The Vane Sisters Essays

  • The Literary Works of Vladimir Nabokov

    2074 Words  | 5 Pages

    complicated further by his inclination to dabble in the metaphysical and occasionally, in the metafictional. Nabokov’s inclusion of meticulous description and word choice coupled with his reliance on unreliable narrators—in “Signs and Symbols,” “The Vane Sisters,” and “Details of a Sunset”-- permits him to explore the boundaries surrounding objective versus subjective realities, creating conscientiously woven narratives multi-layered and possibly cryptic in meaning. Perhaps his most widely renowned

  • Innocence to Corruption in Oscar Wilde´s The Picture of Dorian Grey

    521 Words  | 2 Pages

    The power of influence takes a hold of Dorian Gray, transforming him from an innocent youth to a corrupt and deceitful man. Dorian’s character begins slowly deteriorating with the introduction of Lord Henry. Wilde portrays Lord Henry as a self-centered man. He perceptively creates a domino effect by influencing Dorian’s morals and altering his character. Oscar Wilde demonstrates negative influence throughout The Picture of Dorian Gray using a dark tone, intriguing imagery, and ominous diction, thus

  • Dorian Gray Character Analysis James Vane

    1294 Words  | 3 Pages

    too late because she was dead. James Vane - Sibyl’s brother, a sailor bound for Australia. James cares deeply for his sister and worries about her relationship with Dorian. Distrustful of his mother’s motives, he believes that Mrs. Vane’s interest in Dorian’s wealth disables her from properly protecting Sibyl. As a result, James is hesitant to leave his sister. James wanted nothing but the best for his sister he thought it was wrong with his mother and his sister on the plan to take dorian 's money

  • Analysis of the Women in The Picture of Dorian Gray

    1140 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lady Henry hardly knows her husband, to whom she has been married for some time. Because neither woman is in a stable and comfortable situation, both eventually take drastic measures to move on. Therefore, in The Picture of Dorian Gray, both Sibyl Vane and Lady Henry are weak, flighty, and naive. The weakness of women is found in various forms throughout the text. Henry refers to women as “a decorative sex” and that “they never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly.” (Wilde 43) Nowhere

  • Essay on Picture of Dorian Gray: Looks Can Kill

    1324 Words  | 3 Pages

    wish is granted and the picture begins to age. Not only is the portrait aging, but the face is also becoming more devious looking. This is because Dorian had fallen deeply in love with an actress, Sibyl Vane, and one night he had taken Basil and Lord Henry to watch her act. That night Sibyl Vane was acting so badly that people were beginning to leave. Dorian was humiliated so intensely that he went back stage and told her he had fallen out of love with her. She said the reason for her bad acting

  • The Gothic Tradition in Stoker's Dracula and Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray

    2369 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Gothic Tradition in Stoker's Dracula and Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray Gothic Literature was a natural progression from romanticism, which had existed in the 18th Century. Initially, such a ‘unique’ style of literature was met with a somewhat mixed response; although it was greeted with enthusiasm from members of the public, literary critics were much more dubious and sceptical. Gothic writing is a style of literature that relies upon the evocation of moods, feelings and imagery for impact

  • tpodg

    852 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Aesthetic literary movement is a nineteenth century movement that appeared in France and England. The French term "fin de siècle," or the "end of the century," is often linked to the Aesthetic movement; it refers to the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. The movement appeared at a time where the ideals of the Victorian Age were not a priority anymore as it got replaced by Aesthetic values. “The main characteristics of the movement were: suggestion rather than statement, sensuality

  • Symbols In The Picture Of Dorian Gray

    1701 Words  | 4 Pages

    The novel The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde there are many Archetypical images and symbols. In this paper I will example some of these images and symbols in the novel by using the mythological and archetypical approach to literature. In the book, A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature the mythological and archetypical approach critics “is concerned to seek out those mysterious elements that inform certain literary works, and that elicit, with almost uncanny force, dramatic and universal

  • Sibyl Vane Analysis

    1625 Words  | 4 Pages

    In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Sibyl Vane represents purity and innocence and the perfection of a human being. She is a living, breathing piece of art in part due to the work she does. Because of the songs she sings and the characters she portrays, Dorian falls madly and deeply in love with

  • Dorian Gray Monologue

    1014 Words  | 3 Pages

    I James Vane would have never thought I would find myself reminiscing of the beautiful pictures of my dear sister Sibyl who used to perform here at this theatre. I find myself sitting in the same worn red seats that seemed so full of joy long ago. My sister found life and death in this place. Once full of life and light and now darkness and the cold chill of death. I used to come here and watch my sister perform and in this moment her performances keep replaying in my mind. My sister Sibyl was a

