the picture of dorian gray essay questions

The Picture of Dorian Gray

By oscar wilde, the picture of dorian gray essay questions.

In the preface, Wilde claims that there is "no such thing as a moral or an immoral book," and that an "ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style." Yet Dorian's eventual ruin suggests a strong moral warning against the protagonist's vanity and selfishness. Is Wilde breaking his own rules and exhibiting "an unpardonable mannerism of style"? Or is the book meant to be read amorally?

Lord Henry and Dorian claim to be artists in the way they live their lives. Is this true, based on Wilde's definition of the artist, as expressed in the preface? Is this true based on your own definition?

Time moves linearly in The Picture of Dorian Gray , but not in even increments. Discuss the passage of time in the novel and how it influences our impression of characters and events. Be sure to touch on the glossing-over of 18 years in chapter 11.

When Basil confronts Dorian about the fact that he has allegedly corrupted many people, Dorian defends himself by saying that "Each of us has Heaven and Hell in him." Is Dorian responsible for the ruined lives of his friends? Is Lord Henry responsible for the ruined life of Dorian?

Dorian is outwardly young and charming, and inwardly old and corrupt. He is decidedly inconsistent in his social interactions and intellectal interests, while extremely consistent in appearance. Discuss the theme of duplicity throughout the novel.

In chapter 11, we encounter a peculiar first-person interjection from the narrator: "Is insincerity such a terrible thing? I think not." Does this voice, or this argument, remind you of any of the characters in the novel? Discuss Wilde's narrative voice in three or four instances. How does it relate to the different characters, does it seem to espouse similar views, or to sympathize with certain people more than others? Are we expected to trust the narrator on every occasion? What does this tell us about how the story is told?

At the time of its publication, The Picture of Dorian Gray sparked countless debates about the role of morality in art. What is your contribution to this debate? Do artists have the responsibility to convey good morals to their audience?

In 1895, the critic Ernest Newman, in a discussion of Wilde's contribution to literary thought, celebrated the author's use of paradoxes, saying that "a paradox is a truth seen round a corner" (Drew xxv). Countless paradoxes appear in The Picture of Dorian Gray , most often in the words of Lord Henry Wotton. Identify and discuss several paradoxes in the novel.

Traditionally, faustian tales contain explicit depictions of the protagonist's pact with the devil, giving a clearly defined source for his later woes. But the closest Wilde comes to identifying the reason for the portrait's metaphyisical powers is in chapter 8, when Dorian wonders if there is somehow "some subtle affinity between the chemical atoms, that shaped themselves into form and colour on the canvas, and the soul that was within." Wilde seems content to leave the actual mechanism by which the portrait ages and withers instead of Dorian completely unexplained. How does this affect our overall impression of the novel? How would the work be different if it included, for instance, a scene in which Mephistofoles appears and has Dorian sign a contract?

The Picture of Dorian Gray Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Picture of Dorian Gray is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Why is James worried about his sister's suitor?

James is very jealous, protective of his sister, and suspicious of the situation, since Sibyl doesn't even seem to know her suitor's name.

picture of dorian gray

I think that Basil knows what Henry is capable. He doesn't want Henry's influence to turn Dorian from good to evil.

List all the sensory experiences mentioned in the first two paragraphs.

From the text:

The studio was filled with the rich odour of roses , and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden, there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac , or the more delicate perfume of the...

Study Guide for The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray study guide contains a biography of Oscar Wilde, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Picture of Dorian Gray
• The Picture of Dorian Gray Summary
• Character List

Essays for The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

• Morality and Immorality (The Picture of Dorian Gray and A Streetcar Named Desire)
• The Life of Secrecy
• Break On Through To the Other Side
• The Art of Immorality: Character Fate and Morality in Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray
• The Unconscious Image of the Conscious Mind

Lesson Plan for The Picture of Dorian Gray

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Picture of Dorian Gray
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Picture of Dorian Gray Bibliography

E-Text of The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray e-text contains the full text of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

• Chapters 1-4
• Chapters 5-8
• Chapters 9-12
• Chapters 13-16

Wikipedia Entries for The Picture of Dorian Gray

• Introduction
• Publication and versions

77 The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best the picture of dorian gray topic ideas & essay examples, 🥇 most interesting the picture of dorian gray topics to write about, 📌 simple & easy the picture of dorian gray essay titles, ❓ dorian gray essay questions.

