Dorian Gray Research Paper

Shiwani K.C

AP English Literature and Comp.

18 May 2018

A desire to eternal youth and beauty leads to self-destruction In the era of the nineteenth century, the two most artistic movements that set the cultural tone of the 80s and the 90s were Aestheticism and Decadence. Aesthetics is derived from Greek, meaning “giving or designed to give pleasure through beauty” (Dictionary) and Decadence is derived from French, meaning “moral or cultural decline as characterized by excessive indulgence in pleasure or luxury” (Dictionary). These two principles rejected the moral standards and etiquette of the Victorian society era and focused heavily on beauty and the pleasure/ luxury in life. Oscar Wilde vividly portrays these cultural principles in the

It is rather a trap that leads to the power of selfishness and the will to gain immortality, which took over Dorian Gray and created an evil and ugly side to him. In the novel, Basil Hallward, a painter believes that aesthetic beauty should be “unconscious, ideal and remote,” however, it all changes the night he meets Dorian. Dorian also comes under influence of Lord Henry, a poisonous influence, who believes that life is all about aestheticism and decadence. This path to eternal youth and Lord Henry’s guidance leads to Dorian’s dark side/debauchery and ultimately, his own destruction. As stated by Oscar Wilde, “Life imitates art more than art imitates life,” human beings should focus more on their ethics and mortality than living the life of pleasure where art should merely be an art, and not have any other goals. However, living in a society where beauty is prized and glorified above all, eternal youth and

As stated by the unknown author, “And still today, in the 21th century, in the age of technology and science, legends and tales of vampires appeal to many,” youths of our age are into goths and vampires because they are seen as charming creatures. Since they are so charming and extremely powerful, we ignore the evil side of them. Vampires are mere hunters who are dead and are “forever denied to humans, to walk the earth forever” (Unknown). It is very ironic that society exemplifies the beauty of vampires through literature which influences many young minds. They see vampires as “ harming and compelling creatures.” This can be compared to Dorian Gray’s obsession with the yellow book which was sent by Lord Henry, “After a few minutes, he became absorbed. It was the strangest book he had ever read. . . the sins of the world were passing in dumb show before him. Things that he had dimly dreamed of were suddenly made real to him. Things of which he had never dreamed were gradually revealed” (Wilde 154). The societal standards of beauty often lead to immoral acts, a society that believes vampires possess eternal beauty often fail to see that, “The act of penetrating skin with teeth recalls both violence and eroticism and Stoker used this connection to convey the Victorian image of sex as innately dangerous: having sex with a vampire