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Structure of the picture of dorian gray
Wildes view of himself in dorian gray
The signifance of the painting in the picture of Dorian Gray
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Living in a generation where passion has nothing to do with your partner anymore and love is confused with lust creates the mindset that the community has been distorted in. Hypnotized to believe that intellect is stupidity and love is just decoration is the message and satire that Oscar Wilde is trying to convey. In Pictures of Dorian Gray, Dorian’s innocence is being influence by outsiders to create his own dystopia by disregarding reality which attacks the mind and leaves evil in Dorian when he realizes that life is more than art.
You are the company that you keep. You need to be aware of the people you hang around and what their decisions are because what they do can rub off on you in either a positive or negative way. Without your knowledge
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When you arrive in a new setting that you’re not used to you sort of just join the crowd and attempt to fit in. Dorian’s at the age where he is easily influenced by anything anyone says, especially if they are older because “the older you get, the more wise you become”. The closer that Dorian and Lord Henry got, the more Dorian felt that he could trust Lord Henry.
Lord Henry resembles the little demon on the side of your shoulder that whispers all the bad thoughts in your head. He’s the puppet master for Dorian because he toys Dorian into believing whatever he says. He eluded Dorian to believe that Sibyl was never alive and that her death was just another ending of a play because she was just a fictional character. A fixation of the eye. “The girl never really lived, and so she has never really died” (Wilde 113).
Being that Lord Henry was such an impactful influence on Dorian, Dorian’s attitude and behavior altered. In the beginning Dorian was looking for love, and someone that could see past his prominence. He was looking for a girl who he could relate to; someone that he shared the same interests
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Dorian seemed to also have an issue with aging. After drawing a self-portrait of him Dorian made a wish at the beginning of the novel that changed the way he was forever, “If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that-for that- I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in this whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!” (Wilde 29). The old saying is be careful what you wish for because your wish might come true, and it might not be exactly what you had in mind. Dorian is a prime example of this because when he returned to his portrait the day after Sibyl committed suicide, he noticed that the portrait changed. The portrait reflects his conscience. After realizing this, he decides to hide away his drawing and never show it to
In the beginning of the book, Dorian seems to be an innocent, charming, beautiful young man, and even referred to as “a wonderful creation” (ch 2). Dorian is described as this amazing person, with looks comparable to a God, charm that could swoon any woman, and a mesmerizing persona about him with the ability to draw anyone near, yet he seems to be so imperceptive to himself. His attitude of simplicity causes readers to be fond of him, passing their first judgments that he could not possibly be evil. As the story moves along readers see the first inkling that Dorian may not be so perfect. Dorian comments on “how sad it is…[that he] shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But the picture will remain always young” (ch 2). This statement lets readers inside Dorian’s thoughts, showing how shallow and frivolous Dorian views life to be. He places so much value and esteem on looks alone, forgetting that being painted should be an honor, or at the very least...
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.
Dorian finally seeks to better himself, but it is too little too late after he ruins many companions’ reputations and goes through a period of insanity. It is important to realize that his own cognizance would have been helpful earlier and it easily could have happened earlier when he feels guilty about Sibyl’s death. At the sybaritic extent to which Dorian has journeyed, it is foolish to believe that positive outcome is possible. Awareness of one’s actions is all one has to protect one’s reputation. This does not mean that change cannot possibly be a good thing; it most definitely can be. The key is to be careful about the degree to which one changes.
King Henry was not very proud or accepting of his son. This is shown very early in the play when he speaks about him to Westmoreland. The king states:
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.
Dorian’s beauty is greatly appreciated by Basil, and he is the one who makes Dorian realize his beauty and charm. Henry, being a part of the Victorian Society, values beauty too much. To him, beauty is a sensory pleasure. Henry’s strong views and preference towards beauty greatly influence Dorian throughout the novel. About his friendships and enmities, Henry mentions that he “chooses [his] friends for their good looks, acquaintances for their good characters, and enemies for their good intellects” (Wilde 10)....
Through Basil Hallward, Wilde implies that Dorian can easily be corrupted. However, Dorian tries to assure Basil that he is not being influenced. He states that Lord Henry "has certainly not been paying me compliments. Perhaps that is the reason that I don't believe anything he has told me" (Wilde 15). The only reason Dorian does not believe Lord Henry is because Lord Henry does not complement him. Wilde infers that if this is the only reason for Dorian to doubt Henry, Dorian could therefore be influenced in some other way. Overall, Wilde shows how a person may deny the warning signs of being influenced.
