Modern Society As A Reflection Of The Picture Of Dorian...

Traditional gothic fiction was at the height of its popularity during the Victorian era, it exploded in the 1790’s and continued its reign well into the 1800’s. This confrontational style of fiction often blurs the lines of realistic and artificial, forcing readers to challenge their beliefs and surpass the norm. However, the aspect of gothic fiction that was most attractive to the Victorian audience was the way human fears and societal tensions were reflected in the deliberately fictionalised literary works. Themes such as the human greed for immortality and eternal beauty that underlie key gothic texts such as Oscar Wilde’s only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray have incited modern adaptations and the appropriation of these texts into†¦show more content†¦These fears have now been appropriated into popular culture via novels such as A Picture of Dorian Gray where â€Å"it is implied in Dorian’s wish and in his perpetual alliance with [a] deperso nalised devil† (5) that he desires not only prolonged, but eternal youth. This key gothic text was fundamental in influencing the strong value and yearning for immortality in contemporary culture. One of the most renown and distinguished novels of the twentieth century has its basis as a later manifestation of Wilde’s 1890 text. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, the first in J.K. Rowling’s seven part series has taken many of its core themes from previously articulated texts. The human desire for immortality and the evil that associates with this unnatural aspiration is embedded in today’s popular culture, where science and cosmetics are pushing us closer to the verge of eternal life; as we continue to extend our lives unnaturally. Both Wilde and Rowling depict mans craving for immortality as â€Å"a mad wish,† using similar themes to express this predisposition. Dorian Gray in all his immortal glory is displayed as a sinister being that is no t wholly human and therefore â€Å"walks apart in the haunts of men,†(4) Unable to truly relate to anyone he dedicates himself to the life of the Aesthete putting his own pleasure before everything else moral or otherwise. Similarly, Lord Voldemort is isolated from birth and engages in the Dark Arts as a form of companionship.Show MoreRelatedModern 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 of the same name) directed by Stephen Norrington, not only visualise the character of Dorian Gray but alsoRead MoreOscar Wilde s Th e Picture Of Dorian Gray1544 Words   |  7 Pagescelebrity I find that it is inevitable to avoid being a part of some sort of controversy. At the height of Oscar Wilde’s career is where he found himself in just that. Although Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray is praised today, in the late 1800s it was seen by others as a negative shift in society and literature. In the film â€Å"Wilde†, after the release of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde’s wife Constance and his mother Jane have a conversation in regards to the novel that gives insight toRead MoreOscar Wilde s The Picture Of Dorian Gray1656 Words   |  7 PagesVictorian Era, although being known as the beginning of modern times, still embraced some radical views that today we would associate as prudishness and repression. In 1890, author Oscar Wilde wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray and submitted it to Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine. The magazine’s editor, J.M. Stoddert, immedi ately declined the novel and determined that it would offend the sensibilities of his readership (Wilde x). It was believed that Oscar Wilde’s book contained explicit sexual, especiallyRead More Comparing the Myth in Ovid’s Echo and Narcissus and Wilde’s Dorian Gray3137 Words   |  13 PagesEcho and Narcissus and Wilde’s Dorian Gray  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Each time a story is told, elements of the original are often changed to suit new situations and current societies, or to offer a new perspective. Over the centuries, Ovid’s tale of Echo and Narcissus has been told many times to new audiences, and in the late nineteenth-century, it took the form of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Echo and Narcissus is the tale of a beautiful boy who fell in love with his reflection in a pond, and spurned othersRead MoreThe Picture of Dorian Gray 1823 Words   |  8 Pagespleasure is the most important aspect of life. In the picture of Dorian Gray, Aestheticism and Hedonism are very active philosophies used by the novel’s characters. Lord Henry influences Dorian to follow these teachings, and as a result Dorian becomes intensely vain and selfish. The portrait is in direct correlation with the immoral influence and the intense vanity. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde effectively uses the portrait of Dorian Gray as a sy mbol to satirize the adverse effects thatRead More Homosexuality in the Works of Oscar Wilde Essay3123 Words   |  13 PagesHomosexuality in Oscar Wildes Work      Ã‚  Ã‚   I turned half way around and saw Dorian Gray for the first time. I knew that I had come face to face with someone whose mere personality was so fascinating that, if I allowed it to do so, it would absorb my whole nature, my whole soul, my very art itself (7). During the Victorian era, this was a dangerous quote. The Victorian era was about progress. It was an attempt aimed at cleaning up the society and setting a moral standard. The Victorian eraRead MoreThe Monster Dorian Gray Essay2259 Words   |  10 PagesIn the Victorian era where vanity was the main attraction, Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray gave insight into the true horrors that came of this sinful nature. Wilde was a very controversial figure and he meant to stir the pot when he wrote this disputed story. He believed that literature was not only meant for the imagination, but for the moral mind as well. In The Picture of Dorian Gray he depicts the importance of becoming a well rounded individual and also explains himself. In oneRead MoreSocial Struggle : Mrs. Dalloway And The Picture Of Dorian Gray1439 Words   |  6 PagesSocial Struggle in Turn of the Century and Modern Narratives Throughout history there have been struggles in social relationships relating to class, race and sex. These struggles have been recorded in narratives such as Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, Gene Luen Lang’s The Shadow Hero and Tate Taylor’s The Help throug ¬h the characters lifestyles, wealth/ lack thereof and behavior. Each of these authors, playwrights and artists give insightful portrayals ofRead MoreGothic Literature and Romantic Literature2607 Words   |  11 Pagesparallels that exist between Great Expectations and Wuthering Heights compared to Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray. In Picture of Dorian Gray, Gray deteriorates mentally. Dorian Gray is a man who is content with his appearance and stability in life. He is fascinated by his collection of foreign items. This collection of foreign items paints a picture of Gray’s fall into ruin. Gray starts his collection with exotic items that are ornate and interesting to look at. They are beautifulRead MoreGap Between Literary Gothic and Pornography1719 Words   |  7 Pages As a society, we are confronted daily with pornographic images, they feature in our newspapers, on our film screens, and even in our novels. This voyeuristic obsession the media holds has for a long time been desensitizing us to depictions of violence and sex, but has it also disabled us in being able to see the difference between what is carefully constructed satire and what is merely pornography? There is probably no text this discussion embraces more in modern gothic literature than that