The+Picture+of+Dorian+Gray

=**Title of the Work**= __The Picture of Dorian Gray__ =Author= Oscar Wilde =Nationality/Ethnic Background= Dublin, Ireland =Genre and Sub-genres= Gothic fiction =Pertinent Biographical Information= Oscar Wilde was born on October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. His interest in literature likely came from his parents, as his mother was a poet and his father wrote books on folklore and other subjects. Though not openly gay, Wilde was well known as a homosexual. His sexuality was often used as means for attacks against him, as were his style of writing and involvement in the aesthetic and decadent movements of the time. He was imprisoned for homosexual acts in 1895, serving two years before being released in 1897. His health after his release was never as well as it had been, and Wilde died in late 1900. =Literary Historical Period/Movement and Pertinent Background= Wilde was a part of the aestheticism movement, which sought to free art from containing deeper meanings; Wilde believed that all art was meaningless, its only purpose was to convey beauty. __The Picture of Dorian Gray__ was published in 1890, during the start of modernism, and was republished in 1891 with the addition of James Vane going to find Dorian to make him own up to his actions, a modernistic move. =Major Characters, Their Relationships, Their Conflicts=
 * Dorian Gray -** A young man known for his good looks. The main character and initial friend of Basil Hallward. Dorian becomes entranced by Lord Henry's view of new Hedonism, sparking the initial turn to pleasure seeking.


 * Basil Hallward -** An artist who is initially friends with Dorian Gray, as well as Lord Henry Wotton. He introduces Lord Henry and Dorian, sparking Dorian's interest in him. Basil shows an infatuation with Dorian throughout the work.


 * Lord Henry Wotton -** A friend of Basil's who is a stereotype of the Victorian culture at the time. He introduces Dorian to the idea of "new Hedonism" and cultivates his pleasure seeking ways.


 * Sibyl Vane -** A poor young actress who falls in love with Dorian Gray. When Dorian realizes that their relationship has changed her performance skills for the worse, he breaks off their engagement. Sibyl subsequently kills herself.


 * James Vane -** James is the protective older brother of Sibyl who promises to kill anyone who harms her, including Dorian. He leaves early on in the plot to become a sailor, but returns to try and avenge Sibyl's death.

=Brief Plot Summary= The novel begins with Basil and Lord Henry mulling over the beautiful man in Basil's painting, Dorian Gray. Dorian, joining the men later on, quickly becomes acquainted with Lord Henry and becomes infatuated with his notion of a "new Hedonism". As he begins to follow Henry's school of thought more closely, his life begins to change. With his new found philosophy, he wishes that Basil's portrait of him would switch with his body, and the painting begins to grow old, leaving Dorian ageless. Later, Dorian meets his love interest in a theater, Sibyl Vane, becoming obsessed with her and subsequently proposing to her after seeing her perform in Romeo and Juliet. However, after seeing her perform later with Basil, her skills have been lost because of her love for Dorian interfering with her love of performance. Appalled, Dorian breaks off his engagement with her, as her performance skills were the only thing that appealed to his Hedonistic view of life. Following the break up, Sibyl commits suicide, and Dorian finds out the next morning by the word of Basil. He had intended to apologize, but was too late. Following this incident, Dorian notices that the portrait has changed for the first time. This is the first in a series of nearly two decade long indulgences that will later come to define Dorian's life. After years of degradation, Dorian is finally confronted by Basil. Showing him the painting and what has become of it, he and Dorian exchange words, with Basil ending up appalled that he had ever felt an interest in this man. Dorian, angered at what he has become and the subsequent fate of the painting, stabs and kills Basil. Blackmailing a chemist friend to destroy the body, Dorian continues his degradation, hanging around dim opium dens in the underground of London. His fate nearly catches up to him, with James Vane finding him and confronting him. James nearly kills him, but Dorian uses his agelessness to convince him that he could not have been involved with Sibyl nearly 20 years ago. James lets him go and is subsequently informed that the man was, in fact, Dorian Gray. Following the incident, Dorian is stalked by James Vane. He becomes paranoid, fearing for his life, yet he finds out after a while that James has been accidentally shot and killed whilst hiding around the farm at which Dorian is staying momentarily. Realizing what his deeds had brought him, Dorian pledges to stop his indulgent life style and for the first time, attempt to live well. He informs Henry of his intentions and gladly returns home to see a change in the portrait. When he returns, however, the portrait has gotten worse. Following an intense debate with himself over his life, decisions, philosophies, and all, he stabs the portrait in a rage, which results in Dorian's self slaughter. When his body is found by servants, it is old and decrepit, while the painting is like new.

=Motifs (Recurring Images, Ideas, Figures of Speech, Symbols, Colors) & Their Thematic Significance=
 * Basil's Portrait of Dorian** - The portrait shows how Dorian's appearance should be, the sin and aging that he has been spared; it serves as a mirror of his conscience, it shows the horror he did to Sibyl Vane, and the blood he spilled by murdering Basil.