• Relationships Between Dorian Gray, Lord Henry, and Basil Hallward The relationships between Dorian Gray, Lord Henry, and Basil Hallward are all different yet interesting to analyze. The Picture of Dorian Gray explores topics of male friendship and feelings.
• Dorian Gray and His Downfall Since Basil is the one to introduce the audience to Dorian by describing him in detail, it is only natural to start the assessment of Dorian’s relationships with other characters wit. We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
• Dorian Gray’s and Oscar Wilde’s Connection He completes the portrait of Dorian as he is, and he introduces Gray to Lord Henry, who is a friend of his that he thinks is not morally upright.
• Youth and Beauty in Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray It is in the bounds of the story where the great saying, “the most beautiful flower is the rarest,” is witnessed.
• “The Picture of Dorian Gray”: The Question of Love in the Novel It turns out that the only pure love Dorian experiences is love to art, not to a woman. Dorian is deprived of the ability to love a woman.
• Immorality in “The Portrait of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde The issue of immortality as portrayed in the novel ‘The Portrait of Dorian Gray’ is one of the main themes, which the novel unveils throughout its plot.
• Oscar Wilde’s “The Portrait of Dorian Gray”: The Problem of Deep-Rooted Evil At the outset, Dorian is the model of perfection of male youth and handsomeness. Dorian is totally taken in by Wotton’s glib flattery along with his fascinating theories, and begins developing a paranoia about youth, […]
• Aesthetics in Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” The story, as a monument to aestheticism, however, is supportive of the idea of individuality and shows not the Victorian disciplining of evil, but the aesthetic punishment of likelihood.
• Characters in Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” Wilde uses the character of Dorian as a symbol of his ideas regarding the interaction of art and ethics. In it, assertions are made as to the inability of moral judgments to be made on […]
• LGBT Literature: “The Picture of Dorian Gray” The chosen book is Oscar Wilde’s 1891 classic: The Picture of Dorian Gray; a story carefully fashioned to affirm the tilt youths have toward beauty, and the extent most could go to retain that unique […]
• “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde: Dorian’s Life Philosophy and Double Life Answering the question why Dorian Gray was motivated to adopt his life philosophy and to lead a double life it is possible to look at the facts.
• Why Picture of Dorian Gray Is in the Canon? In the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian is a handsome man and wants to maintain that image. People do respect and value life in the novelThe Picture of Dorian Gray.
• The Importance of Being Bored: The Dividends of Ennui in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Falling Under the Influence: “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Genesis Allegory and Christian Symbolism in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Obsession, Destruction, and Control: A Film vs. Novel Comparison of “Whiplash” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Oscar Wilde, the Science of Heredity, and “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Free Reality and Its Metaphors in “Against Nature” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Murder and Mental Breakdown in “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Homoeroticism and Sexual Oppression in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Culture and Corruption: Paterian Self-Development Versus Gothic Degeneration in Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• The Reader’s Sympathy for Dorian From Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Homosexual Desire and the Effacement of the Self in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• The Immorality Skills: The Fate of Characters and Ethics in “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Wilde
• Dorian’s Progression Towards Morality and Responsibility in Oscar Wilde’s Novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Vampirism and the Bible in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Morality and the Role of the Moral Scale in “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde
• Aestheticism, Homoeroticism, and Christian Guilt in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Oscar Wilde’s Aesthetic Gothic: Walter Pater, Dark Enlightenment, and “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Protestant Gothic: Understanding Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Love, Marriage, and Women in “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde
• The Conflict Between Aestheticism and Morality in Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Artists and Their Muses in Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and Woolf’s “To the Lighthouse”
• Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”: Presentation of Women in the Opening Chapters
• The Impossible Synthesis Between Hellenism and Hebraism in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• “The Picture of Dorian Gray”: Wilde’s Parable of the Fall
• Aestheticism and Social Anxiety in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• A Tragedy of the Artist: “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• The Power and Influence of Art in Oscar Wilde’s Work “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• The Link Between Ethics and Aesthetics in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Obsession With Physical Appearance in “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde
• The Theme of Materialism in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Stoker’s “Dracula”, Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, and O’Brien’s “At Swim-Two-Birds”: In-Depth Critical Analysis
• The Relationship Between Beauty and Morality in Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Figurative Language and Literary Devices Used in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• The Corruption Between the Characters in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• The Different Gothic Elements in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Understanding the Secretive Life of Characters in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• How Does Oscar Wilde Explore Self-Love in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”?
• Themes, Motifs, and Symbols in Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• The Fall From Innocence Dorian in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Hard Science, Soft Psychology, and Amorphous Art in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• How Does the Preface of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” Relate to the Story?
• What Is Henry’s Occupation in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”?
• Does “The Picture of Dorian Gray” Allude to “Oedipus Rex”?
• Who Illustrated “The Picture of Dorian Gray”?
• How Old Is Basil in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”?
• What Do Dorian and Lord Henry Have in Common in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”?
• What Do Trees Symbolize in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”?
• What Era Is “The Picture of Dorian Gray” Set in?
• What Is the Role of Innocence in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”?
• Who Is David Stone in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”?
• How Does Dorian Gray Die in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”?
• What Was the Main Character in “The Picture of Dorian Gray” Accused Of?
• What Is “The Picture of Dorian Gray” Tragic Flaw?
• What Type of Story Is “The Picture of Dorian Gray”?
• Why Is “The Picture of Dorian Gray” So Famous?
• Was the Hero in “The Picture of Dorian Gray” a Narcissist?
• What Sins Are Committed in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”?
• Does Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” Challenge the Values of the Aestheticism Movement?
• Who Is the Real Villain in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”?
• Is “The Picture of Dorian Gray” Sexist?
• Is the Hero of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” a Psychopath?
• Why Is “The Picture of Dorian Gray” a Gothic Novel?
• What Is the Moral Lesson of “The Picture of Dorian Gray”?
• What Is the Irony in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”?
• Does “The Picture of Dorian Gray” Have a Happy Ending?
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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Books — The Picture of Dorian Gray

