The Picture of Dorian Gray
What would happen if every time a person invested emotion into art, they perished? That is the idea that Oscar Wilde presented in his 1891 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. The Picture of Dorian Gray focuses largely on the idea that art should only exist for beauty and admiration. An audience should not invest emotion into art, because it is proven by the novel that it can only end badly. Art should simply exist for the sake of being art. The Aesthetic Movement has lasted much into the modern world and spread between many cultures. The Aesthetic Movement thrived because of The Picture of Dorian Gray.
The Picture of Dorian Gray was heavily influenced by the Aesthetic Movement of the mid 1800’s. The Aesthetic Movement implied that art is only to exist for the idea of beauty, and that the viewer of the art should not look into the meaning behind the art. Oscar Wilde believed this theory, and he used ideas from the Aesthetic Movement in many of his pieces, including The Picture of Dorian Gray. The Picture of Dorian Gray was an incredibly controversial novel, especially with its added aesthetic ideas.
David A. Upchurch emphasizes the impact that the novel had on Victorian society in his article, “The Picture of Dorian Gray: Overview”. Upchurch declares:
The novel was immediately controversial because of the ethics of the aesthetic doctrines it seemed to embrace. Critics have since approached the book from a variety of positions: as an autobiography of Wilde's life, as gothic melodrama, and as an aesthetic novel.
The idea that The Picture of Dorian Gray is a heavily aesthetic novel is very true because the central theme of the novel is that art should only exist to be art.
Alan Crawford examines...
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...sh Literature in Transition, 1880-1920. 36.4 ( 1993): 429-450. Rpt. in Literature Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 429-450. Literature Resource Center. Gale. NORTHWEST COLLEGIATE ACADEMY. 25 April 2011 .
"Steampunk Brings Victorian Flair to the 21st Century." All Things Considered. (6 Feb. 2008): Literature Resource Center. Gale. NORTHWEST COLLEGIATE ACADEMY. 1 July 2009 .
Upchurch, David A. "The Picture of Dorian Gray: Overview." Reference Guide to English Literature. Ed. D. L. Kirkpatrick. 2nd ed. Chicago: St. James Press, 1991. Literature Resource Center. Gale. NORTHWEST COLLEGIATE ACADEMY. 28 April 2011 .
Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York, NY: Barnes and Noble Classics, 1890.
"The Picture of Dorian Gray." Novels for Students. Ed. Ira Mark Milne and Timothy Sisler. Vol. 20. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 146-165. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 5 Sep. 2013.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a philosophical fiction novel written by Oscar Wilde. The Picture of Dorian Gray is referring to two portraits, first of all is the portrait of Dorian Gray painted by Basil Hallward, the painter in this novel, and the second one is the literary picture of Dorian Gray created by the author in this novel. The physical beauty of the main character of this novel, Dorian, remains unchanged even after 18 years but the painting of Dorian is changing horribly throughout this story to reflect the corruption of Dorian’s soul.
In "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde, we see a beautiful young man who makes tremendous efforts to transform the actual world into the idealistic world of art, dreams and sensations. Dorian's quest, however, culminates in his ultimate tragic destruction. Given that Dorian lives a corrupt life, one is likely to focus on the negative aspects of his character. In spite of his significant character flaws, Dorian Gray may still be considered a hero. This essay will examine Dorian's degradation from the innocent world to the vicious, sensation-oriented world. The elements contributing to Dorian’s status of tragic hero will then be discussed.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde first published in July 1890 on the magazine of Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine and immediately caused an uproar due to its perceived allusion to homosexuality as it was an assault on the repressive Victorian Era during that time.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a rich story which can be viewed through many literary and cultural lenses. Oscar Wilde himself purposefully filled his novel with a great many direct and indirect allusions to the literary culture of his times, so it seems appropriate to look back at his story - both the novel and the 1945 film version - in this way.
The satirical novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” written by Oscar Wilde depicts the detrimental effect of pure aestheticism that enacts upon people through the life of Dorian Gray. The beauty of art to Dorian has greater important than anything imaginable -- even his soul. I think the most intriguing element in this novel is how a pure aesthete can transform himself to a immortal narcissist. Dorian began as a very young, beautiful, and innocent man who attracts everyone with his looks. Everyone praised him for his good looks. The first signs of Dorian gaining or showing narcissist views is when he first saw the portrait that Basil the artist painted. Dorian is extremely jealous of the artwork’s ability to maintain its beauty for eternity while
Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Michael Patrick Gillespie, Editor. Norton Critical Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2007.
Oscar Wilde’s life was extremely tumultuous and full of scandal considering he lived and wrote in the Victorian Age. The Victorian Age is quite known for its emphasis on social standing. Where one stood in society dictated what their occupation would be and how they...
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel written by Oscar Wilde that stimulates the idea of aesthetics and morality especially during Victorian England. The novel encompasses ideas around the issue of devotion to art, which was at the time Wilde wrote the novel was very prevalent. The preface begins with Wilde reflecting on art, the artists as well as the importance and usefulness of the two. His conclusion to this idea is rather shocking, as he writes “All art is quite useless.” This line brings about shock yet truth behind what people thought of art during the Aesthetic Movement in Victorian England. Wilde’s belief is that real art does take any part in molding the social and moral identities or society because real art is just supposed to
In Oscar Wilde's novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, beauty is depicted as the driving force in the lives of the three main characters, Dorian, Basil and Lord Henry. Dorian, the main character, believes in seizing the day. Basil, the artist, admires all that is beautiful in life. Lord Henry, accredited ones physical appearance to the ability of achieving accomplishments in life. Beauty ordains the fate of Dorian, Basil, and Lord Henry. The novel embodies the relationship of beauty and morality. Beauty is not based on how attractive an object is to everyone, but how attractive it is to one.
The picture of Dorian Gray. The Electronic Classics Series, The Pennsylvania State University. p. 3/ Retrieved January 3, 2014 from http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/oscar-wilde/dorian-gray.pdf
Although the audience is invariably aware of the corruption Gray’s soul suffers, Wilde’s use of gothic language suggests the extent of his malice. The painting could have restrained Gray’s soul but the extent of his hideous actions overwhelms Gray, and the true nature of his soul, represented through the ‘living’ portrait inevitably leaks out into Gray’s pleasant reality and into the tone of the entire text. If it were not for the gothic elements, readers would not be fully aware of the depravity of Gray’s soul. Wilde uses the dark to contrast the naive purity of Gray’s facade, which although appears unmarked cannot hide the ugliness of his soul.
Woodcock, George. The Paradox of Oscar Wilde. London-New York: T.V. Boardman and Co., Ltd., 1950.
Wilde, Oscar, and Michael Patrick. Gillespie. The Picture of Dorian Gray: Authoritative Texts, Backgrounds, Reviews and Reactions, Criticism. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2007. Print.
The mood of The Picture of Dorian Gray went from Wilde’s normal satirical prose to the dark and sullen description that accompany the transformation of Dorian. Novels for Students discusses how Wilde does this through the slow burn style of plot that adds to the suspense of the piece as a whole. He attempts to portray the darker side of the time through the use of drugs and the underground feel of Dorian’s