 * Male Relationships** - The bonds between men play a large role in this novel. Basil's painting is based upon his adoration of Dorian, while Lord Henry wants to seduce Dorian to mold him into the image that he wants Dorian to be. This appreciation of youth and beauty forms into relationships between men. Because Wilde was a homosexual living in an intolerant society, he expressed what he refered to as a "refined lifestyle" through his novels.


 * White** - White usually connotates innocence, as it does to Dorian at the beginning of the novel; white portrays Dorian's boyhood, which Lord Henry finds so enchanting. And Basil uses white in Dorian's portrait when he finds out that Dorian sacrificed himself.


 * The Opium Dens** - Dorian flee's to the parlor in order to escape his troubles by inserting himself into a drug induced stupor, even though he has a canister of opium in his home, he flee's there after he murders Basil.


 * James Vane** - James represents the caricature of the avenging sibling, yet Wilde uses him as a representation of Dorian's conscience and forces him to own up to his sordid actions.


 * The Yellow Book** - The yellow book that Lord Henry gives to Dorian represents how much damage an individual will suffer if they completely give themselves over to art. We are never given the title of the book, yet Dorian insists upon living his life based on the experiences and actions in it.

=Quotations, Significant Actions/Events)= "It has been said that the great events of the world take place in the brain. It is in the brain, and the brain only, that the great sins of the world take place also." - In Chapter 2, Lord Henry begins his seduction of Dorian's mind with this quotation, he takes him back to a time in which beauty reigned. He is saying that sin is a figment of the imagination.

“Discord is to be forced to be in harmony with others. One’s own life—that is the important thing. As for the lives of one’s neighbours, if one wishes to be a prig or a Puritan, one can flaunt one’s moral views about them, but they are not one’s concern. Besides, Individualism has really the higher aim. Modern morality consists in accepting the standard of one’s age. I consider that for any man of culture to accept the standard of his age is a form of the grossest immorality.” - In chapter 2, Lord Henry spends a lot of time worrying over Dorian's development. Lord Henry's meaning underlies Darwinism, the fashionable belief at that time.

“You poisoned me with a book once. I should not forgive that. Harry, promise me that you will never lend that book to anyone. It does harm.” “My dear boy, you are really beginning to moralize. You will soon be going about like the converted, and the revivalist, warning people against all the sins of which you have grown tired. You are much too delightful to do that.... As for being poisoned by a book, there is no such thing as that. Art has no influence upon action. It annihilates the desire to act. It is superbly sterile. The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.” - chapter 19: In this exchange between Dorian and Lord Henry, Dorian pledges to live a more reformed life. Dorian blames Lord Henry for giving him the book that caused him to lead his life astray, however Lord Henry refuses to believe that a book could yield such power.

=Major Themes=
 * Art** - Wilde believed that art didn't have any other purpose than to convey beauty; he believed that art was relatively meaningless. The only two works of art in the novel: Basil's painting and the yellow, French book that Lord Henry gives to Dorian. Both serve a purpose, the painting acts as a mirror toward Dorian, showing him the physical dissipation that his own body has been spared, while the novel represents a map for Dorian that justifies and encourages his behavior. Art has no meaning, we as humans give it meaning through the personal emphasis and interpretation that find.


 * Sovereignty of Beauty and Youth** - Beauty is a important motif in this novel; it adds to the senses and is used to express purity and innocence world. Dorian is unaware of the impact his horrible actions have by focusing on the beauty of things. The society that Wilde presents us with, naturally values beauty, appearing young is also a necessary attribute. With youth and beauty come popularity and attention. Dorian does anything and everything he can to maintain his lavish life style and dashing looks. He suggests that the price that a person must pay to maintain these attributes is high, and Dorian gives nothing less than his soul. This idea that beauty and good looks reign above all other attributes is one of fleeting insecurity. The only reason people put such values on good looks is because they are not eternal, they shine bright then fade.


 * Superficial Society** -we live in a society that values appearances, which we can infer is founded upon a love of surfaces. Lord Henry and Dorian select their friends and associates not by the type of person they are, but how physically attractive they are. Even though Dorian does horrible things and abandons his morals, he still remains at the top of the London social elite because of his beauty. No matter what evil or corruption that it causes, beauty is the last thing that we, as humans, can abandon.


 * Influence gives Negative Consequences** - Lord Henry wants to gain influence over Dorian, as Basil has influence over him, which ultimately leads to Dorian's death. This novel prizes individualism, and says that the sacrifice of one's self, whether it be to another person or a work of art, leads to their destruction. Dorian lives only for himself yet he faces a destruction because he feels remorse. The only character that lives is Lord Henry because he lives for himself without conscious.