A Critique of the Ending of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray

938 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay on the picture of dorian gray

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.

Show More
Related

  • Vladimir Christianizes Russia, by Serge Zenkovsky

    1412 Words  | 3 Pages

    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:

    Read More

  • A Review of Donald Fairbairn's Eastern Orthodoxy Through Western Eyes

    1630 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Reader's Sympathy for Dorian from Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray

    2031 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Burger V. Blair Medical Associates, Inc.: A Case Study

    316 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the case of Burger v. Blair Medical Associates, Inc. (BMA), we can see the need for extensive legal knowledge on the part of a health information management (HIM) director. BMA tried several times to have the courts revisit their case based on the statute of limitations. Here the Superior Court declared, “the torts of invasion of privacy and breach of physician-patient confidentiality are distinct, such that the former is expressly governed by the one-year statute of limitations and the latter falls within the catch-all two-year limitations period” (Burger v. Appeal, 2009). Because of this breach, BMA had to pay out over $60,000 to Burger. In this case the Superior Court identified the breach of physician-patient confidentiality and the

    Read More

  • Themes of Obsession in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray

    1283 Words  | 3 Pages

    Obsession is the most compelling theme of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian’s obsession with his beauty and youth, and Basil’s worship of Dorian, are a driving force. Dorian’s tale is similar to every celebrity that has been adored only to fall in public approval when their true natures are revealed. There is no doubt that Dorian is a celebrity in his time, he is adored by many in London like a celebrity would be admired today. The idolatry, quest for beauty, and downfall of obsession are seen in fiction as well as reality, through Dorian’s obsessions and modern day obsessions like plastic surgery or following a favorite celebrity on every form of social media. Obsession is a toxic force that has a hold on humans regardless if it is in fiction or reality.

    Read More

  • Lord

    1510 Words  | 4 Pages

    Thomas Bokenkotter. A Concise History of the Catholic Church (revised and expanded edition). 1990. (BX945.2 .B64 1990)

    Read More

  • Eastern Orthodox Church

    1514 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Free Essays on Picture of Dorian Gray: Dorian as Faust

    3302 Words  | 7 Pages

    Dorian Gray has a theme of eternal youth, bought at the price of one's soul, and continued through the destruction of others, in common with vampires as well. And, of course, Dorian Gray has to be run in the mind's eye against the backdrop of Oscar Wilde's life, particularly his affair with the young aristocrat, Lord Alfred Douglas, which eventually landed Wilde in jail for sodomy, and pretty much ended his career.

    Read More

  • Albrecht Ritschl

    1533 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the Present Day. 2nd ed. New York City, NY: HarperOne, 2010.

    Read More

  • Russian Culture: A look at its Religion and Art

    1222 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • A Lifelong Calling into the Orthodox Christian Church

    1006 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Nudity In Social Movement

    760 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Essay on The Picture of Dorian Gray as a Moral Book

    1000 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Influence of Lord Henry in The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde

    2392 Words  | 5 Pages

    In analyzing Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, concepts such as influence and the origin of evil in Dorian Gray play an exceptionally valuable role in understanding the motives of the characters. Although some critics argue characters such as Lord Kelso significantly influence Dorian’s corruption, Lord Henry Wotton’s toxic personality undeniably impacts Dorian the most. Throughout the course of the novel, Lord Henry remains the ultimate source of evil and uses deception and persuasion to poison Dorian from a naïve boy to a destructive monster.

    Read More

  • The Relationship between Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton

    1386 Words  | 3 Pages

    Set in the late 19th Century, Oscar Wilde wrote his only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, which is a story about debauchery and corruption of innocence and well known as a "Gothic melodrama. " Violent twists and a sneaky plot make this novel a distinct reflection of human pride and corruption. Before we examine the quality of the error that Dorian Gray commits, we should first examine his friends and their relation to him, because Dorian falls into this error with a little help from his friends. 1. What is the difference between a. and a The relationship between Dorian Gray and Basil Hallward.

    Read More

More about A Critique of the Ending of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray

Open Document