commences with Basil Hallward, a painter, using Dorian as his model. Meanwhile Lord Henry
preys on the young lad to encourage him to engage in the Hedonistic lifestyle. More so, the portrait of Dorian presented by Basil represents Dorian's
soul. Immoral decisions made by Dorian slowly alter his portrait for the worse and ultimately mirrors the unsightliness of Dorian's persona. Lord Henry
furthers his projection of Hedonism onto Dorian by presenting a book which reiterates philosophies of

Essay on Picture of Dorian Gray: Discovering Wilde
Discovering Wilde in The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray can be defined as a symbolic representation of a dialectic between two aspects of Wilde's personality. Dorian is an
archetypal image by which both aspects are fascinated. This suggests that his behaviour symbolizes Wilde's unconscious (i.e. unacknowledged)
attitudes. Dorian is characterized by his evasiveness and his obsession with objets d'art. For example, when Basil comes to console him about Sibyl's
death, he is unwilling to discuss the matter. He does not want to admit the possibility that his behaviour was reprehensible. He tells his friend: "If one
doesn't talk about a thing, it has never happened. It is simply expression, as Harry says, that ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It seems to me simply like a wonderful ending to a wonderful play. It has all the terrible beauty of a Greek tragedy, a tragedy in which I took a great
part, but by which I have not been wounded." (100)
He tells Basil: "To become the spectator of one's own life, as Harry says, is to escape the suffering of life" (110). Some eighteen years later, Dorian no
longer even feels part of his own drama. He has become only a spectator, and what he sees is a projection of the grotesque shape that his own
personality has assumed. He coldly watches Basil as the latter reacts to his now hideously deformed painting:
The young man was leaning against the mantelshelf, watching him with that strange expression that one sees on the faces of those who are absorbed
in a play when some great artist is acting. There was neither real sorrow in it nor real joy. There was simply the passion of the spectator, with perhaps
a flicker of triumph in his eyes. (156)
He is no longer watching himself only. He is watching another person's reaction to the callousness and cruelty which he does not want to recognize in
himself.
Throughout the novel, the mechanism whereby involvement is translated into aesthetic perspective is associated with fear. For example, when Dorian
first meets Lord Henry, to distract him from the latter's words, he turns to observe a bee:
He watched it with that strange interest in

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