Essays on The Picture of Dorian Gray

Prompt examples for "the picture of dorian gray" essays, the nature of beauty and corruption.

Discuss the central theme of beauty and corruption in "The Picture of Dorian Gray." How does Dorian Gray's obsession with physical appearance lead to moral decay? Analyze the symbolism of the portrait and its role in the story.

Morality and Consequences

Explore the moral dilemmas faced by the characters in the novel. How do their choices and actions reflect the consequences of their moral beliefs or lack thereof? Analyze the role of Lord Henry's hedonistic philosophy in influencing Dorian's decisions.

The Portrait as a Reflection of the Soul

Analyze the concept of the portrait as a reflection of Dorian's inner self. How does the portrait's transformation mirror Dorian's moral corruption? Discuss the symbolism of the portrait's deteriorating appearance.

The Influence of Society and Peer Pressure

Discuss the influence of society and peer pressure on Dorian Gray's character development. How do societal norms and the expectations of his peers contribute to his descent into decadence? Analyze the role of conformity and rebellion.

Oscar Wilde's Critique of Victorian Society

Examine how Oscar Wilde critiques Victorian society in "The Picture of Dorian Gray." How does the novel challenge conventional moral values, social hypocrisy, and the repression of desires? Discuss Wilde's use of wit and satire.

The Theme of Art and Aestheticism

Analyze the theme of art and aestheticism in the novel. How does Dorian's pursuit of aesthetic experiences and his rejection of morality reflect the aesthetic movement of the late 19th century? Discuss the tension between art and ethics.

