Essays on The Picture of Dorian Gray

The story begins with Dorian Gray as an adult, a young man who desires to stay young forever. He never grows old thanks to an antique painting he “sold his soul for”. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel for pessimistic people because it contains negative views on marriage, gender bias, and the downgrade of the women, which makes it undesirable for optimistic people. Lord Henry, Basil’s friend, makes negative comments in relation to his relationship with his wife,…

Oscar Wilde’ book ‘’Picture Of Dorian Gray’’ points out a question concerning the balance between the concepts like morality,narcissism, manipulation, strategy, beauty, and tactics. Wilde combines these concepts harmoniously in the human nature itself. The personality of Dorian Gray is controversial. His goodwill is hidden under the fulfill the infinite need of pleasure. The term ‘’The Picture’’ is a metaphor for the obligation to rebuild the stability between the ethics aesthetics and refusing to acknowledge the fact that they are…

Beauty and the preservation of both beauty and youth are two of the most prominent human desires. They have not been suppressed, people have become more obsessed with this idea in modern society. This concept of human vanity is explored in “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde. The protagonist, Dorian Gray, is a handsome, and young aristocrat. But under the influence of Lord Henry, he is attracted to the beauty in the portrait, and eventually becomes self-obsessed. Consumed…

Morality in The Picture of Dorian Gray Introduction Morality and one’s own moral scale plays a large role in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Morality can be described as one’s own principles regarding the distinction between right and wrong. One’s moral scale is constantly shifting due to factors in the world around them, which is usually the people one surrounds themselves with. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian finds himself committing wicked actions due to changes in his moral…

Inspired by the ideology of Aestheticism, Oscar Wilde rose to notoriety as a prominent literary figure of the late nineteenth century. As the Industrial Revolution progressed and sentiments of materialism spread, people began to rebel against the “repetitive designs of consumer products created cheaply by ‘soulless’ machines”. The Aesthetic movement represented an escape from tradition and heavily emphasized “art for art’s sake.” Leaders of the movement, including Wilde, were criticized for their “unmasculine devotion to art”. In response to criticism,…

The novel shows us “the terrible pleasure of a double life”. How far is this a fair summary of the novel? As a novel that essentially mirrors its author’s own life of trying to find himself whilst being victim under the hypocrisy of the seemingly pious and morally rectified Victorian society, The Picture of Dorian Gray succeeds in showing us “the terrible pleasure of a double life”. However, disputably such can be a fair summary, as the terrible pleasure of…

Dracula and the Picture of Dorian Gray were both books written a long time ago where they were supposed to shock the original readers. Dracula is a novel written by Bram Stoker. It is set in the Victorian era, but much of the novel takes place in Dracula’s dank and eerie castle. The plot centers around a young English lawyer who travels to Castle Dracula in Transylvania to explain the logistical details to Count Dracula who wants to purchase a…

The setting of the respective novel is essential for the overall development of the characters and the plot as it provides a foundation for the readers to visualize and understand the social as well as the psychological mindset and the typical behaviour during the era. It also sets the gothic mood and atmosphere for the readers as the setting provides an eerie-like ambiance since it was a time when black magic and witchcraft was well feared. Moreso, the setting produces…

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was written by Louis Stevenson with the publication date of the fifth of January on the year of 1886. Subsequently, the Picture of Dorian Gray authored by the famous writer Oscar Wilde was published on the day of the twentieth of June on the year of 1890. Both books share the same location and time period of publication, which was during the Victorian Era taking place in the streets of London.…

Introduction Gothic literature is a genre that is famous for focusing on horror, ruin, decay, the supernatural. The first gothic text that gave birth to the genre is believed to be Horace Walpole's 18th Century novel The Castle of Otranto. Some theorists believe that gothic writing was a response to the enlightenment period that had taken place just before the genre first became popular in the late 19th century. since its conception, the gothic genre has created some of the…

This essay is about chapter ten page 104 of the picture of Dorian Gray. I'm going to be looking at plot, theme, character, style and context of this piacular page, I believe this chapter is one of the most crucial chapters as its about how Dorian completely turns away from all goodness and loses himself in the thought of everlasting beauty. All while under the influence of Lord Henry. And this all starts when he is even the "yellow book".On…

Introduction About The Author Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 - 30 November 1900) was an Anglo-English novelist, playwight, poet and critic. He is often regarded as one of the most iconic people of the Victorian era. He is best known for his works such as the play "The Importance of Being Earnest" and his classic novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray." Besides that he was known far and wide for his numerous poems, flamboyant wit, intelligence and…

