In a world where individualism is cherished, and everyone cares only for their sole interests, influence over people is admired, some even consider it an art of the spoken word. Oftentimes, people influence other people without wanting to. Unconsciously, they alter the thoughts of the influenced mind, creating a new, different person. Similarly, in the book The Picture of Dorian Grey, by Oscar Wilde, several characters fall prey to the art of influence. The protagonist, Dorian Grey, is influenced by several people during his lifetime, such as Lord Henry, a rich, upper class gentleman that introduces Dorian to hedonism, and Basil Hallward, an artist that is enchanted by Dorian’s appearance.
2. The bulk of Chapter 11 lists, page after page, the various pursuits of Dorian's adult life. In these lists, Wilde shows the result of Dorian's chosen path. The reader sees the peculiar kind of hell that Dorian inhabits because of his pact; Wilde delivers a strong judgement against the dangers of decadence. The lengthy passages describing Dorian's study of perfumes, music, jewels, and embroideries border on being tedious.
Victoria had very strong personal standards of morality which led to the time period surrounding her life being known as a very prudish age. It became known as the Victorian era. Queen Victoria
Throughout the Victorian era, poetry was used to express ideologies of individuals portraying both dominant and opposing views. 'Jabberwocky ', one of Lewis Carroll 's most successful pieces, had significantly altered the perspective that audiences had on reality by challenging these more dominant ideologies. This poem must be incorporated into the anthology, 'The Best Poems in the English Language ', as it presents ideologies through themes that challenge those dominant of the Victorian era. The Victorian era, which took place between the years of 1837-1901, was the period of Queen Victoria 's reign, which brought about change to the economy; new use of language, and views on religion. Essentially, the Victorian era contradicted all of
Relatively all authors are very fond of creating an underlying message to criticize society. Authors do this through social commentary. The book “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is no exception. The author, Oscar Wilde, criticizes the upper class through the consistent underlying idea that people are often deceived by one's beauty and are unable to understand the poison that fills the world is corrupting it. From the beginning of this book, the social commentary towards the upper class begins with the structure of the novel.
Through this satirical writing, Wilde uses comparison of beauty and industrialism and juxtaposition between compliments and criticism to paint American social values as backwards and unappealing in order to dispel the glamour of a romantic American culture.
Dorian Gray and the Greyness of the Human Experience Everyone knows the cliché phrase; if you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything. And like the not-well-known Costa Rican saying goes; if the river sounds rocks it brings; in other words there is some truth to every rumor and rumor has it there is segregation of choice. The consequence of each choice depends on its nature but surely damnation sits on one end and tittering can tilt things in unfavorable directions. This is the truth Oscar Wilde’s novel on late Victorian society sets out to prove.
Oscar Wilde’s satirical play The Importance of Being Earnest, set in the late Victorian era, London, is a portrayal of British upper class society and its conventions surrounded by a strict code of conduct. In 1890’s class society, earnestness was desired; to follow the moral code and social obligations in order to keep up one’s appearance. Besides, there was a huge gender disparity between men and women. In the play, Wilde criticizes the social inequality and Victorian upper class standards. He characterizes Victorian personae making fun of their qualities; hypocrisy, arrogance and absurdism, ultimately the very vital state and lifeline of not being earnest at all in Victorian society.
arch 2018 The Importance of Being Earnest: Oscar Wilde’s Criticism on the Upper Class Using humor, cleverness, and style, Oscar Wilde illustrates the lives of the Victorian upper class in The Importance of Being Earnest. More specifically, the “Trivial Comedy for Serious People” reveals in a satirical manner the insignificant concerns of Great Britain’s aristocracy. In the introduction of The Picture of Dorian Gray and Other Writings, editor Richard Ellmann creates an overview of Wilde’s best known work.
Victorian Era The Victorian Era lasted about 63 years, ranging from the 18th to the 19th century. Full of dance, literature, art, and music. Granted some of those things did not flourish as well as others, but are still just as great when it comes to the entertainment factor of the Victorian era. MUSIC, Most music in the Victorian era was found in music halls or saloons, meaning, that music was one of the things that did not take off as well as art or literature.
Firstly, through the characters of Algernon Moncrieff and Jack Worthing, Wilde toys with gender stereotypes. As Victorian men, it was unusual for men to have interests or behavior that was often associated with Victorian women. For instance, in the play, Algernon spent extravagant amounts of money on clothes and other luxuries, which was behavior often associated with women at the time. He also spent
As well as being charismatic and likeable, Wilde was extremely witty; he had a way with words that served him well both in his career and in his personal relationships. He was also a dandy, dressing in outrageously flamboyant costumes with an attitude to match. He valued beauty and extravagance, leading a comfortable and privileged life while taking care to present a flawless image of himself. However, Wilde could not hide his homosexual tendencies, which would eventually lead to his downfall. Imprisoned in 1896 under charges of sodomy, Wilde began a slow decline during his two years in jail, moving to Paris upon his release and ultimately dying alone in 1900 (Harris).
Another theme illustrated through Wilde’s use of motifs and symbols is the theme of superficiality. The theme of superficiality can be understood as a sense of the superficial view of outer beauty that is shown in the work. It relates to the concept of remaining young, which is an important factor of what is shown in the novel. This is an important part of the novel because outer beauty plays a bigger role for Dorian, than inner beauty does. In the beginning of the novel, Lord Henry and Dorian have a conversation that focuses on the topic of youth and Dorian 's outer beauty – Lord Henry mentions the fact that Dorian has a beautiful face, and later during this conversation, Lord Henry states that: “youth is the only thing worth having…”
This essay illustrates how Wilde reinforce his criticism of the upper class at a satirical tone with his writing style at three levels: inter-scene, intra-scene, and within a word. Satire at the inter-scene level The use of fake identities is one of the motifs of the play. The use of motif is important to
Wilde is greatly influenced by the societal movements in the Victorian Era, therefore the theme of hedonism is prominent displaying the influence of Aestheticism in The Picture of Dorian Gray and further explaining the consequences of selfishness and self-pleasure. The Aestheticism movement shockingly challenged all past standards of love, pleasure, and sexuality. Specifically this Victorian movement “promotes sexual… experimentation. ”(Burdett)
