Wilde’s one and only novel certainly will make the readers think of the Greek mythical figure Narcissus (who fell in love with his own reflection) whose echoes has reverberated loudly all throughout the story, but The Picture also has its own uniqueness. It tells the story of a young, gorgeous socialite in 19th century London who is painted in a portrait. He half-heartedly prays that the painting, and not he, to bear the burden of age and sin which came true. When years passed and Dorian’s youthful appearance remained while his portrait decayed, it becomes apparent that his wish has been granted. Today, both the young and the aging can relate to Dorian, who could not imagine becoming old. Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born on 16 October 1854, in Dublin, Ireland, the second of three children born to poet Jane Francesca Agnes née …show more content…
His siblings were named William and Isola. After his initial years of home-schooling, he entered Trinity College in Dublin then went on to study the classics at Magdalen College, Oxford, England. It was here that he came under the influence of writer and critic Walter Pater. In 1891 Wilde met English poet Lord Alfred Douglas "Bosie", son of John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry. The Maquess disapproved of his son and Oscar’s relationship and later on accused Oscar of promiscuity. Wilde, found guilty of gross indecency and sentenced two years of hard labor, turned to his pen and wrote many essays, poems, and letters including one to Alfred. The Picture played significance in Wilde’s famous trials and its historical aftermath. Long story short, when novel was released in 1891, the novel received a widely negative response due to the tale’s homosexual undertones. Later, the novel was used to try and prove Oscar’s guilt in court. At the Wilde trials of 1895, the opposing attorneys read aloud from “Dorian Gray,” calling it a