The Duality of Human Nature in Dorian Gray Chapter 11

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The Art of Immorality in The Picture of Dorian Gray

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The Depiction of Double Life in The Picture of Dorian Gray

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A Look at The Gothic Components in The Picture of Dorian Gray

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1890-1891, Oscar Wilde

Novel; Philosophical fiction

The story begins in the art studio of Basil Hallward, who is discussing a current painting with his witty and amoral friend Lord Henry Wotton. Dorian Gray, the subject of the painting, arrives, and he is fascinated as Henry explains that beauty and youth are fleeting and that he believes one should live life to the fullest by indulging one’s impulses. Dorian declares that he would give his soul if the portrait were to grow old and wrinkled while he remained young and handsome. Basil gives the painting to Dorian, who spends the next 18 years in pursuit of capricious excess and is increasingly drawn to evil.

The Picture of Dorian Gray presents the conflict between good and evil sides of humanity, where individuals are highly influenced and weak against the temptations of youth, love, pleasure and secrecy. This emphasizes the uglier side of a life all about the pursuit of pleasure and beauty.

Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward, Lord Henry "Harry" Wotton, Sibyl Vane, James Vane, Alan Campbell, Lord Fermor, Adrian Singleton, Lord Henry's wife

Wilde's only novel, it was subject to much controversy and criticism in its time. Even bowdlerized, The Picture of Dorian Gray offended the moral sensibilities of British book reviewers, to the extent, in some cases, of saying that Wilde merited prosecution for violating the laws guarding public morality. However, the novel became a classic of English literature and was adapted into a number of films, most notably a 1945 version.

“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.” “Experience is merely the name men gave to their mistakes.” “Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.”

1. Baker, H. A. (1969). A tragedy of the artist: the picture of Dorian Gray. Nineteenth-Century Fiction, 24(3), 349-355. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/2932864) 2. Oates, J. C. (1980). " The Picture of Dorian Gray": Wilde's Parable of the Fall. Critical Inquiry, 7(2), 419-428. (https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/448106?journalCode=ci) 3. Carroll, J. (2005). Aestheticism, Homoeroticism, and Christian Guilt in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Philosophy and Literature, 29(2), 286-304. (https://muse.jhu.edu/article/189431) 4. Gillespie, M. P. (1995). The Picture of Dorian Gray:" what the world thinks me". (https://philpapers.org/rec/GILTPO-39) 5. Seagroatt, H. (1998). Hard Science, Soft Psychology, and Amorphous Art in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, 38(4), 741-759. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/451096) 6. Davis, M. (2013). Mind and Matter in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Victorian Literature and Culture, 41(3), 547-560. (https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/victorian-literature-and-culture/article/abs/mind-and-matter-in-the-picture-of-dorian-gray/A497BA8F7EFA31781860D48A7E322F36) 7. Rashkin, E. (1997). Art as Symptom: A Portrait of Child Abuse in" The Picture of Dorian Gray". Modern Philology, 95(1), 68-80. (https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/392452?journalCode=mp) 8. Paglia, C. (1990). The Beautiful Boy As Destroyer: Wilde's The Picture Of Dorian Gray. In Sexual Personae (pp. 512-530). Yale University Press. (https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.12987/9780300182132-023/html?lang=de) 9. Simion, M. O. (2015). A new hedonism in Oscar Wilde's novel the picture of Dorian Gray. Annals Constantin Brancusi U. Targu Jiu, Letters & Soc. Sci. Series, 55. (https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/ancnbt2015&div=13&id=&page= ) 10. Keefe, R. (1973). Artist and Model in" The Picture of Dorian Gray". Studies in the Novel, 63-70. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/29531571)

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The Picture of Dorian Gray

By oscar wilde.

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Sample of Discussion & Essay Questions

• Dorian Gray goes through a number of changes in the book, but it's arguable that his character or his actual nature doesn't really change that much. In an essay, develop an argument about whether or not Dorian develops as a character. Some questions to consider while writing: Does Dorian's moral system change, or does it remain static? How do Dorian's appearance and the appearance of his portrait support your argument?

