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Essay Comparing Dorian Gray And Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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In Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, both works conclude that a monster originates from a contaminated soul. When one's soul begins to rot, a monster emerges from within, the soul begins to transform into a monster. Both Wilde and Shelly’s monsters initially begin as pure souls; however, they are later contaminated by the evils of the world. Wilde´s character, Dorian Gray, an inner monster begins to arise when Lord Henry inserts the fear that sinning scars his beauty and thus his livelihood. As a result, Gray vows to never let his burdens physically show on his body. In Shelley’s work, Victor Frankenstein's creation becomes a monster after Victor creates him, but when people treat him as an inferior, a hatred towards humanity awakens. Additionally, for something to be defined as a monster, it must hold certain negative characteristics (A monster has negative traits) In their respective works, Wilde and Shelley portrays the concept of a monstrosity and how society’s immense pressure forces one to become a monster.
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Egocentricity dominates Mr. Gray and Frankenstein’s creation. It drives them to their obsessions: eternal youth and revenge for ruined lives. “[insincerity] is merely a method by which we can multiply our personalities,” meaning that the monstrous side is not the monsters’ only side; it is not their true self, but a way to either obtain what they desire most or hide their debilities (Wilde). Dorian Gray’s self centeredness surfaces because he “can’t bare the idea of [his] soul being hideous” (Wilde). Similarly, Dr. Frankenstein’s creature threatens him as a request for a monstrous female companion in order to feel accepted by someone. The creature takes no thought to any consequences that may result from the creation of another being like

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