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Essay on the picture of dorian gray
Wilde's view in the picture of dorian gray
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A Critique of the Ending of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray
Truly, suspense is a positive attribute – up to a certain point. Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray ends with too many loose ends. What did Alan Campbell do to Dorian that was “stern, harsh, offensive”(Wilde 125)? It appears that whatever Campbell did was quite serious: when Dorian threatens to send a letter to someone regarding Campbell’s past misconduct, Campbell agrees to get rid of Basil’s corpse, which is a serious crime in itself. Why does Oscar Wilde not resolve this mystery? This case in isolation is not of too much consequence, but Wilde does not reveal what Dorian’s crimes are either. Certainly, there are hints of Dorian’s decadence, rumours that he “had been seen brawling with foreign sailors in a low den in the distant parts of Whitechapel, and that he consorted with thieves and coiners and knew the mysteries of their trade” (103). Nevertheless, details on Dorian’s crimes are vague. Past friends and acquaintances fall from their graces upon contact with Dorian; thus, to the townspeople, Dorian’s crime seems only to be the ability to spread misfortune and decadence like wildfire while maintaining his high social status.
It is blatant from the beginning of the novel that homoerotic energies permeate the story. Basil has always been intrigued, obsessed, and fascinated by the beautiful, perfect Dorian Gray. Nonetheless, Basil dies in Chapter XIII of The Picture of Dorian Gray – that is, he dies near the middle of the story. This death is premature, because the romantic relationship between Basil and Dorian is not explored even though it is apparent that just before he dies, Basil still feels love and tenderness towards his protégé Dorian. Although Dorian does not seem to have any romantic interest in Basil, he does need Basil as a guardian angel until the end of the story. Dorian is akin to Faustus in Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus,” for he naïvely lusts after knowledge and sells his soul to Mephistopheles – Lord Henry in The Picture of Dorian Gray – to obtain this knowledge. In “Doctor Faustus,” the good angel is a recurring figure that stays with Faustus until near Faustus’ death, forever urging the Doctor to repent. Basil, however, is a shadowy figure and is not able to give Dorian good advice until the end of the story.
The story “Vladimir Christianizes Russia” seeks to justify the Slavic adoption of Christianity by portraying it as God’s will. Through this we are able to see the importance of Vladimir’s transition to Christianity because the writers of the Chronicle portray the act of moving from paganism to Christianity as one of divine will rather than desires of the flesh. This justification of conversion allows the reader to understand the importance of statewide adaptation in the world of Christian Slavs. To further our understanding of the deep rooted awe felt towards Vladimir’s Christianization of Russia the Chronicle allows the reader specific examples of divine miracles which illustrate the admiration Slavs felt towards the conversion of Russia. When Vladimir attacks the Greek city of Kherson, he and his armies are unsuccessful and become exhausted by the constant charge on the cities walls. Relief finally comes in the form of man set on aiding the ever-persistent Vladimir:
By reading this book, it's clear that the author, Donald Fairbairn is very educated on the facts, and history of Orthodoxy and its Theology.
In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde introduces Dorian Gray as a mysterious and beautiful young man. He has no opinion and is very similar to a ball of clay, in the sense that he has no opinion and is free to be molded by whoever takes interest in him. Basil and Lord Henry both take interest in the young man. While both praise his physical beauty, Lord Henry wants to turn him into a hedonist minion. He convinces Dorian that he is a perfect candidate to live life according to his pleasure and that Basil is a poor influence upon him. Dorian takes this to heart and lives his life this way. He exchanges the purity of his soul for the beauty of his youth in certain painting. This breaks him down. He becomes less and less welcome by those who once admired him. He gets blackballed from clubs, has promiscuous sex and spends seventy-two hour periods in London’s opium dens. His life of seeking pleasure makes him more and more unhappy. When Basil shows up, he wants some one to sympathize with him and tell him that what he has done is not his fault. During the scene of Basil’s murder, Dorian’s want to be seen as good is apparent, but his unwillingness to accept fault and his corrupt ideology drive him to kill Basil, unveiling a new, malicious side to Dorian Gray.