  • Right and Wrong in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennesse Williams

    1909 Words  | 4 Pages

    Morality, defined as the “beliefs about what is right behavior and what is wrong behavior,”(“Morality”) is the substructure of our integrity and the column of virtuousness. The opposite of this, immorality, is the corruption of one’s being, becoming more wicked in nature. With morals, a person is held to a certain set of standards and demeanor, but if these morals were to become corrupted, a person’s moral boundaries would crumble, leaving the person vulnerable to misguiding influences and allowing

  • Comparing Frankenstein To Picture Of Dorian Gray

    2707 Words  | 6 Pages

    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

  • Arabay by James Joyce

    1497 Words  | 3 Pages

    religion everyday when he attends a Jesuit boarding school, plays in a Catholic city, and comes home to a devout family. Although the main character does not seem opposed to his faith, he tends to channel his emotional devotion to his friend Magnan’s sister, instead of the commonly accepted religious figures. The theme of religion also continues when the narrator describes the recently deceased tenant to the reader. That tenant was a lonely and studious priest that was always reading and rarely left

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

    3302 Words  | 7 Pages

    Faust's principal wishes is also to remain young. Faust and Dorian also each seduce a young woman, then lead her to her death, as well as leading the woman's brother (Valentine in Faust and James Vale in Dorian Gray to die in attempting revenge for his sister. It is also a Doppelganger story, like Adelbert Chamisso's "Peter Schlemihl" (in which Peter foolishly sells his shadow) and even more like Edgar A. Poe's "William Wilson" (in which the narrator is tormented by a schoolchum who looks and sounds exactly

  • Feminst Influence

    1380 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray women are often portrayed as passive and weak characters. During the 19th century when these books were written, the proper domestic ideology was that women were naturally squeamish, defenseless, innocent beings, who needed protection from the male worlds of business and politics (Stepenoff). This theme is demonstrated throughout both of these novels through major and minor characters. In the case of Frankenstein, Shelley

  • The Fall Of The House Of Usher: Imagery And Parallelism

    1626 Words  | 4 Pages

    infliction, insanity. He tries in vane to comfort his friend and provide solace, however to no avail. When Roderick's only remaining kin, his sister Madeline dies, Rodericks insanity seems to have gone to a heightened level. Shortly after his sister's death, Roderick's friend is reading him a story. As things happen in the story, simultaneously the same description of the noises come from within the house. As Usher tries to persuade the narrator that it is his sister coming for him, and his friend believing

  • Three Poems by William Wordsworth

    1884 Words  | 4 Pages

    Wordsworth Wordsworth was born in Cockermouth, England, to John, a prominent aristocrat, and Anne Wordsworth. With his mother's death in 1778, William and his family began to drift apart. William was sent to boarding school in Hawkeshead, and his sister, Dorothy, was sent to live with cousins in Halifax. It was in the rural surroundings of Hawkeshead that William learned his appreciation for nature and the outdoors. Unfortunately, the peacefulness of his life was disturbed by his father's death

  • Dramatic Monologue

    1707 Words  | 4 Pages

    There is always that perfect moment ruined and shattered everywhere. Gone. For me you have to go back a long while to before this whole mess started. So here it is. I was sitting on the couch in a usual saturday I hate everyone position. My hand holding a pen which was currently swirling ink onto Dominik's neck. The pattern was an unknown one and probably because I had just made it up but I could care less. However something interesting happened behind me and drew my attention away from Dom. Apollo

  • Allusion To The Bible In The Picture Of Dorian Gray

    1749 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Picture of Dorian Gray presents the reader with numerous possibilities in regards to its theme, yet the one most prominent is the continuous and direct allusion to the Bible as can be seen in the characters themselves, their dialogue, and the imagery surrounding them. As the book opens, two characters are introduced, Basil Hallward, a deeply moral man and an artist who meets Dorian at a party and becomes obsessed with his beauty, which in turn inspires his art; and Lord Henry Wotton, a man of

  • A Character Analysis Of Jane Austen's Emma

    1464 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mentors and Pupils: A Character Analysis To be a mentor is to hold influence over a person’s actions or education. Overall, “Emma” is a novel about the influence that people hold over each other, and how that influence can affect people. Conflict is built by different characters who view themselves as mentors struggling to assert their opinions over others and pupil characters who accept their mentor’s opinions without bothering to form their own. Emma Woodhouse tries to use her influence to manipulate