The juxtaposition of Dorian’s incredible devotion and his sudden hatred of Sibyl Vane creates shock and makes the reader realize Dorian’s injustice to his lover. When he first meets Sibyl, Dorian is enamored by her beauty and talent. “‘Sibyl Vane is sacred!’” he exclaims when describing the actress to his friend Lord Henry (Wilde 51). Dorian worships her because she encompasses every aspect o...
In the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray written by Oscar Wilde readers are presented with a vast depiction of the art of immorality in the face of ignorant innocence portrayed by the character Dorian Gray. In the beginning it seems to be a quaint novel on artistry and the paradoxical relationship between two lifelong friends by the name of Basil Hallward and Lord Henry. The plot takes a surprising twist when introduced to the real center of attention, the character of the seemingly innocent Dorian Gray. Upon this introduction Wilde then begins to tell the tale of what a life of secrecy and deception will lead to without the consciousness of a moral threshold and the inescapable burden of Dorians horrid accumulation of sins. The deception begins with a simple shout out to the heavens for the impossible to be granted. This then flourishes into unspeakable acts caused by an Egyptian statue, bringing misfortune to Dorian Gray by giving him exactly what he so desperately desires, thus teaching the world a lesson. Not everything we so strongly desire the world to provide is good for the soul.
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.
...ne show his sensibility. His imagination and creativity motivate him to read Gothic romances and to indulge in the effects that his inventive tales produce. His decision to marry Catherine is motivated by feelings of love that further exemplifies his sensibility. Throughout the novel the readers see an excellent display of Henry's ability to maintain equilibrium between the two qualities. He passes his knowledge onto Catherine to help her to become a better person. At the end of the novel it is apparent that Henry has taught the keys of his success to Catherine.
In Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian Gray reads a yellow book given to him by mentor-friend, Sir Henry Wotton. In the years after reading the book, Dorian Gray transforms from the pure and innocent young man he was into a two-faced immoral man. The reason behind the Dorian's degradation is never explicitly mentioned in Wilde's novel, which begs the question of whether literature has the ability to degrade a person. The influence of literature has the potential to corrupt one’s mind, but whether it does is dependant on the state of the reader.
The Picture of Dorian Gray was a remarkably well-written book due to the reaction of its themes by society. In the preface of the novel, Wilde introduces the opinion that "...there is no moral or immoral book. Books are well written or badly written. That is all." Numerous views can be taken upon this fastidious comment. Many would agree that Wilde is justifiably correct because the preface was written with the intention that his readers understand the deeper meaning of the themes than worrying about whether it is considered morally acceptable; or perhaps, the view that it could be considered moral or immoral by the impact it has on the readers' lives. Even though there are several positions held on what The Picture of Dorian Gray's most important meaning is about, the most prominent is the novel as a moral book. Lord Henry Wotton immediately begins to corrupt Dorian's mind after they first meet by forcing his immoral thoughts of "yielding to temptation" which allows Lord Henry to hold his attention. After listening for quite a while to Lord Henry's views, Dorian begins to change his own to match them, and therefore begins to live a life of immorality. The yellow book is a device that Lord Henry uses to further corrupt and drive Dorian deeper into the pits of sin. Through Lord Henry's influence, the changes in Dorian Gray, and the impact of the yellow book, Oscar Wilde efficiently reveals The Picture of Dorian Gray as a moral book.
Shortly after meeting Dorian for the first time, Lord Henry calmly declares, “to influence a person is to give him one’s own soul” (20). In these few words, Lord Henry foreshadows the entirety of his relationship with Dorian throughout the novel. By sharing his unique thoughts about the scientific view of influence, Lord Henry captures Dorian’s curiosity and attention, opening the door to the beginning of Dorian’s evolution
... Wilde split himself into three parts and gave them different personalities. Basil's and Lord Henry's fascination with Dorian represents Wilde's obsession with young men and his own unconscious fears. "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be -- in other ages, perhaps." He was quite aware of what he really is: faithful, softhearted and blinded by love (we can find him as another Basil in De Frofundis).