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The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar wilde, everything you need for every book you read..

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

The Picture of Dorian Gray: Introduction

The picture of dorian gray: plot summary, the picture of dorian gray: detailed summary & analysis, the picture of dorian gray: themes, the picture of dorian gray: quotes, the picture of dorian gray: characters, the picture of dorian gray: symbols, the picture of dorian gray: literary devices, the picture of dorian gray: quizzes, the picture of dorian gray: theme wheel, brief biography of oscar wilde.

Historical Context of The Picture of Dorian Gray

Other books related to the picture of dorian gray.

• Full Title: The Picture of Dorian Gray
• When Written: Some time between 1889, when the story was commissioned, and 1890
• Where Written: London
• When Published: It was initially published in a magazine called Lippincott’s Monthly in July of 1890.
• Literary Period: Aestheticism
• Genre: Aestheticism, Philosophical Fiction, Gothic Fiction
• Setting: London
• Climax: Dorian becomes so tormented by the portrait that he stabs it with a knife, but when the scene is discovered, it is Dorian himself who lies dead on the floor.
• Antagonist: Dorian and the other characters are surrounded by antagonistic influences, which seem to be a part of day to day life in the high society of London. These influences, fashion, classism, obsessions with aesthetics and reputation are embodied by Lord Henry Wotton, making the man and his ideas seem like the main antagonist of the book.
• Point of View: An omniscient narrator; this narrator guides us in the past tense between one place and another, able to show us the interior workings of the main characters

Extra Credit for The Picture of Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray Syndrome. Dorian Gray’s name still haunts popular culture but it also has a more serious legacy. Dorian Gray Syndrome is now a common term to describe a cluster of narcissistic qualities. It often refers to severe mental illness and can be diagnosed from symptoms reminiscent of Dorian’s in the novel.

The real Dorian? It has been suggested that the inspiration for Dorian Gray was a man called John Gray, who, though very handsome and a good poet, was dropped by Wilde in favor of his new love Lord Alfred Douglas. He apparently signed his love letters “Dorian”, after an ancient tribe called “The Dorians”.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

61 pages • 2 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

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Chapters 1-3

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Chapters 17-20

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Important Quotes

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Discussion Questions

Perform a detailed character analysis of Dorian Gray . What thematic message does Wilde develop through both Dorian’s traits and his character arc?

Perform a detailed analysis of Dorian Gray’s portrait. What message does Wilde assert through the visual and thematic presence of the painting?

Use outside sources that give historical context for the homosexual male experience during the time period in which The Picture of Dorian Gray takes place. Then, situate Basil Hallward within this context. Through Basil, what is Wilde communicating about the homosexual male experience of the era?

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• The Picture of Dorian Gray: Novel Summary
• The Picture of Dorian Gray: Novel Summary: Preface & Chapters 1-3
• The Picture of Dorian Gray: Novel Summary: Chapters 4-6
• The Picture of Dorian Gray: Novel Summary: Chapters 7-9
• The Picture of Dorian Gray: Novel Summary: Chapters 10-12
• The Picture of Dorian Gray: Novel Summary: Chapters 13-15
• The Picture of Dorian Gray: Novel Summary: Chapters 16-18
• The Picture of Dorian Gray: Novel Summary: Chapters 19-20
• The Picture of Dorian Gray: Character Profiles
• The Picture of Dorian Gray: Metaphor Analysis
• The Picture of Dorian Gray: Theme Analysis
• The Picture of Dorian Gray: Top Ten Quotes
• The Picture of Dorian Gray: Biography: Oscar Wilde

