It is said that Lord Henry is Oscar Wilde’s “mouthpiece” for his “own utopian visions” (Fritz, 304) in the novel. Yet, his conduct goes against the principles of Individualism Wilde defends in his essay and therefore, one could ask why he would render Lord Henry as an evil character. Like Wilde, he is “a figure of paradox and contradiction” (Gagnier, 18): while supporting the doctrines of Individualism by spreading its theories, Henry also embodies what wrecks them by interfering in Dorian’s life and becomes an example of the effects of society’s moral on the individual. More precisely, he becomes a paragon of “a community corrupted by authority [which is unable] to understand or appreciate Individualism, […] a monstrous and ignorant thing …show more content…
But, “sickened, not by the Sabrina Tschanz 10 crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted” (Wilde, Soul 31), Wilde protests against these laws and completely challenges the notion of good and bad ensuing from them. By creating an individualist Lord Henry who should have been seen as good according to his ideologies, he creates the ultimate paradigm: the Victorian reader – as well as the contemporary one – becomes Public Opinion and grants him/herself the right to judge Henry’s behaviour according to his/her own moral notion, and defines him as decadent and bad, demonstrating that Individualism cannot live under the oppressing values of a Victorian society that defines morality. What is good? What is bad? The definitions of such notions cannot be explained impartially because they always rest on cultural, societal and even personal values, and render morality arbitrary. If values are necessary in order to create a line of conduct and harmonious systems for some to live in, they are usually stripping others from their liberties. Governments and Church dictate their values to control the people, to subjugate them to the fear of laws
Michael MacDonald’S All Souls is a heart wrenching insider account of growing up in Old Country housing projects located in the south of Boston, also known as Southie to the locals. The memoir takes the reader deep inside the world of Southie through the eyes of MacDonald. MacDonald was one of 11 children to grow up and deal with the many tribulations of Southie, Boston. Southie is characterized by high levels of crime, racism, and violence; all things that fall under the category of social problem. Social problems can be defined as “societal induced conditions that harms any segment of the population. Social problems are also related to acts and conditions that violate the norms and values found in society” (Long). The social problems that are present in Southie are the very reasons why the living conditions are so bad as well as why Southie is considered one of the poorest towns in Boston. Macdonald’s along with his family have to overcome the presence of crime, racism, and violence in order to survive in the town they consider the best place in the world.
Lord Henry becomes a monster through his interaction with Dorian Gray. The critic Liebman provides an interesting way to look at Lord Henry in The Picture of Dorian Gray: “Henry is, first, a scientist and an intellectual, whose most outstanding trait is his curiosity” (Liebman). Similar to Victor Frankenstein, Lord Henry wishes to know about the human soul and human nature. Liebman continues: “‘a complex personality,’ like Dorian's, gives him an opportunity to examine the human species in its natural habitat” (Liebman). When The Picture of Dorian Gray is viewed in this lens, it seems that Lord Henry’s intent is poison Dorian’s belief system to see how much a pure, innocent man can change. Basil warns Lord Henry about how vulnerable Dorian is: “Don't spoil him. Don't try to influence him. Your influence would be bad” (Wilde 23). Henry knows what he is doing, which makes him accountable for Dorian’s descent into derangement. When Henry plants seeds of immorality in Dorian’s mind, Dorian almost can’t help but become a monster. Lord Henry causes Dorian Gray to shift from “a simple and beautiful nature”(Wilde 23) to having “no heart” and “no pity” (Wilde 128). Lord Henry is at fault because he intentionally created a monster, and although he didn’t intend to hurt anyone, he started a cycle of violence that ended with several dead, including
A critical analysis of Oscar Wildes only novel would yield that it is in fact a homosexual allegory of doomed, forbidden passion. The relationship between Lord Henry and Dorian, as well as Basil and Dorian is, clearly Homoerotic and must’ve shocked Victorian society.
Lord Henry easily influence Dorian because he is young and young people can copy everything what old people say and does. Dorian listened to Lord Henry that being gorgeous is better than to have manners. He showed this like when he just liked Sibyl because she can act but when Sibyl forget about her acting, he unliked her and just dumped her. When Sibyl killed herself, at first Dorian is kind of guilty but then Lord Henry told him that it is not his fault. That Sibyl is only a girl. Also, with the death of James and Basil, he felt really guilty. With James, he feels like because James was the brother of Sibyl so like James is threatening him. Basil also kind of influenced him because he also made Dorian realized or showed Dorian the world of beauty. And with Basil, Basil is the one who knows everything about him and the one who made his portrait that Dorian feels like it is not right because all he see on his portrait is his guilt and every bad thing he did. He blamed Basil for it. He also destroyed the painting because it is not working right and its just becoming worse and worse when his sins are increasing. When he destroyed the portrait, he used the knife that he also used when he killed Basil. At the end, when he destroyed the painting, he also killed himself. The book is
Wilde shows Lord Henry grasping onto Dorian and his moral beliefs, “There is no such thing as good influence,” Mr. Gray. All influence is immoral-immoral from the scientific point of view.” Dorian quickly transforms from an innocent young man, to a wicked deceitful man. Lord Henry knowingly influences Dorian, “People say sometimes that beauty is only superficial. That may be so, but at least it is not so superficial as thought is.”
