Shelley's Frankenstein and Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Grey

Mary Shelley’s ability to create such multidimensional characters in Frankenstein proves that writing is a powerful tool that has the ability to provoke vastly different opinions amongst readers. Even though each individual reading the story is reading the exact same words, their interpretation of those words often leads to opposing views in regards to the fate of the characters. The creature, in particular, has been a popular topic of discussion when conducting a close read of the novel due to his arguable versatility as a victim and villain. The concept of the villain has evolved over the years, however its basis still rests upon the simple fact that as a character in the story, their actions are a result of malicious intentions

In the gothic novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley weaves an intricate web of allusions through her characters’ expedient desires for knowledge. Both the actions of Frankenstein, as well as his monster allude to John Milton’s Paradise Lost. Book eight of Milton’s story relates the tale of Satan’s temptation and Eve’s fateful hunger for knowledge. The infamous Fall of Adam and Eve introduced the knowledge of good and evil into a previously pristine world.

The human fascination with what makes a man a monster is one of the most prevalent ideas depicted throughout literature. Many periods of literature feature this idea; however, none more than the Gothic period. Within the Gothic period there are two famous works that are centralized around the idea of what makes a man a monster. Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray are 19th century novels that feature a story of one character negatively influencing the other which leads to the creation of a monster. In both stories one character clearly commits acts of evil; however, the writers, Mary Shelley and Oscar Wilde, force the reader to dig deeper and discover that the creator is responsible for the actions of the creation. Therefore, in both

As children, we feared the thing that hid under our bed or the creature that lurked in the shadows. Our young brains generated the idea that all monsters are hideous, terrifying creatures, and that regardless of their size or features, all monsters share a common goal – to wreak havoc upon humanity. We assume that monsters only prove to be dangerous and that we need to stay away. However, not all hideous-looking creatures are initially created evil. As a child, Victor Frankenstein took interest in the fundamental nature of reality, and he felt a desire to discover nature’s secrets. When he is seventeen, he leaves to go study at the University of Ingolstadt, where he becomes consumed by the desire to discover the secret of life. He builds a creature out of scavenged body parts and succeeds in bringing it to life. However, upon seeing the hideous monster that he has created, Frankenstein runs away in fear, abandoning his creation. Now alone and rejected by its creator, the creature spends two years in hiding, where it endures rejection by society. Eventually, it comes to understand that Frankenstein is the cause of all of its suffering. The creature, angry towards its creator, becomes determined to avenge the pain that it had to endure. In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, the “monster” is essentially a victim whose constant mistreatment causes it to turn to wicked means of vengeance, mistreatment which leads the readers to sympathize for the creature.

Waking the following morning ready to explore, I decided a wardrobe change was in order; I opened several of my rather full wardrobes to find something suitable. Eventually I found myself wearing a huntress chest piece, which looks similar to the cover picture, but not quite as much leather used in making it. The matching thong piece isn’t a pair of trousers like in the picture, but, and below that I have leather socks coming to my mid-thigh. Below those I slip on huntress boots, the high heels on these are higher than anything I have worn before, I tell myself its good for practicing balance. With the big platforms these boots must add at least eight inches to my height, yet they feel so comfortable, apparently they belonged to a famous noble who had them enchanted to still be sneaky and easy to walk in. The rest of my outfit remains unchanged, I intended to use the scroll of remove Marinath, however I somehow forgot, again, so much so that I wonder if the creature is still working its magic on me,

It is quite obvious that both Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein,” and Joseph Conrad’s “The Heart of Darkness” are horror stories. Oddly enough, Victor Frankenstein and Kurtz die due to result of their own selfish unmoderated behavior. Due to their personal desires for success, they both, truly went mad. Unintentionally they cause their own deaths, and along with it many others to including their own family members. Essentially there is a modern connection with the lack of moral and social advancements expressing that essentially humans are still exactly the same. With these stories, the comparison is not viewed as a sense of old thinking compared to new thinking, but highlighting a correlation between the time periods. Technologically the world is extremely advanced, but socially it still has the same issues. The human condition is exploited on a regular basis for profit or personal hierarchy in a world that is only temporary for its inhabitants. The theme of imperialism, whether through scientific discovery or conquest, is the very topic of debate during the early 1900’s. With constant scientific ingenuity, and the conquest of new lands, the ordinary man wonders if it is going too far. The monsters in these stories can be inserted into the everyday lives of common people, and can be intrinsically connected with similar modern issues of today.

In Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, the character Dorian did not start out as a monster, but was created, by Lord Henry, who is the monster in the novel. Dorian Gray is very attractive and the characters, Basil and Lord Henry, took great interest in him strictly for his beauty and innocence. The two men both have totally different hopes for what the young Dorian will become. Basil is so intrigued by his pureness that he offers to paint a portrait of him, but while being painted, it is Lord Henry that Dorian takes a strong interest in. During this time is when one can see Lord Henry's obsession with beauty because he stresses to Dorian that his good looks will not last forever, which made Dorian quite

As noted previously A Picture of Dorian Gray was written in an era of decadence and it is easy to see Wilde’s novel has been greatly influenced by this social movement. Stephen Fry remarked that a character like Dorian Gray is the: “visible personification of absolute perfection…” (1998). The painting of Dorian Gray is argued to represent the superficial nature of the time in which it was written, Wilde himself being better known for his sublime beauty and personality than he was for his literary talents. The creation in Frankenstein is memorable for his incredible deformities, readers presumptuously categorising him as a monster. This is greatly contrasted in The Picture of Dorian Gray with Dorian’s remarkable beauty, described as a: ‘young

In Oscar Wilde’s thrilling and aesthetic novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, a character viewed as morally ambiguous is Dorian Gray due to his dual lifestyle which conveys how the power of appearance influences man’s behavior for the work as a whole. During the novel, Dorian Gray is viewed as a morally ambiguous character because of his dual personalities of crime and prosperity. Dorian is known to be a beautiful man, full of wealth, and living a prosperous life. However, the “prince charming” is influenced by Lord Henry about ideas on life and how people never really change.

In the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde we are introduced to Dorian Gray a pure kind soul whom the reader's sympathy for since he is conflicted by personal aspects, displays love, and recognizes his evil actions. As we begin to read into the novel Dorians nature begins to change by the influence of Lord Henry. Year after year he commits unspeakable acts of sins. Until suddenly he begins to repent himself and wonders if it is possible for him to become the person he use to be.

Women were raising their voices, social norms were changing, and the traditional structure of government was being torn down. Culture was evolving, people were challenging the church, and it was all due to the heavy influence of the French Revolution (Cooper). It was the Romantic era, and also the perfect time for an extraordinary author to arise.

Oscar Wilde's novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray", presented many themes. One such theme is the idea of doubleness. Oscar Wilde used this as a technique to link his characters and ideas. While doubleness is shown in many aspects of the novel, the most obvious and most important presence of it is the parallel between the main character, Dorian, and his self-portrait. This bond between Dorian and his picture is crucial to the understanding of the novel. Dorian and the picture are in a sense one character acting as two.

In The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, the main character, Dorian Gray, transforms from a delightful and handsome young man to an insane and evil human being. In the beginning of the novel, Dorian’s best friend, Basil Hallward, describes Dorian to Lord Henry Wotton as having a “simple and beautiful nature” (Wilde 24). Hallward does not want Lord Henry to set a negative influence in Dorian’s life because it would ruin his “beautiful nature” that is portrayed in Hallward’s portrait. As the novel continues, Lord Henry’s influence turns Dorian’s personality completely around. While Basil Hallward and Dorian Gray visit together, Hallward realizes that something has changed Dorian. Hallward tells Dorian, “You were the most unspoiled creature

In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde makes an effort to point out the dangers of narcissism, as well as having the complete extremes of the spectrum of good and evil, and optimistic and pessimistic. Dorian Gray is a very beautiful young man who employs a painter to capture his beauty so that he will remember it. However, when faced with the option to look like that for eternity while the painting ages and reflects his decisions instead, he gladly accepts. However, Dorian’s downfall is quickly met due to the influence of Lord Henry Wotton. His constant changing ruins his life and the lives of others, leading to his death at the end of the novel.

The Picture of Dorian Gray revolves around Dorian's dual nature. On the one hand, he is the