The Picture Of Dorian Gray Analysis

“There were passions in him that would find their terrible outlet, dreams that would make the shadow of the real evil” (Wilde,115). The author reveals pleasure as the driving force of many characters within Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, but this search for pleasure becomes fatal once taken into the hands of Dorian Gray. Throughout the novel Dorian Gray changes his opinion on pleasure based on what he requires in order to escape reality. With each death and misdeed he is responsible for; Dorian must search harder for a more drastic form of release. His path declines from his innocent beginnings with Sybil Vane, to the pleasure he finds in corrupt relations, and finally his need to escape the reality of killing a former

Dorian Gray shows his moral ambiguity by breaking up with Sibyl Vane over her terrible performance. After Sibyl’s performs badly, Dorian becomes increasingly furious with Sibyl saying to her, “You have killed my love” (63) and "You simply produce no effect” (63). It was Dorian’s cold hearted behavior that causes Sibyl to take her own life, cementing Dorian’s horrible actions forever. It is the first time Dorian acts on his own impulses without Lord Henry’s direct influence, evidence of a change in Dorian’s personal values. Conversely, as Dorian began to think about his actions, he realizes “how unjust, how cruel, he had been to Sibyl Vane.” (70) and that “it was not too late to make reparation for that” (70). Dorian’s moral ambiguity is prevalent in the guilt he feels for abusing Sibyl’s feelings. He realizes briefly what he did was dreadful, proving he still has a slight glimmer of good intentions left in him . Morally, Dorian switches his stance on his feelings for Sibyl, revealing his intentions to be good, though his actions are twisted.

Lord Henry’s influence over Dorian is quite evident to the reader just from their first interaction. During their initial conversation, Lord Henry explains his philosophy of how, “the aim of life is self-development. To realize one’s nature perfectly,—that is what each of us is here for,” (Wilde 15). Dorian takes this quite literally and later states that, “when one loses one’s good

The Picture of Dorian Gray, a novel laced with sin, treachery, and raging battles of inner conflict, is Oscar Wilde’s sole novel. Considered immoral and scandalous upon publication, the book centers around a young man named Dorian Gray, who does not age or reflect the darkness of his heart outwardly, and instead a portrait of him bears the damage his destructive life wreaks on his soul. However, the meaning of the story extends past the simple fact that Dorian lives a life of immorality—he walks the path that takes him there with his two friends, Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotten. The two attempt to guide and influence Dorian throughout the novel in their own ways, and are a vital piece of Dorian’s tale. Basil and Henry act as character foils as well as a symbolic angel and devil for Dorian Gray’s character, and also contribute themes of choosing one’s own fate.

Finally, Wilde says that he would like to be Dorian but in another time. Dorian starts out as a handsome, wealthy gentleman that's innocent. He is quickly seduced by Lord Henry's words and starts to live life for all its pleasures. These acts are obviously not accepted by the public and with his picture taking all the flaws, his image is never damaged. In my opinion, I believe that when Wilde said he wants to be Dorian, it's because he wishes that he could "get rid of a temptation" by yielding to it,

In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde is able to show how possessions can change a man so drastically. Over the course of the book the readers examine how many items such as the painting, the yellow book and much more, shape and alter Dorian from being outgoing, likable, and overall good to secluded, manipulative and most of all deceitful. Dorian gray has many motives for being deceitful that help develop the characters, and change the way they interact with each other.

Basil begins to notice this corruption in Dorian's face right after Dorian meets Henry. When Basil is painting Dorian, he notices a change. Basil "...deep in his work, and conscious only that a look had come into the lad's face that he had never seen there before" (Wilde 13). Dorian is loosing his innocence and purity due to Henry's influence and Basil can detect

Much of the criticism regarding The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde has dealt with Dorian Gray’s relation to his own portrait (Raby 392). While some may argue that the portrait represents a reflection of Dorian Gray’s character, this is only a superficial analysis of the novel and Dorian’s character. While Dorian Gray’s true character never changes, it is his own perception of his character (his conscience) that is reflected in the changing face of his portrait. In essence Dorian’s picture becomes a mirror through which the "true Dorian" judges his own metamorphasis as the superficial "Lord Henry Dorian" attempts to embrace Lord Henry’s teachings. Dorian’s

As the novel goes on so does Dorian's life. He begins to be under the control of Lord Henry to some degree. He also begin's to spend more time with Lord Henry, who is

The Picture of Dorian Grey as a novel in the Victorian Era was shocking to readers of the time due to the open nature of topics like: sexuality, greed and corruption. A Freudian perspective of the characters: Basil, Lord Henry and Dorian can be seen as the Id, Ego and Super Ego. Basil is the Super Ego, he conforms to a certain extent and tries to make Dorian lead a moral life when it comes to desperate times of the loss of the 'real Dorian'; Lord Henry can be seen as the Id, the immoral character who tries to convince Dorian to submit to his natural urges and passions; Dorian is the Ego, one who in the beginning is in between the two and has a power struggle within as to how he should act as a character in the novel. In answering this question and exploring the conflicts shown in the novel one must look at the gender, identity and sexuality.

Throughout the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde tells a tale about a young man named Dorian whose entire life changes after he meets Basil Hallward, who paints a portrait of Gray that ultimately leads to Gray’s demise. At the same time, Dorian also meets Lord Henry, who eventually plays a bad influence over Dorian. The portrait shows the man Dorian has become

In chapter 20 of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Dorian reflects on his past crimes and wonders whether he will ever change and retrieve his innocence again. Throughout the final chapter of the novel, the elements of Gothic novel that Wilde explores conveys the idea of the pursuit of individualism. Dorian’s wild, racing emotions clearly show how much he is driven by his readiness to fulfill his desires under any circumstance. Through this, the use of specific words and punctuation markings highlight Dorian’s personal yearning of removing himself from his past.

There is more to life than beauty, is one of the many themes that are reinforced throughout the novel. Dorian is obsessed with his looks that it gradually wears away at him. He performs actions that are unjust because of it. Dorian’s beauty meant so much to him he thought, “if the picture could change; and I could always be what I am now” that he would be happy forever. While he stays young, the picture ages and gets more hideous as the book progresses. Dorian’s actions are monitored in his, now corrupt, portrait painted by Basil. Since Dorian was obsessed with his beauty, he did not get the most abundant pleasure out of life. Life is full of exciting happenings and your eyes have to be open to see it, unlike Dorian’s, whose were closed. Although he physically does not carry any burden of his actions, his soul

B.F. Skinner once said, “Give me a child and I will shape him into anything”. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, influence is a common occurrence, and many things shape Dorian from a child into a terrible man. Young Dorian Gray is the subject of Basil’s best painting. The painting also sparks the interest of Lord Henry, a friend of Basil’s and later Dorian’s, as well. The painting starts to cause problems when it changes as Dorian commits sins. The painting changes to reflect his aging and his soul, becoming disgusting. Dorian was not always evil, but with the influence of many different things, he develops this trait. Influence is used in a negative way in The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Oscar Wilde once said, “No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to exist.” This quote foreshadows the death of artist Basil Hallward in his The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde is known for being a participant in the aesthetic movement. This movement emphasized that the role of art is to provide beauty to the observer. In other words, art should not have a deeper meaning to it. Wilde stresses this principle in many of his writings, but one book, however, seems to portray this idea differently compared to his other works. The Picture of Dorian Gray shows the negative influence of art on its characters. Most characters in the book put more thought into the things that they consider art, whether it be a painting or even a person. In the end, only one of the original characters remains alive. In Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, art is used as a key motivator behind the character’s actions to cause ill fortune to those invested in its deeper meaning.