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The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar wilde.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

The Picture of Dorian Gray: Introduction

The picture of dorian gray: plot summary, the picture of dorian gray: detailed summary & analysis, the picture of dorian gray: themes, the picture of dorian gray: quotes, the picture of dorian gray: characters, the picture of dorian gray: symbols, the picture of dorian gray: literary devices, the picture of dorian gray: quizzes, the picture of dorian gray: theme wheel, brief biography of oscar wilde.

Historical Context of The Picture of Dorian Gray

Other books related to the picture of dorian gray.

Full Title: The Picture of Dorian Gray
When Written: Some time between 1889, when the story was commissioned, and 1890
Where Written: London
When Published: It was initially published in a magazine called Lippincott’s Monthly in July of 1890.
Literary Period: Aestheticism
Genre: Aestheticism, Philosophical Fiction, Gothic Fiction
Setting: London
Climax: Dorian becomes so tormented by the portrait that he stabs it with a knife, but when the scene is discovered, it is Dorian himself who lies dead on the floor.
Antagonist: Dorian and the other characters are surrounded by antagonistic influences, which seem to be a part of day to day life in the high society of London. These influences, fashion, classism, obsessions with aesthetics and reputation are embodied by Lord Henry Wotton, making the man and his ideas seem like the main antagonist of the book.
Point of View: An omniscient narrator; this narrator guides us in the past tense between one place and another, able to show us the interior workings of the main characters

Extra Credit for The Picture of Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray Syndrome. Dorian Gray’s name still haunts popular culture but it also has a more serious legacy. Dorian Gray Syndrome is now a common term to describe a cluster of narcissistic qualities. It often refers to severe mental illness and can be diagnosed from symptoms reminiscent of Dorian’s in the novel.

The real Dorian? It has been suggested that the inspiration for Dorian Gray was a man called John Gray, who, though very handsome and a good poet, was dropped by Wilde in favor of his new love Lord Alfred Douglas. He apparently signed his love letters “Dorian”, after an ancient tribe called “The Dorians”.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Picture of Dorian Gray — A Theme Of Beauty And Appearance In The Picture Of Dorian Gray

A Theme of Beauty and Appearance in The Picture of Dorian Gray

Categories: Oscar Wilde The Picture of Dorian Gray

About this sample

Words: 1031 |

Published: Dec 16, 2021

Words: 1031 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

Works Cited

Bristow, J. (2016). Oscar Wilde and the art of dying. In S. Nash (Ed.), Palgrave Studies in Nineteenth-Century Writing and Culture (pp. 161-182). Palgrave Macmillan.
Ellmann, R. (1988). Oscar Wilde. Vintage.
Freeman, N. (2009). Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray. In B. K. Reynolds (Ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Oscar Wilde (pp. 45-59). Cambridge University Press.
Gillespie, M. (2011). Oscar Wilde and the creation of beauty. In M. T. Alkana & J. Bryant (Eds.), Oscar Wilde as a Character in Victorian Fiction (pp. 11-24). Palgrave Macmillan.
Helford, E. R. (2016). Oscar Wilde: The importance of being Irish. Routledge.
Lahr, J. (2018). The Picture of Dorian Gray: An annotated, uncensored edition. Harvard University Press.
Lysaght, C. (2018). ‘The portrait and the artist’: Self-fashioning in The Picture of Dorian Gray. In M. K. Cornish, J. P. McCormack, & C. O'Sullivan (Eds.), Irish Literatures in Transition: A Companion (pp. 140-156). Cambridge University Press.
Raby, P. (2012). The Cambridge companion to Oscar Wilde. Cambridge University Press.
Raby, P. (2016). Wilde's "black novel": The picture of Dorian Gray. The Wildean, 48, 4-28.
Wilde, O. (1890). The Picture of Dorian Gray. Ward, Lock, and Co.

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Oscar Wilde’s Novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” Essay

Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray develops an extensive and dynamic system of symbols. The latter is devoted to revealing the idea of hedonism through the relationships and behavior of the characters in this work. According to Dorian’s conception there is a mixture of Hell and Heaven in man. The author has highlighted the individual characters with the symbolic traits of absolute good and absolute evil.

Basil becomes a symbol of the angel in the life of the protagonist. The man personifies the concept of pure and unselfish friendship, shows sincere admiration for Dorian from the first meeting. Basil compared the protagonist to Adonis, seeking to study Dorian’s nature to praise his beautiful traits (Wilde 25). That the devoted friend is a symbol of Paradise and innocence is confirmed in the episode of the last meeting with Mr. Gray. Then the man experiences a shock of decadence and planting of the young man, which he could in no way expect from the protagonist. Oscar Wilde uses the Basil to depict how doogness can be embodied in real life.

The symbol of the devil becomes Lord Henry, who preaches hedonism as the only possible way of life. This character is not afraid of losing his reputation by committing unflattering acts. Moreover, the man does not divine retribution for the pain he inflicts on those around him. The commission of sin and the consequences derived from it are, in Gray’s view, the most vivid and necessary element of existence (Wilde 28). Only through decadence can one get a true taste of freedom and experience the widest palette of emotions. Dorian eventually switches to the side of Hell, completely dissociating himself from the concept of hedonism and abandoning the spiritual ideals preached by Basil. Hence, the protagonist becomes the embodiment of spiritual disruption.

Thus, the development of the protagonist of this novel is based on the confrontation of the two concepts expressed in the faces of Basil and Henry. In the clash of Heaven and Hell, the main character is ultimately forced to make his choice. It is within the framework of symbolism built in the work, the reader can trace the dynamics of the collapse of the spiritual values of the main character and the choice of the devil’s side.

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray . Pearson Education, 2008.

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IvyPanda . 2024. "Oscar Wilde's Novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray"." May 23, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/oscar-wildes-novel-the-picture-of-dorian-gray/.

1. IvyPanda . "Oscar Wilde's Novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray"." May 23, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/oscar-wildes-novel-the-picture-of-dorian-gray/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Oscar Wilde's Novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray"." May 23, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/oscar-wildes-novel-the-picture-of-dorian-gray/.