The Picture Of Dorian Wilde And Lord Henry Wotton And...

The male characters in both texts form their friendships with a goal of self-advancement in mind. In The Picture of Dorian Gray the friendship between Lord Henry Wotton and Dorian Gray is based on personal benefit. Lord Henry draws his pleasure from placing his own ideals into a younger, more apt body. He frequently discusses the, â€Å"exercise of influence,† describing it as, â€Å"terribly enthralling,† (Wilde ?). Lord Henry interjects his own ideals into Dorian’s mind through their discussions on the proper way to live life. Dorian, being manipulable, adopts Henry’s theories as fact. Henry exploits Dorian’s self-indulgence for personal pleasure. In return, Dorian derives his pleasure from living out the self-loving lifestyle that Lord Henry has†¦show more content†¦Dorian uses these illustrious items to forget the constant molding of his own soul. When Dorian confronts his poisoned soul he determines that it is, â€Å"sick to death,â⠂¬  and decides that salvation is impossible. In The Importance of Being Earnest Jack and Algernon’s constant Bunburying cause them to become distrustful. Rather than admit to their deception, both characters tell more lies in order to avoid scrutiny. When Jack is questioned about the whereabouts of his imaginary brother, Ernest, he reveals: CHASUBLE. Your brother Ernest dead? JACK. Quite dead (ask how to cite). Likewise, when Algernon is asked about his non-existent friend, Bunbury, he explains, â€Å"‘Oh! No! Bunbury doesnt live here. Bunbury is somewhere else at present. In fact, Bunbury is dead,†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (cite). Through this, Wilde shows that male friendships are based on selfish-habits and avoiding responsibilities. The males in both texts expose their own faults through hypocrisy. During a conversation between Dorian and Henry, the topic of influence arises. Dorian asks Henry why his friend, Basil Hallward, has deemed him a negative influence. Henry, the man whose main source of pleasure is placing his own ideals and theories on others, reasons that there, â€Å"‘is no such thing as a good influence,’† because, â€Å"‘to influence a person is to give him one’s own soul. He does not think his natural thoughts, or burn with his natural passions,’† (Wilde). This hypocrisy exposes HenryShow MoreRelatedThe Picture of Dorian Gray: C orruption Through Aestheticism1464 Words   |  6 PagesThe Picture of Dorian Gray: Corruption Through Aestheticism The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is the story of moral corruption by the means of aestheticism. In the novel, the well meaning artist Basil Hallward presets young Dorian Gray with a portrait of himself. After conversing with cynical Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian makes a wish which dreadfully affects his life forever. If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that I would give everythingRead More Essay on Picture of Dorian Gray: The Character of Lord Henry Wotten1670 Words   |  7 PagesCharacter of Lord Henry Wotten of The Picture of Dorian Gray  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The purpose of this essay is to explore the character of Lord Henry Wotten, from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde once said: I only know that Dorian Gray is a classic and deservedly. 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 GrayRead More Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay examples1731 Words   |  7 PagesOscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel by Oscar Wilde. The genre of this novel can be classified as a comedy of manners or a gothic novel. 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The Picture of Dorian Gray shows variations on the existence and purposesRead More Essay on The Picture of Dorian Gray as a Moral Book996 Words   |  4 Pages The Picture of Dorian Gray as a Moral Book nbsp; The Picture of Dorian Gray was a remarkably well-written book due to the reaction of its themes by society.nbsp; In the preface of the novel, Wilde introduces the opinion that ...there is no moral or immoral book.nbsp; Books are well written or badly written.nbsp; That is all.nbsp; Numerous views can be taken upon this fastidious comment.nbsp; Many would agree that Wilde is justifiably correct because the preface was written with theRead MoreThe Relationship between Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton1374 Words   |  6 PagesSet in the late 19th Century, Oscar Wilde wrote his only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, which is a story about debauchery and corruption of innocence and well known as a Gothic melodrama. Violent twists and a sneaky plot make this novel a distinct reflection of human pride and corrupt nature. Before we examine the quality of the error that Dorian Gray commits, we should first examine his friends and their relation to him because Dorian falls into this error with a little help from his friendsRead MoreMWDS The Picture of Dorian Gray1426 Words   |  6 PagesMWDS : The Picture of Dorian Gray ! AP English IV Title of Work: The Picture of Dorian Gray Author: Oscar Wilde Date of Publication: 1890 Genre: Gothic Biographical Information Oscar Wilde was born on October 16, 1854 to Sir William Wilde and Jane Wilde, the second of three children. Wilde studied at Oxford, and joined the Freemasons in 1878 after failing to join the Oxford Union. After graduation, he went home to Dublin and began writing poems. The Picture of Dorian Gray was his first and onlyRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray1432 Words   |  6 PagesIn The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, we see how the different characters show their love of beauty and pleasure and the affects they have on the main character: Dorian Gray. Each of the three main characters, Basil Hallward, Lord Henry Wotton, and Dorian Gray portray a part of how the author felt about himself and the world around him. â€Å"Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks of me: Dorian what I would like to be- in other ages, perhaps† (qtd. in Bloom pg. 117)Read MoreEssay about The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde497 Words   |  2 PagesThe Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde In the book, The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, there is a character named Lord Henry Wotton. He is the storys antagonist and whom critics often think most resembles Oscar Wilde. Wilde remarks Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks of me: Dorian what I would like to be-in other ages perhaps. Within the preface of The Picture Of Dorian Gray, there lie the lines Those who go beneath the symbol do so at theirRead 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. It is the current that requires a co-operation