Comparing Frankenstein To Picture Of Dorian Gray

Comparing Frankenstein to Picture of Dorian Gray

"The ugly and the stupid have the best of it in this world. They can sit at their ease and gape at the play” (Wilde 4). Many different events can cause someone to become evil in their thoughts and actions, but we can take refuge in the fact that it is possible to grow and change for the better. People often transform into better versions of themselves all the time. As humans, it is our nature to care for one another and be a productive member of society. There are certain moral standards that allow every and any individual to become the best version of themselves, no matter where they come from or their background. Through maturation and experience, individuals attempt to better themselves no

In both novels, death plays an important role. Characters tell lies to each other that leads to more falling out between them, and later results in loss of friendship, and in extreme cases, the death of some important acquaintances. Both Mary Shelley and Oscar Wilde illustrate characters that have to endure the loss of important people in their lives. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, the first death we encounter as the reader is the death is Sybil. Dorian treated Sybil very nicely until they had a falling out. He becomes disappointed that he claimed to really love her since her performance the night he goes to see her with his friends is disappointing. Dorian begins to contemplate whether he wants to marry her or not, or if they would even be happy together. He decides against the marriage, thinking it was not a good idea. The next we as the reader hear of Sybil, she is dead. It is assumed that she committed suicide because of the events between her and Dorian. Perhaps from this, Dorian will learn to be a better person, and will look beyond good looks when selecting friends. The next death witnessed is Basil’s. Dorian and Basil get into an argument over the picture, because he has caused Basil’s most precious work to get older instead of himself. Basil in that moment “felt as if his blood had changed in that moment from fire to sluggish ice. His own picture! What did he mean? Why had it altered?” (Wilde 225). Not only does this show how self-centered Dorian is, but it shows that he is wasting his time worrying about looks versus the impact it has on other people. Dorian pulls out a knife on Basil and kills him over the argument. After, he feels guilty. When he talks to Lord Henry later in the novel, he tries to cover up his faults by asking him about the mysterious disappearance of Basil. When the topic gets brought up, Dorian is anxious and lies about it. Dorian even