The Picture Of Dorian Gray And All Quiet On The Western Front

“England is bad enough I know, and English society is all wrong” (Wilde, 145). The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Ernest are both ingenious literary works by the witty Oscar Wilde. The lead roles Dorian Gray and Jack Worthing are the perfect examples of how the Victorian society was phony. Although one is tragic and the other comedic both works by Oscar Wilde offer a social comment on the hypocrisy of the Victorian Era. Through the protagonist’s superficiality, deception and consequence of living a double life such comments are presented. While their superficiality and ability to deceive people are quite similar their consequences for their actions differ a great deal.

Dorian is introduced to Lord Henry Wotton. Lord Henry Wotton seems at the beginning of the novel to be the most corrupting character in the book, being the catalyst of Dorian Gray?s change in character, or realization of true character. Wotton is a cynical character, and is somewhat of a hypocrite, as Hallward rightly says (paraphrasing Charles 2nds epigram), "You never say a moral thing, and you never do a wrong thing" (4). For all his talk, Lord Henry remains a married man who chooses a life as a spectator rather than a carouser (Miller 385). From the instant of their acquaintance, Lord Henry causes an instantaneous difference in Dorian. "Lord Henry lives vicariously on the emotions and experiences of other people" (Shewan 376). Lord Henry awakens in Dorian feelings and thoughts Dorian has never had before, and Dorian feels overcome with awe. When asked about his negative influence on people, Lord Henry says," There is no such thing as a good influence, Mr. Gray. All influence is immoral?Because to influence a person is to give him one?s own soul?" (17). Dorian immediately develops an attachment to Lord Henry, one which Henry claims will be everlasting. Jeffrey Meyers explains, "If Hallward is the masochistic creator of Dorian?s aesthetic glorification, Wotton (who manipulates the vanity stimulated by the portrait) is the sadistic catalyst of his moral degeneration"(372). In fact, Ted Spivey claims that

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.

          As Dorian listens to Lord Henry and realizes the importance of his youth and the time that  he has, he begins to venture out and manipulate others including friends and strangers.  His new outlook on life encourages his act of narcissism and superiority (Duggan). "Dorian Gray personifies the aesthetic lifestyle in action, pursuing personal gratification with abandonment. Yet, while he enjoys these indulgences, his behavior ultimately kills him and others, and he dies

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

One conflict shown in Dorian Grey is the conflict of identity portrayed in the novel by Oscar Wilde. The character Basil describes Lord Henry to be a very influential character to another’s identity, for example, ‘Don’t spoil him. Don’t try influence him. Your influence would be bad.’ Spoiling Dorian shows that he is pure, and should not be tainted by Lord Henry’s character; this shows that Lord Henry is impure in thought and in his actions and this impacts his approach towards others. As Basil says this, it shows that he understands the flaws in Lord Henry’s character, but also his power in manipulation, especially towards someone like

The readers sympathise for Dorian Gray because he is conflicted about personal and tangible aspects of his world. It didn't take long for Dorian perspective towards the world to change. All it took was Lord Henry to speak through reversed proverbs that had no sense of truth and were used to impress other people. As Lord Henry pointed out to Dorian that society only looks upon the wealthy exquisite beautiful people. Once his image becomes old and wrinkled society would view him as no one imported and all that would be left as a reminder of his youth would be Dorian's portrait.

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 XI of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, the eponymous character, Dorian, practices escapist behavior. Upon noticing his portrait changing to reflect his immoral acts, he hides the picture in his upstairs schoolroom and distracts himself with New Hedonism, the amoral lifestyle preached by Lord Henry Wotton. Chapter XI chronicles Dorian 's material pleasures over the course of eighteen years. Initially, I believed that the purpose of this cataloguing chapter was to illustrate Dorian 's escapist behavior and unhealthy coping mechanisms. The unsuspecting song "Gronlandic Edit" by Of Montreal (stylized as of Montreal), however, suggests that escapism is often accompanied by a search for a more permanent solution to one 's

Social class defined is a broad group in society having common economic, cultural, or political status. Social classes are a common theme in both modern and classic novels. The theme of social classes is clearly depicted throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.The social classes are distinguished in The Great Gatsby as old money, new money, and no money. Those that belong to a family from old money live on the lavish East Egg, while those that recently became wealthy live on the West egg. Similarly in Wuthering Heights, the wealth of a family is determined by where they live: Thrushcross Grange the superior property or Wuthering Heights. The protagonist in both novels struggle to overcome the barriers that accompany their social class in order to be with their beloveds.

The book was, in part, a reflection of Oscar’s life. Filled with scandal, pain, love, and despair, it could be a mirror. What Wilde wrote was never just a story, but instead a reflection of his soul. It reflects what you think and feels, as was the case with Dorian Gray. The book has had a lasting influence for this reason and several more. The subtext is one of these. Everything Wilde Wrote had another story inside of it. Dorian Gray was no exception, and that is part of what makes it so influential and so very fascinating. It starts with the title. It was the first clue into the story behind the book. Wilde excelled in Greek and Roman studies, and it was no accident that the main character was to be named Dorian. The Dorians were a part of the Greek people long

In Oscar Wilde's novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, beauty is depicted as the driving force in the lives of the three main characters, Dorian, Basil and Lord Henry. Dorian, the main character, believes in seizing the day. Basil, the artist, admires all that is beautiful in life. Lord Henry, accredited ones physical appearance to the ability of achieving accomplishments in life. Beauty ordains the fate of Dorian, Basil, and Lord Henry. The novel embodies the relationship of beauty and morality. Beauty is not based on how attractive an object is to everyone, but how attractive it is to one.

In Oscar Wilde’s Popular nineteenth century novel, the Picture of Dorian Gray demonstrates the importance of the aesthetic movement in Victorian England. This suggests youth and physical attractiveness is emphasized and are valuable additions to society. Therefore, what matters to Dorian, is not the internal goodness an individual possesses but the appearance they present. Consequently, Dorian is able to forget the violent acts he commits as long as he appears beautiful on the outside. Since external beauty is valued, Wilde argues that people tend to lose their individualism and conform to society’s expectations. With this in mind, Dorian gray grows more corrupt, self-centered as he focuses more on the pleasure for himself as he becomes more vulnerable to his own misgivings. He loses his individualism, because he is conforming to society’s form of asethics. I agree with Wilde’s arguement about Dorian Gray, that individuals lose their sense of idenity when conforming to society’s influence, such as in today’s beauty standards portrayed on social media, racism described through facism, and LGBTQ rights violated by intolerant individuals. (too wordy)

Vanity and undeniable ego are characteristics of self-destructive properties. In the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde shows how these can lead to a man’s downfall. He displays this through the character of Dorian Gray. The novel explains how as Dorian grows up and through his life, he is ultimately destroyed by his own ego, vanity and inability to change or realize how what he does affects not only him but the lives of those around him. Dorian Gray struggles throughout the novel with the daunting facts that he is Vane, has an enormous ego and cannot realize the full extent of his own actions

When Dorian Gray first meets Lord Henry at the studio of artist Basil Hallward, he is fascinated with Lord Henry’s wit and the radical social doctrines that he advocates. Dorian is easily molded and falls for the argument he hears. According to Lord Henry the goal of new hedonism, “to realize