Themes, Motifs and Symbols in Oscar Wilde’s the Picture of...

Themes, motifs and symbols in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray The only published novel by Oscar Wilde, which appeared in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in 1890, was seen as immoral and scandalous, so the editors of the magazine censored about five hundred words without Wilde’s knowledge. Even with that, the novel was not received very well. Disappointed with this, Wilde revised his novel, added a preface, where he explains his philosophy of art, and six new chapters. Since Wilde was devoted to aestheticism, he believed that art had no purpose, nor moral nor political, because art is beautiful and therefore has worth. His attitude was revolutionary, since Victorian England believed that art could be used for social education and†¦show more content†¦For a period of time, Dorian has only one goal in life, and lives according to it, not paying attention to his conscience, and that goal is only pleasure. On the other hand, Dorian’s portrait represents his conscience and haunts him. The portrait knows his crimes, it rem inds Dorian of the cruelty he has shown towards Sybil Vane, and the murder of Basil Hallward. Another motif which plays a large role in Oscar Wilde’s novel is the homoerotic bond between men. Basil’s portrait of Dorian develops from his adoration of Dorian’s beauty, and Lord Henry has a strong desire to seduce Dorian. This relationship between men represents aesthetic values that Wilde was fighting for, because it brought him back to antique times, when youth and beauty was appreciated most, and it was fundamental in society and often expressed through a relationship between two men. Since Wilde was a homosexual himself, living in an intolerant society, fighting for this philosophy was his way of justifying his lifestyle. He thought homosexuality was a sign of refined culture and not a sin. He thought that a relationship between an elder and a younger man resembled the tradition of Plato, Michelangelo and Shakespeare. The use of the white colour can represent Dorian’s transition from the figure of innocence to the figure of degradation. White usually implies innocence and blankness, and it is true in the case when the readers are first introduced withShow MoreRelatedThe 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-operationRead MoreHomosexuality in Victorian Literature Essay1847 Words   |  8 Pagesmodesty and propriety meant that there were few ways in which sexuality could be discussed openly in a social setting. Gothic narrative served as an outlet. In Victorian Supernatural fiction, the anxieties surrounding homosexuality is a very prominent theme. However, due to the cultural status of homosexuality as taboo, the subject is heavily veiled in literature. In John Mead Faulkners `The Lost Stradivarius, the story appears to be about a young mans obsession with a wonderful musical instrumentRead MoreA Streetcar Named Desire: the Importance of Being Earnest9437 Words   |  38 PagesThe Importance of being earnest Themes Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. The Nature of Marriage Marriage is of paramount importance in The Importance of Being Earnest, both as a primary force motivating the plot and as a subject for philosophical speculation and debate. The question of the nature of marriage appears for the first time in the opening dialogue between Algernon and his butler, Lane, and from this point on the subject never disappears