How Art Relates to Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian...

How Art Relates to Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel about a young, handsome, and vain man who has his portrait painted, and impulsively wishes that he could forever remain just as handsome as he is in the painting -- that the painting would age instead of him. He gets his wish in a most eerie way; as, with passing years, he becomes increasingly dissolute and evil, while the changes that one would expect to appear on his face are reflected in the portrait instead. What this book is about, clearly, is feelings and appearances becoming real. This motif is echoed and re-echoed throughout the book. Early in the novel, Sir Henry Wotten -- a cynical†¦show more content†¦Similarly, Lord Henry observes of Dorian that Ordinary people waited till life disclosed to them its secrets, but to the few, to the elect, the mysteries of life were revealed before the veil was drawn away. Sometimes this was the effect of art, and chiefly of the art of literature, which dealt immediately with the passions and the intellect. But now and then a complex personality took the place and assumed the office of art, was indeed, in its way, a real work of art, life having its elaborate masterpieces, just as poetry has, or sculpture, or painting (Wilde, 72). Dorian, Lord Henry is arguing, actually is a plastic, organic work of art, in a continual state of progress. Yet if Dorian is a work of art, the painting is real life. It is clear that the only character in the book who is consistently honest and straightforward is the painting, which reflects the changes that Dorians own face should reflect as his personality becomes more and more evil. Here Wilde may be reflecting his own interest in a turn-of-the-century movement in art and literature known as Decadence -- a movement which disavowed the existence of wholesomeness and purity in the world, and perceived only evil and corruption. Seen in this sense, The Picture of Dorian Gray becomes a psychological study of a nature – and of an art movement -- which was dominated by a passion for sin. The persona Oscar WildeShow MoreRelatedThe Influences of Oscar Wilde The Picture of Dorian Gray1582 Words   |  7 PagesThe Influences of Oscar Wilde Throughout his life Oscar Wilde had many strong influences exerted upon him. During his early childhood his mother influenced him and into college some of his professors and certain philosophers left a substantial impression upon him. Into adulthood these influences leaked out in his writing. These influences gave him ample ideas for writing The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wildes study of the Hellenistic ideals of Epicurus, his coddled lifestyle as a child and his devotionRead MoreModern Society as a Reflection of the Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde1460 Words   |  6 Pagessuch as Oscar Wilde’s only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray have incited modern adaptations and the appropriation of these texts into modern culture. This text display cultural and literary disciplines entrenched in superficial concepts that have since become common in today’s shallow society. Contemporary texts such as the 2004 film The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (based on the comic book o f the same name) directed by Stephen Norrington, not only visualise the character of Dorian Gray but alsoRead MoreModern Society As A Reflection Of The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde1432 Words   |  6 Pagessuch as Oscar Wilde’s only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray have incited modern adaptations and the appropriation of these texts into modern culture. This text display cultural and literary disciplines entrenched in superficial concepts that have since become common in today’s shallow society. Contemporary texts such as the 2004 film The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (based on the comic book of the same name) directed by Stephen Norrington, not only visualise the character of Dorian Gray but alsoRead MoreThe Theme of Decadence in the Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde1553 Words   |  7 PagesThe theme of decadence in The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde Staring from the definition found in the dictionary, the decadence is a literary movement especially of late 19th-century France and England characterized by refined aestheticism, artifice, and the quest for new sensations. [1] In decadence, important is not necessarily what is seen, but the hermeneutics: what man feels when he sees the creative result of this feeling. 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With this in mind, this essay is aimed at looking at how Lord Henry Wotton manipulates various conversations and how he effects the story with his challenging speeches, which is the reason The Picture of Dorian Gray is a classic.Read MoreOscar Wilde s The Picture Of Dorian Gray1998 Words   |  8 PagesRackshana Sithirasenan Mr. Cimetta ENG4U1-01 24 November 2014 Dorian’s Pursuit Towards Hedonism Dorian Gray once told Henry The soul . . . can be bought, and sold. It can be poisoned, or made perfect (Wilde 213). Likewise, it would not be beneficial for one to sacrifice their soul with an exception of exchanging it in order to attain perfection. Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray explores the themes and ideologies of Hedonism and Aestheticism. 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In the article, she talks about gender roles and societal expectations along with the ways characters in the play conform to or reject them. Although the essay is written by a student at McKendree University, the writing is not difficult to understand. This essay is well-documented and seems unbiasedRead MoreWhen Art Imitates Art757 Words   |  3 PagesMusic and L iterature On an everyday basis the world around us offers us a great deal of information and variety, of enlightening art and the dumbing down entertainment. Many people have fallen into the trap of dismissing anything that is not considered fine art as culturally and intellectually inferior. The restrictive nature of this approach leaves us with an elitist viewpoint and a sense of supremacy. And when talking about supremacy, whether it is white, black or even cultural, it is in no way