He is a representative of London's high society and immoral views on life. The only thing which is valuable for him is the beauty. That is why we recognize him as the main thing which spoiled Dorian. 8. James Vane, Sibyl's brother, was accidently shot and killed at the hunting grounds while spying on Dorian.
He was incredibly cruel towards Sibyl Vane and caused her to commit suicide. Due to Lord Henry’s influence he does not blame himself, yet he blames Sibyl for acting poorly. As the cruel actions continue Dorian gets deeper and deeper into the lifestyle of Lord Henry, to the point where he shrugs off a loved one's death as it is nothing. Sibyl’s purely innocent personality contrasted with Dorian’s cruel and hedonistic life which shows just how Dorian is developing as a
While The Picture of Dorian Gray has no devil figure, Lord Henry is a similar character in the way that he introduces Dorian into his new lifestyle. Lord Henry is also the one who implanted the idea of Dorian’s beauty not lasting forever, so he tempted Dorian Gray into his lifestyle, similar to how Mephistopheles tempted Faust into their adventures. Some other characters that fill similar roles include the love interests for Faust and Dorian, Gretchen and Sibyl. Both Gretchen and Sibyl also have brothers who do not approve of their involvement with the main
The researcher decides Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray and Fitzgerald’s The Beautiful and Damned to be the objects of the study on inferiority and superiority complex causing hedonistic lifestyle in main character. The first reason, both of literary works cover the changing of each life of the main character, society and ultimately the individual. Second, they both share the same social background of the main character in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian, displays a well-respected young man. He doesn’t recognize his own beauty until he sees it reflected in Basil’s portrait, and, once he does, it’s all too late. While Anthony in The Beautiful and Damned is illustrates reaching pleasure as the lifestyle and it becomes a habit.
Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most influential writer of all time, as he was one of the first writers to explore darker themes through literature such as death and revenge. He has revolutionized the gothic genre for years to come. Throughout the many gothic works of Edgar Allan Poe including, The Raven, The Cask of Amontillado, and many more; Poe gives a unsettling tone which defines most of his writing. Poe tries to do this through incorporating specific literary techniques like erie imagery and cryptic diction.
The term Gothic is expressed in various ways throughout chapters nineteen and twenty of The Picture of Dorian Gray. One example used in the novel is hysteria as Dorian asks “What would you say, Harry, if I told you that I had murdered Basil?” (203). Lord Henry laughs and responds with a statement that murder is too vulgar for a man like Dorian. Dorian seems to be having a nervous breakdown in this scene, almost like he wants to be told that he is not responsible for Basil’s death and Lord Henry is catering to his want to be complemented.
These three main characters had different personality that made the story more interesting. Dorian Gray was full of himself wishing to remain in youth, in return, he was willing to sacrifice his own soul and unfortunately his wish came true. Thus, this makes Dorian Gray commit all the sins he wants and only the portrait got affected as he become immortal and not aging, not a single wrinkle in his face. Second character is Lord Henry which was Basil’s friend when Dorian Gray first met him. Lord Henry enthralled Dorian Gray with his world view, which was an extreme hedonism form as he assumed that the only worthwhile life of a person spent was by pursuing beauty and satisfaction for the senses.
In The Picture, there are no ghosts haunting and monsters from nightmares made an appearance, as is the case in Gothic novels like Frankenstein, but motifs The Picture contained definitely counts it in the Gothic genre and twisted aesthecism. The monster is Dorian himself, both to himself and others. Some actions of Dorian alluded to affect other unmentioned victims in and out of his social circle. While giving into the hedonistic values that he read in the “yellow book” (Wilde 146) gifted to him by Lord Henry and never named in the text, Dorian acts callously and with selfishness towards others.
At the end of the book, he has lost all of his innocence and gained cruelty. Bad company and objects are what causes Dorian Gray 's corruption. Basil Hallward is a painter who wants to paint Dorian 's picture. He is a quiet and unchangeable man. When he first meets Dorian, they talk about how it was destiny for them to meet.
The genre of the novel is a terror, drama, psychology, humanitarianisms, romance and paranormal components. The Picture of Dorian Gray begins on a beautiful season day in Victorian-era England where Lord Henry Wotton, a determined man, is observing the sensitive artist Basil Hallward painting the painting of Dorian Gray, a handsome young man who is Basil 's ultimate inspiration. Though sitting for the painting, Dorian listens to Lord Henry adopting his hedonistic worldview and begins to think that beauty is the only aspect of life worth trying. This encourages Dorian to wish that the painted image of himself would age in his stead.
Basil attempts desperately to lead Dorian to decency, to hold onto the perfect image of Dorian, being the one and only force of goodness in his life. He cannot accept the reality of Dorian’s actions after being influenced by Lord Henry. Basil’s good nature can be seen through the fact that he never loses faith that Dorian can change his ways and become the innocent, naïve boy he once painted and loved unconditionally. This goodness backfires after Dorian kills Basil. He had reached a point in his life in which he had lost his consciences and his corruption was out of control.
Influence in The Picture of Dorian Gray And The Book of Job The Picture of Dorian gray is a book written by Oscar Wilde and it was published in 1880. The book was later revised by addition of more chapters and reprinted in April 1891. Dorian Gray is the main character in this book that is described as a beautiful and unspoiled male who changes his life completely by sinning and pleasure after meeting Lord Henry. Basil Hallward who is a painter develops obsession for Dorian because of his beauty whereas Lord Henry Wotton Basil’s friend influences Dorian with his theories about life, pleasure and women even though he had no intention of changing Dorian’s personality. Lord Henry’s influence in Dorian leads to his downfall.
Represented in Dorian, the portrait and Sibyl’s story. These are clearly against Biblic ideals, from the point of view of Christianity; the vice is an attempt of suicide, which contradicts the commandment of “not to kill”. The devil is against god and finally, homosexuality goes against the Christian the principles of family and marriage. All of these, according to the Victorian society appear on the Picture of Dorian Gray, therefore the book has an immoral content. When it was published, The Picture of Dorian Gray was seen as an immoral book due to the use of the unspeakable and the moral decay it shows.
Once he realized it was only a reflection he became depressed and committed suicide. Both Dorian Gray and Narcissus destroy themselves with narcissistic tendencies through both novels. They destroy not only who they were before, but they destroy sibyl vane and echo also. Once Dorian basically makes sibyl kill herself, he sees himself as a monster which only makes the plot of the novel go farther, this is what makes him obsessed with the portrait. Narcissus with rejecting echo gets what he deserves as he falls madly in love with himself and slowly realizes he could not actually have himself as a partner which destroy him mentally and
It becomes a kind of conscience, and it reminds Dorian constantly of the evil at the heart of his nature. In “The Picture of Dorian Gray” are present plenty gothic elements. Some of them are: the evil, the bargain with the devil, the secret room, the scary atmosphere.
