The Monster Dorian Gray Essay - 2259 Words

In the Victorian era where vanity was the main attraction, Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray gave insight into the true horrors that came of this sinful nature. Wilde was a very controversial figure and he meant to stir the pot when he wrote this disputed story. He believed that literature was not only meant for the imagination, but for the moral mind as well. In The Picture of Dorian Gray he depicts the importance of becoming a well rounded individual and also explains himself. In one of his many letters he states â€Å"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 a man before his time and he exposed the reality that every person is a†¦show more content†¦In the portrait laid everything anyone wouldve wanted to be, but of course, with time, that would all begin fade away. Lord Henry is extremely obsessed with youth and instills the idea that Dorian’s portrait will stay young forever, while he sadly would wither as time passed. Lord Henry makes this very clear when he states â€Å"There is no doubt that Genius last longer than Beauty.† Even Basil himself acknowledges this in the presence of Lord Henry, â€Å"We shall all suffer for what the gods have given us, suffer terribly.† These heavyhearted comments lead Dorian to make a pledge, which would ruin him. (Wilde 7-15) After listening to Lord Henry’s discourse Dorian begins to think about his beauty and he makes a frighteningly rash wish, which changed everything. How sad is it! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day of June. . . . If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture was to grow old! For that - for that- I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that! (Wilde 25-26) All the while, Dorian does not know his senseless words are what will wreck his life from that point on. Basil and Lord Henry are floored and laugh at his nonsense, but Basil isShow MoreRelatedMan Or Monster? By Mary Shelley s Frankenstein And Oscar Wilde s The Picture Of Dorian Gray2820 Words   |  12 PagesMan or Monster? According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, a monster is defined as â€Å"an animal or plant of abnormal form or structure.† While this definition holds some truth, it is limited to only describing external appearances. In fact, what distinguishes a monster from a seemingly â€Å"civilized† man is often not manifested through external appearances. The true monsters are individuals who fail to maturely take responsibility for their actions. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Oscar Wilde’s TheRead MoreShelleys Frankenstein and Wildes The Picture of Dorian Grey1095 Words   |  4 PagesWhat makes a man a monster Stories of monsters have captivated readers attention since the very beginning even though the definition of what a monster is perceived to be is complex and vague. The word monster and its meaning in today’s culture is very opinionated. Most people think of monsters in an evil sense because of what todays pop-culture has depicted a monster out to be. Shelley’s and Wilde’s intentions for monsters were not to be taken out of context from how they originated. ShellyRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray965 Words   |  4 Pages When looking at Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray, it is clear that Frankenstein is a novel that can be placed into both the gothic and horror genre, although it is a gothic novel secondary to it being a horror novel; The picture of Dorian Gray isn’t so clear in this regard. On a first reading, one may assume the story to be gothic literature and only gothic literature because of the sheer amount of gothic characteristics and elements that the text presents that include, but are not limitedRead MoreEssay on Oscar Wildes Success at a Gothic Novel1489 Words   |  6 Pagesthe film Bram Stokers, Dracula and the The Picture of Dorian Gray. In this essay I will be looking at how successful Oscar Wilde was at creating a gothic novel. I will be using Edgar Alan Poe’s short story ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ and the film ‘Bram Stokers, Dracula’ and the earlier version ‘Nosferatu’ as reference pieces to the gothic form. Other pieces I shall be looking at are Goya’s ‘The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters’, and Henry Fuseli’s ‘The Nightmare’. What is gothicRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray, And The Phantom Of The Beholder1302 Words   |  6 Pagesunattainable, and galvanize society to reject or promote people based on their outward appearance and hold people’s inner beauty in less regard. The imbalance between physical (outward) appearance and inward is a key theme in both The Picture of Dorian Gray, and The Phantom of the Opera. In both novels, the main characters are subject to judgment that is overwhelmingly directed at their outward appearance, and we see an over-emphasis of the superficial, which ultimately leads to their downfall. AnotherRead MoreThe Mayor of Casterbridge1724 Words   |  7 Pages The Picture of Dorian Gray is a short novel by Oscar Wilde originally published in 1890. The story begins at the home of Basil Hallward and opens with a conversation between him and Lord Henry Wotton. Lord Henry is fervently admiring Basil’s latest portrait of a young, beautiful man, Dorian Gray. Dorian G ray is the main protagonist in the story. He is described as having a â€Å"simple and beautiful nature†, and he remains this way until he is corrupted by the antagonist of the story, Lord Henry, whoRead MoreFrankenstein And The Picture Of Dorian Gray As British Gothic Literature1837 Words   |  8 PagesEric Haney Mr. Kearney English 4 AP 27 May 2015 Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray as British Gothic Literature â€Å"There is something at work in my soul, which I do not understand.† This quote from Mary Shelley s classic gothic novel Frankenstein is very representative of the functional importance of gothic literature to humanity. Gothic literature can be viewed as the dark side of the human soul, as good usually triumphs over evil in storytelling; gothic literature is the releaseRead MoreOscar Wilde Character Analysis1093 Words   |  5 Pagescultured aristocrat, yet some scenes are in the east, where Dorian skulks, seeking out opium dens The golden west side contrasting with the shady east side mirrors the difference between Dorian’s clean outer appearance and his tainted soul Classroom in Dorian’s mansion is where the portrait is hidden, eventually transitioning into the same place where Dorian becomes a murderer The classroom that Dorian hides his portrait in reminds Dorian of his childhood, furthering his obsession with youth BookRead MoreAnalysis Of Nabokovs Lolita And The Picture Of Dorian Gray1265 Words   |  6 Pagesthroughout the novel, Humbert appears to manipulate numerous characters, most of all Dolores Haze and her infatuated mother through his alluring good looks and his sophisticated British manner. Similarly, in Wilde’s 1890 novel, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, Dorian, also a hideously immoral main character, successfully disguises the true horror of his sins and uses his youthful charm to continue with his upper-class life of excess and perversion. Thus, both characters possess a comparable ‘dark side’Read MoreEveryone Has the Capacity to Do Evil Essay1189 Words   |  5 Pageshumans have been trying to explain the nature of evil and man’s relationship with evil. Many have come up with an explanation that seems logic but yet some still disagree. In this case the authors of Macbeth, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Picture of Dorian Gray, Paradise lost, a nd Beowulf all share the same concept that anyone has the capacity to do evil, but they disagree with each other on the idea that evil is not a choice. All these writers agree that any individual has the capacity to do evil. Sometimes