The Picture Of Dorian Gray - 1875 Words

The greatest heartbreak is caused by people who we look up to and appear to be the most harmless. Ever since we were young, our parents always taught us to stay away from strangers and avoid people who appear to us as scary or unusual. Within these aspects of danger, it is implied that true terror is caused by individuals whose appearance are different and out of the ordinary. The opposite of this theory occurs in â€Å"The Picture of Dorian Gray†, written by Oscar Wilde. The protagonist goes by the name of Dorian Gray, and is portrayed as being the most charming man who represents youth. An important feature of Dorian is the fact that he never ages throughout the novel. Dorian uses this feature to his advantage in many instances by tricking†¦show more content†¦With the foundation of new inventions, appearance and wealth are merely only distractions from the reality of the corruption that it can be associated with. With the modernization of the world that led to these new occurrences, Neslihan Gunaydin from Turkish Studies describes how this behavior in the Victorian era was becoming a very normal instance, between appearance and corrupted society: The hypocrisy of Victorian aristocracy and the middle-class depicted in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is a good example of the close connection between a corrupted society with the depraved nature of its individuals. On the surface, they exhibit a respectable appearance in smart society, yet lead their lives according to the hedonist principle â€Å"not the fruit of experience, but experience itself, is the end† However, this elusive and deceitful manner in the background suggest the beauty of evil and charm of corruption. (Gunaydin 548) Corruption was very common amongst individuals at the time. This evidence is depicted through the actions of Dorian and explains how his appearance allows him to commit monstrous crimes that are corrupt. His appearance is only used as a distraction and does not represent who he really is as a person. Through his wealth and charm, he has an influence on how others view him. This same instance occurs in our world today as we see many people fall under the influence of those who appear wealthy and glamorous. Many of the individuals who fallShow MoreRelatedThe Picture Of Dorian Gray1482 Words   |  6 Pagesreturn give to the same story† (Foster 185-186). One book that is a part of Foster’s story is Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. In this essay, Thomas Foster’s methods regarding both symbolism and  ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬heart disease from his book, How to Read Literature Like a Professor will be discussed and applied to one of Oscar Wilde’s novels. T hroughout his novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde uses the portrait of the young protagonist as a symbol of many things, one of them being a mirror. WildeRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray Essay1460 Words   |  6 PagesAs seems to be the theme of Oscar Wilde’s book, The picture of Dorian Gray, art an beauty are both the same, yet they are different. But how can this be? Well, beauty and art are intertwined the moment art is used to capture a sliver of pure beauty, in order to make that moment last forever. According to Lord Henry, â€Å" Yes, Mr. Gray, the gods have been good to you. But what the goods give can easily be taken away. You only have a few years in which to live really, perfectly, and fully† (Wilde Pg.Read MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray1432 Words   |  6 PagesIn The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, we see how the different characters show their love of beauty and pleasure and the affects they have on the main character: Dorian Gray. Each of the three main characters, Basil Hallward, Lord Henry Wotton, and Dorian Gray portray a part of how the author felt about himself and the world around him. â€Å"Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks of me: Dorian what I would like to be- in other ages, perhaps† (qtd. in Bloom pg. 117)Read MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray1576 Words   |  7 PagesTransformation in Literature Greek Philosopher Heraclitus once said â€Å"There is nothing permanent except change†. In Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, the theme of transformation is constant throughout the novel; however it is not portrayed as something that is permanent. Through the protagonist’s transformation, Oscar Wilde s novel is suggesting that the hedonistic lifestyle, a lifestyle where gaining pleasure is the main goal of a person’s life, may seem like it is an exciting and wonderfulRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray965 Words   |  4 Pages When looking at Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray, it is clear that Frankenstein is a novel that can be placed into both the gothic and horror genre, although it is a gothic novel secondary to it being a horror novel; The picture of Dorian Gray isn’t so clear in this regard. On a first reading, one may assume the story to be gothic literature and only gothic literature because of the sheer amount of gothic characteristics and elements that the text presents that include, but are not limitedRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray957 Words   |  4 PagesWilde explores the theme of outsiders in his 1890 novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. He infuses what it means to be an outsider in almost every character in the story. The most important of these characters are Dorian Gray, Henry, and Basil. Each show what it means to be an outsider in his own individual way; whether it is an outsider among society, among a group of friends, or from a person’s own self. The main character, Dorian Gray, possesses most attributes of being an outsider. The most obviousRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray971 Words   |  4 PagesIn Oscar Wilde’s Popular nineteenth century novel, the Picture of Dorian Gray demonstrates the importance of the aesthetic movement in Victorian England. This suggests youth and physical attractiveness is emphasized and are valuable additions to society. Therefore, what matters to Dorian, is not the internal goodness an individual possesses but the appearance they present. Consequently, Dorian is able to forget the violent acts he commits as long as he appears beautiful on the outside. Since externalRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray1680 Words   |  7 PagesAt the height of his success, Oscar Wilde wrote his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, which follows the life of a young man living in late nineteenth-century London. The novel shares a similar storyline with that of Wilde’s life, as Wilde wrote it in attempt to justify his homosexuality. The protagonist of the novel, Dorian Gray, enters the story an innocent man, but eventually becomes corrupt due to his need for instant pleasure. Wilde recognizes that the topic of his homosexuality brings up theRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray1211 Words   |  5 PagesIn 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 ideologyRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray1283 Words   |  6 PagesWhat does the fall of man, Oscar Wilde novel The Picture Of Dorian Gray, and Shakespeare’ s Macbeth all have in common? They all have the same theme of the fall of man and break in the perfect union they once where in. The novels all start with man in perfect union, then sin enters and chaos starts and it eventually leading to their death or downfall. The Fall of man, Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Wilde’s novel The Picture Of Dorian Gray tightly follow the archetype of the fall of man this is all illustrated