Wilde himself admits, in a letter to the St. James’s Gazette, that Dorian Gray “is a story with a moral. And the moral is this:
All excess, as well as all renunciation, brings its own punishment
” (Wilde 248).
Is The Picture of Dorian Gray a moral or immoral book?
The Picture of Dorian Gray,
moral fantasy novel
by Irish writer Oscar Wilde, published in an early form in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in 1890. The novel, the only one written by Wilde, had six additional chapters when it was released as a book in 1891.
What is the message in The Picture of Dorian Gray?
In The Picture of Dorian Gray, he critiques both his own and Dorian’s double life as well as the double lives of hypocrisy many Victorians were forced to live. The message is that
the double life is destructive to oneself and others
.
What is the primary purpose of The Picture of Dorian Gray?
That is, both the portrait and the French novel serve a purpose: the first
acts as a type of mysterious mirror that shows Dorian the physical dissipation his own body has been spared
, while the second acts as something of a road map, leading the young man farther along the path toward infamy.
What are the main themes in The Picture of Dorian Gray?
The Preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray is considered a manifesto of the Aesthetic movement, expressing Wilde’s ideas on art in general. The main themes of the novels are:
aestheticism, beauty, truth, duplicity, influence, responsibility, art, eternity and life.
What is Dorian Gray Syndrome?
Dorian Gray Syndrome (DGS) denotes
a cultural and societal phenomenon characterized by an excessive preoccupation with the individual’s own appearance
(dysmorphophobia) accompanied by difficulties coping with the aging process and with the requirements of maturation.
What does Dorian Gray fear?
Dorian’s fear points to an important theme in the book:
A life devoted solely to the pursuit of selfish pleasure will always be marred
by self-con-scious fear. Dorian has what he wants — eternal youth and a life filled with pleasure — but he can’t fully enjoy his life for fear that his secret will be discovered.
Why is Dorian Gray controversial?
The most famous review of Dorian Gray was in the conservative Scots Observer (edited by the poet W E Henley), which came very close to
accusing Wilde of the crime of gross indecency that had been made illegal in the 1885 Criminal Amendment Act
.
Is the picture of Dorian Gray banned?
Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of those books that’s been nothing but trouble since it was first published.
It has been banned, demonized
, and was once used as evidence in a trial held against Wilde.
Is Dorian Gray responsible for his own downfall?
Dorian Gray influences over unfortunate youths and leads them to their destruction. Finally, the society has a profound influence over Alan Campbell and Basil and they eventually meet their downfall due to the influence. Dorian Gray’s
downfall rests in his willingness to sacrifice himself to Lord Henry’s vision
.
What was Dorian Gray obsessed with?
A radiantly handsome, impressionable, and wealthy young gentleman, whose portrait the artist Basil Hallward paints. Under the influence of Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian becomes extremely concerned with
the transience of his beauty
and begins to pursue his own pleasure above all else.
How did Dorian Gray become immortal?
Immortality:
After having his soul trapped within a painting
, Dorian gained immortality. He does not age and seems to be immune to all conventional illnesses, diseases, viruses and infections.
How did Dorian Gray sell his soul?
The legend tells of a learned doctor who sells his soul to
the devil
in return for knowledge and magical abilities. Although Dorian Gray never contracts with the devil, his sacrifice is similar: he trades his soul for the luxury of eternal youth.
What does the yellow book symbolize in Dorian Gray?
The Yellow Book
The book represents
the profound and damaging influence that art can have over an individual
and serves as a warning to those who would surrender themselves so completely to such an influence.
How old is Dorian Gray?
Although he does not intend to tell Lord Henry anything about the young man in the picture, Basil lets slip that his name is Dorian Gray. Basil explains that Dorian Gray is
20 years-old
. Basil met him at a party two months earlier. When Basil first saw him, he felt a “curious sensation of terror”.
Is Dorian Gray a psychopath?
In the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, both the characters of Lord Henry Wooton and Dorian Gray are
strongly narcissistic
.