This fits because Dorian is easily influenced by Harry and begins acting as he does. Dorian receives this tainted soul very early on in the book and tries to resist it multiple times, but fails. When Lord Henry first starts to realize what he is doing he thinks to himself that he is “amazed at the sudden impression that his words had produced, and, remembering a book that he had read when he was sixteen, a book which had revealed to him much that he had not known before, he wondered whether Dorian Gray was passing through a similar experience” (22). The book mentioned is no doubt the one that Dorian receives later in the story. At this point it is evident that Dorian is linked to the painting. When Basil tries to destroy the painting Dorian cries “’It would be murder!’” (29). If it is true that his soul was already linked, he would have been dead if Basil stabbed the painting. He also states that “’When I find that I am growing old, I shall kill myself’” (28), which is interesting because that is exactly what happens. Dorian then moves on to what could have been his saving grace, Sibyl
Obsession is described as a persistent thought dominating the mind, but of all the types of obsession, idolatry is the most common example, which is seen through both Basil’s worship of Dorian, and society’s worship of celebrities. Basil’s worship of Dorian is depicted early in the book, before Dorian is even a real introduced. Basil expresses how powerful his feelings for this man are, “Something seemed to tell me that I was on the verge of a terrible crisis in my life…It was not conscience that made me do so: it was cowardice. I take no credit to myself for trying to escape,” (Wilde 10). Dorian has so much control over Basil that he feared he would lose control of himself, that the intensity of his feelings would lead to a crisis, showing exactly how powerful obsession can be. Basil’s feelings for Dorian cannot be seen as love, especially later on in the novel, he confesses he believes Dorian is truly perfect and had f...
Behind the elaborate fresco paintings and splendid architecture, Eastern Orthodox Church has played a significant role in the preservation of Christian tradition throughout history. Since the transfer of the imperial capitol of the Roman Empire from Rome to Constantinople, the Eastern Orthodox Christianity has evolved into a distinct branch of Christianity (Steeves). As Timothy Ware, the author of The Orthodox Church, suggests, major intellectual, cultural, and social developments that were taking place in a different region of the Roman Empire were not entirely consistent with the evolution of Western Christianity (Ware 8). These traditions and practices of the church of Constantinople were adopted by many and still provide the basic patterns and ethos of contemporary Orthodoxy. The Eastern Orthodox Church has adopted unique organizational features, beliefs, and traditions constituting itself as a unique branch of Christianity.
Half naked fashion of dressing is right at our finger tips. It’s on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram twitter and more. Social Medias are what helps to drive this social world and if we can find half naked style of dressing on Social Medias then we are in for a treat with our present and next generation. Sometimes it’s a case where you see one of your friends in a dress that looks really “hot” and you decided that you want to look just as “hot” as her but not realizing that the consequences is that you are partially naked in the dress (even though some realized and still do it, as a means to expose the body). The social psychology of dress is concerned with how an individual’s dress affects the behavior of self as well as the behavior of others toward the self, (Johnson & Lennon 2014). One should know that, a strong woman doesn’t let the “hotness” of other women bring her down. She has the utmost respect for herself and what she believes
The French born author, Anais Nin once wrote, “We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative” ("Think Exist Quotations"). Anais is expounding upon the inconsistency all people have in aspects of their personalities. Some days a person may be hailed as a saint for their actions, while other days they seem absolutely evil. In most literature, characters are defined as good or evil based on their revealed thoughts and actions. On occasion an anomaly may be found, where a character is more ambiguous. Dorian Gray’s Actions throughout The Picture of Dorian Gray paralyzes the readers’ ability to condemn Dorian as purely good or purely evil, causing them to be more sympathetic than usual.
Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the Present Day. 2nd ed. New York City, NY: HarperOne, 2010.
Like many other countries, the church has played a great role in the formation of Russia. Russia’s main church is known as the Russian Orthodox Church, which is about one thousand years old and roughly half of the country’s population belongs to it. However, the vast majority of Orthodox believers do not attend church on a regular basis. Also most Russians don’t adhere strictly to a single belief. Instead, they combine traditional faiths with other alternative beliefs. Among these are witchcraft and astrology, which are especially popular among young people. Russians have also turned to numerous new beliefs, sects, and religious denominations. Nonetheless, the Russian Orthodox Church is widely respected by both believers and nonbelievers, who see it as a symbol of Russian heritage and culture.
In conclusion, it has been reiterated that Lord Henry's influence, the changes in Dorian, and the immorality of the yellow book further enforced The Picture of Dorian Gray as a moral book. Oscar Wilde allows for those who could understand the real meaning of the novel by comprehending the importance of these three things to discern that he fully intended on writing this novel as a moral book.
This paper will focus on the effectiveness of public nudity as a tactic of protesting, how it brings attention to a certain social movement, obstacles facing nudity and how it differs within different cultures and countries.
Careful examination of Dorian’s initial susceptibility to influence, willingness to commit sin, and interactions with other characters prove Lord Henry plays the biggest role in transforming Dorian from pure to vicious. With his cunning theories and brainwashing comments, Dorian cannot muster the strength to resist Lord Henry’s dominating nature, showing there are no limitations in relationships when it comes to influence. The topic of which character primarily influences Dorian to turn to a dishonest lifestyle is undeniably significant in understanding the purpose of the characters as well as the deeper meaning of the text.
To date, the Orthodox Church teachings promote the central role of youth and children in the mission of the church. Being an Orthodox Christian is a lifelong calling to whoever is baptized and chrismated in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Right from child hood, we as Orthodox Children share in the Holy mysteries of the faith. The Holy Liturgies and prayers emphasize the mystical transformation of the child to dress up in Christ and to follow Christ forever.