The Picture of Dorian Gray: Essay Q&A

1. What are the mythic elements in the novel? There are allusions to two myths: first, the story in the book of Genesis about the garden of Eden, the temptation of Eve by the serpent, and the fall of man; and second, to the Faust legend. The second chapter of the novel strongly suggests a temptation scene. It takes place in a garden. Basil Hallward, the painter, is like God the creator; he has just created the picture of Dorian in all his perfection. The tempter is Lord Henry, who wants to persuade Dorian to ignore all the conventional rules of society, just as the serpent wants Eve to disregard the commandments from God. Dorian is like the first man, Adam, innocent in his perfection, who is being told by the serpent to taste of the forbidden fruit of sensual experience. At various crises in Dorian's life, Henry retains the role of the tempter. He is at Dorian's side encouraging him to adopt an attitude toward life that will cost him dear in the long run. For example, when Dorian and Henry discuss the death of Sibyl, Henry encourages him to view it from a detached point of view, like an episode in a play. This means that Dorian never develops the moral sense necessary to balance his love of sensual experience. He "falls" and his soul is blackened. In the Faust legend, Faust sells his soul to the devil in order to gain knowledge and power. Dorian is a Faustian figure because he wants to obtain eternal youth, something that under normal circumstances no human being can obtain. He enters into a Faustian bargain when he prays that he might be able to remain forever young while the process of aging is confined to the picture. When the woman at the opium den says that "Prince Charming" sold himself to the devil for a pretty face, she is unconsciously referring to the Faust myth. 2. Wilde was condemned by his critics for writing an "immoral" book; he claimed it was a very moral work. What justification is there for either view? On publication, The Picture of Dorian Gray met with a storm of hostile reviews which condemned the book for its alleged immorality. The tone of the reviews was often virulent. The critic for the Daily Chronicle wrote, "It is a tale spawned from the leprous literature of the French Decadents-a poisonous book, the atmosphere of which is heavy with the mephitic odours of moral and spiritual putrefaction." Others suggested that the authorities should consider prosecuting Wilde for the content of the book. Wilde replied, in letters to literary magazines, that the novel had a moral message that "all excess, as well as all renunciation, brings its own punishment." He points out that Dorian, "having led a life of mere sensation and pleasure, tries to kill conscience, and at that moment kills himself." Wilde also claimed that Basil worshiped physical beauty too much and instilled vanity into Dorian, and that Henry suffered because he sought merely to be a spectator of life. Wilde is correct in the sense that Dorian does meet a bad end, and one could find passages where he is explicitly condemned, such as when he leaves the opium den, "Callous, concentrated on evil, with stained mind and soul hungry for rebellion." But the novel is far from being a simple moral parable that sin meets with punishment. There is a discrepancy between the moral framework and the overall tone of the novel. Wilde takes such relish in the luxurious sensual descriptions of Dorian's life that it can sound as if he approves of it. His heart is more in the varieties of sensation that he gives to his protagonist than in his moral condemnation of him. There is perhaps a parallel here with Milton's Paradise Lost. Many readers feel that the hero of the epic is not Christ but Satan, because Milton seems to put so much more energy and life into his devil than in his God. The poet William Blake once famously said of Milton that he was "of the devil's party without knowing it." Perhaps it might be said that Wilde was of Dorian's party-and only succeeded in partially disguising the fact. 3. What are Lord Henry's views on women? Lord Henry's misogyny is a consistent element of his personality from beginning to end of the novel. Although he charms women in conversation at dinner parties, and loves to shock them with his outrageous views, he does not in fact take women seriously or regard them as intellectual equals. Many of his wittiest, and most biting, epigrams are at the expense of women. "Women inspire us with the desire to do masterpieces, and always prevent us from carrying them out" (ch. 6), he tells Dorian, who laps up Henry's view as if they were divine pronouncements. Henry means that women keep making emotional demands on men ("they worship us, and are always bothering us to do something for them," he says elsewhere). Since Henry prefers to retain a detached attitude to life, what he perceives as the emotionality of women is clearly not to his taste. Dorian learns well from his friend, who persuades him to believe that women "lived on their emotions. They only thought of their emotions. When they took lovers, it was merely to have some one with whom they could have scenes" (ch. 