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The Picture of Dorian Gray Summary of novel: Dorian Gray, the beautiful, talented, charming young man, has managed to capture the hearts of both men and women alike during nineteenth-century England. His incredible purity has attracted Lord Henry Wotton, who vies for his attention with Basil Hallward, a trusting and gentle artist. Basil, having poured his soul into a wonderful portrait of Dorian, resents the recent closeness between Lord Henry and the boy. The portrait that Basil did of Dorian turned out marvelously; it was almost a perfect likeness. In a heated moment, Dorian wishes that his portrait bear the suffering for his sins. He realizes that his fervent wish came true when his fianc e actress Sybil Vane kills herself.
As time progresses, Dorian realizes that his portrait becomes more and more hideous, bearing the burden of age and wrongdoing while he remains young and carefree. Dorian continues his glorious lifestyle, making friends, causing trouble, and passing his time at Opium bars or clubs, not caring who he hurts. Eventually, the burden of his horrible secret becomes too much for him to bear, and he shows Basil Hallward what has become of the portrait. In another heated moment, Dorian decides that he cannot possibly continue life while his friend knows all the horror he has done. The solution?
Nothing other than to kill Basil. Dorian stabs Basil in the back of the head, and has his body burned. No one found out, Dorian remains beautiful, and blood appears on the portraits hands. Eventually, Dorian becomes desperate for a release once more from the horrid burden of his portrait, and, deciding to live the clean life, stabs the portrait in the heart.
Ultimately, the picture was restored to its original beauty, and there lies Dorian, dead and disgusting on the floor, with a knife through his heart. The only way he could be identified was by the rings on his fingers. Quite sad that something so superficial should be the only way in which to recognize a person, however Dorian lived for such materialistic things, and was not the only one during that period to do so. Historical Significance: In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde doesn t hesitate to make reference to previous literary works or historical events. He weaves into his plot Greek mythology, comparing his characters to Greek gods and goddesses, or to Shakespearean tragic heroes.
The novel is based on artistic idolatry, an issue that was prevalent during the nineteenth century. Art during that time was becoming increasingly popular amongst the middle classes. Churches and the aristocracy no longer had the same demand for paintings and sculpture as in the past, and the middle class began to acquire more taste and appreciation for such items. Just as the middle class increased in numbers and power during the French Revolution, they increased their education during nineteenth century England. When The Picture of Dorian Gray was published, England s reading public was expanding to include the most minor of citizens the working class. This period was referred to by many as the Second English Enlightenment.
During this time, authors and critics alike were fighting to get readers to think in terms of realism as opposed to the neoclassical ideals. The novel, in Wilde s typical Aesthetic style, focuses largely on the lavish lifestyles of the upper classes in England, as well as details the grand dealings of infamous world leaders like King Charles and Catherine the Great. Wilde also outlines the superficial fancies of the time period in which he wrote, describing the obsessions with expensive brocades, art, clothing, perfumes a testament to the era of the Enlightenment. Wilde provides the reader with pages upon pages regarding the glory of life in the past, be it during the Enlightenment or in an ancient Greek city. Dorian Gray, the main character in the novel, has a complete lack of morality. His lacks of, in his words, creed or system represent the common man and his way of life during a time when the church was playing a less prominent role in society.
For a season, he [Dorian] inclined to the materialistic doctrines of the Darwinism s movement in Germany (Wilde, 93). Dorian s comfort in Opium bars take the place of man s finding solace in God. The Picture of Dorian Gray embraces the cruelty between men, the denial of ones conscience, and daily life in a time when the flood of new ideas and styles threatened to crack the foundation upon which man had found comfort. 33 c
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Research essay sample on Picture Of Dorian Gray Basil Hallward