Basil Hallward, a painter, knows the corruptive influence that Lord Henry can impose upon his model, Dorian Gray. Basil does not want Lord Henry to even meet Dorian because he is afraid that Dorian will be influenced and ruined. Basil begs Henry by saying, "Don't spoil him. Don't try to influence him. Your influence would be bad. The world is wide, and has many marvelous people in it. Don't take away from me the one person who gives to my art whatever charm it possesses: my life as an artist depends on him" (Wilde 10). Right from the beginning Wilde begins to show what type of person Lord Henry is. Lord Henry's influences pose a threat to Dorian. Basil is well aware of this.
When Dorian Gray first meets Lord Henry at the studio of artist Basil Hallward, he is fascinated with Lord Henry’s wit and the radical social doctrines that he advocates. Dorian is easily molded and falls for the argument he hears. According to Lord Henry the goal of new hedonism, “to realize one’s nature perfectly…to give form to every feeling, expression to every thought, reality to every dream” (198-199). As far as philosophies go this seems rather innocuous until Lord Henry goes on to clarify that, “every impulse that we strive to strangle broods in the mind, and poisons us…the only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing” (199). Lord Henry’s advice entices the malleable Dorian, who does not seem to realize that Lord Henry may advocate giving in to every impulse, even the destructive ones, but he does not follow this advice himself. As Basil Hallward informs Lord Henry, “you never say a moral thing, and you never do a wrong thing. Your cynicism is simply a pose” (188). Dorian, however, takes Lord Henry’s advice concerning new hedonism at face value and the results are disastrous.
McGlinn, Colin. A. Ethics, Evil and Fiction. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1997. Pearson, Hesketh. A. Oscar Wilde: His Life and Wit.
In The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Dorian Gray slowly becomes more influenced by things and people around him. Eventually, Lord Henry gifts him with a book describing a wealthy man’s pursuit of aesthetically and sensually pleasing items. “The yellow book” has a much stronger effect on Dorian Gray’s perception of beauty than Lord Henry Wotton does. Although it can be argued that Lord Henry introduced Dorian to the idea of aestheticism, the “yellow book” drives Dorian to live a life full of it, and changes his focus. Dorian shows the fact that he is not strongly influenced by Lord Henry through his interactions with Sibyl. Contrary to this, Oscar Wilde illustrates the substantial influence the yellow book has on Dorian by one, the
Dead Souls Is a classic novel by Nikolai Gogol, and is considered an exemplar of 19th century Russian literature. Russian literature in the 19th century provided insight on the flaws and faults of the Russian people during that time, and Gogol masterfully portrayed these defects though his characters. The story focuses on the historical setting, being written after the french invasion of Russia and the thoughts of the war still fresh in the minds of the citizens. also this was a time where indentured service, called serfs, were prominent in Russia. The book also touches on the political setting, where the people with the most serfs are the most powerful in the nation. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol is a book that really helps one understand what Russia was like in the 19th century, by letting people know about the historical setting and the politics of the era as well.
Pleasure plays a vital role in this novel and has more power over Dorian than his own beauty, because pleasure was the basis for each of Dorian’s sins. It is not Lord Henry’s influence or a narcissistic personality that kills Dorian, but the quest for pleasure, no matter the consequence, that truly causes the degradation of Dorian’s soul. Work Cited Wilde, Oscar. The. The Picture of Dorian Gray.
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.
In the early chapters of The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, we are introduced to a young and naïve character, Dorian Gray. Wilde’s descriptions of the young man create a picture of an innocent yet easily influenced Dorian, who is just beginning to learn what the adult world is all about. He is happy and handsome, yet when he is introduced to Lord Henry, he begins to experiment a little bit more on the side of sin. He becomes obsessed with youth and beauty, and he says that he “would give everything, even [his] very soul” to remain attractive and young. After this declaration, the reader is introduced to a changed Dorian Gray and his new philosophies about life, which begin to sound a lot like Lord Henry’s thoughts. Dorian “falls in love,” and then he breaks a girl’s heart, causing her to end her life. His beautiful portrait begins to alter, and to keep others from witnessing this, he locks the picture away.
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.
In this novel, Wilde had portrayed his philosophy of "aesthetic idealism." He favored nature when it was explained as an internal individualistic impulse, just like Lord Henry who suggests that beauty is the greatest good and doing so diminishes the role of the soul. He does this out of a half-facetious, half-earnest pursuit of that which is more genuine, less socially constructed and therefore less hypocritical.