7). Henry's views on women sometimes take on what a modern mind might regard as a darker coloring. When Dorian regrets that he was cruel to Sibyl, Henry replies, "I am afraid that women appreciate cruelty, downright cruelty, more than anything else. They have wonderfully primitive instincts. We have emancipated them, but they remain slaves looking for their masters, all the same. They love being dominated" (ch. 8). Not surprisingly, such statements have not endeared Wilde (who speaks through Lord Henry) to later generations of feminist critics. Given Henry's views on women it is no surprise when he casually refers, in conversation with Dorian in chapter 19, that his wife Victoria left him for another man. He is not disturbed by this, however, since "Married life is merely a habit, a bad habit." Henry's misogyny emphasizes the fact that The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel about male friendships. Scholars have also argued that Henry's views on women and marriage were shaped by Wilde's own marriage. After his initial happiness, Wilde felt trapped by his marriage, since what he really wanted to do was pursue male friendships. 4. What are the Gothic elements in the novel? The Gothic novel was in vogue in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. According to M. H. Abrams, in A Glossary of Literary Terms (4th edition), the Gothic novel "develops a brooding atmosphere of gloom or terror, represents events that are uncanny, or macabre, or melodramatically violent, and often deals with aberrant psychological states" (p. 72). A typical Gothic novel is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Edgar Allan Poe's short stories belong to the same genre, and the term can be more loosely applied to elements in such novels as Charles Dickens's Bleak House and Great Expectations. Wilde clearly draws on elements of the Gothic novel in The Picture of Dorian Gray, a lurid tale that includes murder, horror and the supernatural. It is the supernatural element that makes the plot work. There can be no rational explanation for how the picture changes to reflect the changing nature of Dorian's character, or his soul. It is mysterious and eerie, as is the fact that although the novel stretches over a period of more than eighteen years, Dorian's appearance alters little during this time. The ending of the novel is also supernatural, since the picture is magically restored and Dorian is suddenly transformed; the corpse looks old, withered, wrinkled and loathsome. The sudden eruption of violence and horror in the murder of Basil is another Gothic element, as are the continual hints at secret, unspeakable crimes. Wilde thus utilizes some of the elements of a popular literary form to tell his story. In fact, an earlier Gothic novel, Melmoth the Wanderer (1820), by Charles Maturin (who was a distant relative of Wilde) features a protagonist who makes a pact with the devil and is allowed to live for 150 years without aging. At the end of the novel he suddenly ages and dies, just as Dorian Gray does. 5. What role does Sibyl Vane play in the novel? Sibyl is not a character that Wilde spends much time developing. What is important about her is the way in which she embodies art, and the impact this has on Dorian. Sibyl is a young woman who lives in straitened circumstances with her mother and who happens to have a gift as an actress. She acts in a sordid little theater in front of a lower-class audience, who attend the play carrying oranges and ginger beer and eating nuts. Wilde uses these details to contrast how Sibyl is able to rise above her dismal surroundings and soar into the realm of beauty and art. This is why Dorian falls in love with her. He is not the slightest bit interested in Sibyl as a person. He knows nothing about her personal history, and does not want to know. When he praises her for all the different roles she plays in the theater, Henry asks him "When is she Sibyl Vane?" Dorian replies "Never" (ch. 4). When they first met, Sibyl regarded Dorian "merely as a person in a play. She knows nothing of life," he says. It appears at this point that like Dorian, Sibyl moves only in the world of art. Nothing else has any existence for her. To support this perception, Wilde use similes drawn from beautiful forms in nature to describe her: she "moved like a creature from a finer world. Her body swayed, while she danced, as a plant sways in the water. The curves of her throat were the curves of a white lily. Her hands seemed to be made of cool ivory" (ch. 7). But when Sibyl falls in love with Dorian, she decides that she prefers real life to art, and art ceases to have any meaning for her. Dorian, true to his creed, rejects her. This produces the first flaw in the picture. In dealing with Sibyl so cruelly, and indirectly causing he death, he shows that he has failed to find the right balance between the attraction exerted by art and the demands of ethical behavior.

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The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar wilde.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

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