Comparative Analysis Essay Dorsal Gray & Hamlet Throughout the play Hamlet we see the themes of obsession and good vs.. Evil, Hamlet struggles with his Inner demons until his tragic and untimely death. In the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray we meet a character that Is very similar to Hamlet In his continuous struggles with his good vs.. Evil persona and obsession with youth, Many character Is Oscar Wild's, Dorsal Gray represent those of Hamlet. Both Dorsal Gray and…

“If this girl can give soul to those who have lived without one, if she can create the sense of beauty in people whose lives have been sordid and ugly, if she can strip them of their selfishness and lend them tears for sorrows that are not their own, she is worthy of all your adoration, worthy of the adoration of the world” (59). Sibyl has inner beauty and Basil realizes that, but Lord Henry and Dorian only see the…

The classic novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray" explores the intricate dynamics of influence and corruption, shedding light on the moral responsibility of both those who exert influence and those who succumb to it. Dorian Gray, initially influenced by the charismatic Lord Henry, ultimately finds himself entangled in a web of moral degradation. The question of culpability becomes central—does the responsibility lie with the influencer or the influenced? The Power of Personal Choice Individuals are inherently responsible for their actions,…

The human fascination with eternal youth is a timeless theme that permeates Oscar Wilde's masterpiece, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Within the narrative, the titular character, Dorian Gray, grapples with an unrelenting desire to preserve his youthful appearance at any cost. However, this pursuit is not without consequence, as the price for eternal beauty leads to a profound loss of innocence, culminating tragically in Dorian's ultimate demise through suicide. In this exploration, we delve into pivotal scenes that vividly depict…

To an extent, this statement can be agreed with and disagreed with in both texts, as both have elements of underwriting and insignificance within the female characters.. However, we see the subversion of this statement more in The Importance of Being Earnest due to Lady Bracknell's strong female presence and her dominance over the two main male characters Jack and Algernon. Through the different genres of the texts we are able to establish the differences in presentation of the female…

In the questionable book, "The Photo of Dorian Gray," the only released novel composed by Oscar Wilde, the protagonist Dorian Gray begins to indulge the idea of hedonism from fellow friend Lord Henry. Dorian adores his beauty so much that he wants the painting Basil Hallward is painting of him to grow old in his location. As a matter a truth, the picture does age with every sin Dorian commits, and Dorian's outside look remains the same. The portrait is…

The two books I have chosen for my open study are: The Picture of Dorian Gray and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The first one, written in 1890 by Oscar Wilde, is the story of a young, aristocratic dandy who, influenced by a friend, becomes a hedonistic, selfish man who ends in tragedy. The second, written in 1886 by Robert Louis Stevenson, is the story of a scientist, Dr. Jekyll, who, under the effect of a potion, mutates into a…

Introduction: In exploring the intricacies of "The Picture of Dorian Gray," the motif of the color white emerges as a central and evolving symbol, mirroring the transformation of Dorian Gray's character. This essay delves into the dynamic nature of the motif, examining its shifting meanings in relation to Dorian's soul throughout the novel. Early Associations with Innocence: The initial encounter between Basil and Mr. Gray sets the tone for the motif, as Basil notes a growing paleness during their eye…

Oscar Wilde, a literary genius of the late 19th century, crafted "The Picture of Dorian Gray" under the profound influence of his upbringing, academic pursuits, and philosophical explorations. Throughout his life, Wilde's development was shaped by diverse factors, from his mother's influence during his early years to the profound impact of Aesthetics, Epicureanism, and his personal experiences. These multifaceted influences converged to produce one of the most intriguing works of horror fiction in literary history. The Maternal Influence: Speranza's Effeminate…

Introduction Dorian Gray goes through the fascinating transformation, from an innocent and pure figure to a morally corrupted individual. The catalyst for this metamorphosis is the original sin of pride, often regarded as the wellspring of all sins. Our aim is to explore how this foundational sin branches into other vices like wrath and lust, ultimately shaping Dorian into the monstrous character depicted at the novel's conclusion. Narcissism and the Pursuit of Perfection Narcissism, characterized by egotism, vanity, and selfishness,…

In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde demonstrates the corruption of youth by taking the initial innocence of Dorian and turning his values completely immoral under the control of Lord Henry mainly through the use of symbolism. Even though he looks as though youthful and innocent his portrait reveals his truly aging and corrupt soul, this and failure in Dorian not taking responsibility for any of his own actions is what ultimately drives him insane and leads to his…

To describe the walking dead all of the following apply: soulless, insatiable hunger, actions based purely on instinct; these qualities combined, with or without the rotting flesh, make a zombie but also can be readily applied to the main character of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. The novel analyzes the value of beauty and pleasure and poses a very interesting contradiction between the traditional views of morality and quality of life. Dorian, an aesthetic young man, is…