Examples Of Aestheticism In The Picture Of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde was one of the most famous writers in the history of England. He lived in the 19th century and was one of the major contributors to the Aesthetic movement. He was a spokesperson for aestheticism. He tried his hand at various literary activities. He was an Irish playwright, novelist, essayist and poet. He refined his ideas about the importance of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of duplicity, beauty and decadence. He incorporated all these vital characteristics that define the supremacy of art into his only novel The Picture of Dorian gray written in 1890. This novel bore the true essence of what an aesthetic literature brought to the table. The strong themes of beauty, narcissism, and†¦show more content†¦The portrayal of women, as nothing more than props; as household decorations and people of leisure and entertainment without any intellect or wit calls to question of how Wilde’s views of women are. It has been conjectured that the reason for this apathy for women characterization is due to his sexual orientation. He being a homosexual brings about the idea that he doesn’t want a female character with a decent role or to ever be in the position to ever sexualize a female character. The Character Henry Wotton is a very powerful and dominant character. He is an intelligent man and never lets up a moment to propagate his hedonistic and misogynistic viewpoints. It is believed that Lord Henry is the mouthpiece that Wilde uses to voice his own views and opinions. So, we can, to some extent, associate Lord Henry to Wilde and question his viewpoints on people and society. One of his quotes extracted from the novel illustrates how he talks about women- â€Å"My dear boy, no woman is a genius. Women are a decorative sex. They never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals† (4.9) This quote was taken from one of the many sage advices that Lord Henry imparts to Dorian. Dorian was a kid who was brought up humble, gentle and was taught notShow MoreRelatedThe Picture Of Dorian Gray Aestheticism Analysis1585 Words   |  7 Pagesclaim made by Oscar Wilde in the preface to his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (3). Along with the rest of Wilde’s preface, this sentence rebukes literary realism in favor of aestheticism. This is unsurprising to anyone who is familiar with the playwright’s other plays and lectures; Wilde was an avid opponent of realism and a firm believer in the concept of â€Å"art for art’s sake.† Critic Elizabeth Prettejohn claims that aestheticism includes a focus on the visual elements of a piece of art. OscarRead MoreThe Picture of Dorian Grey, by Oscar Wilde771 Words   |  4 Pagespeople; and is filled with hardships and trouble over â€Å"doing the right thing†. One quality cannot be held without losi ng the other, due to their conflicting natures. While the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray brings out the central question â€Å"Is it better to pursue Aesthetics or Morality?† it describes the life of Dorian Gray, who constantly sought to maintain his appearance at the cost of his morals, and answers the question by revealing the consequences of living Mr. Gray’s â€Å"beautiful† lifestyle. InRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray Character Analysis830 Words   |  4 Pagesand the way the characters themselves interact with both their own thoughts and the world around them. In the works chosen, the appearances of the characters to be analyzed fall on opposite ends of the spectrum of aestheticism. Dorian Gray, from Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray possesses an â€Å"...extraordinary personal beauty (Wilde 1),† one that controls other character’s reception of him, as well as affecting his own inner thoughts, for he knows that he seen as beautiful. On the oppositeRead MoreAestheticism In Oscar Wildes The Picture Of Dorian Gray1532 Words   |  7 PagesINTRODUCTION Aestheticism, which found its footing in Europe in the early nineteenth century, proposed that art ‘need not serve moral, political, or otherwise didactic ends.’ Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde was a dramatic leader in promoting the movement near the end of the nineteenth century. The English essayist Walter Pater, an advocate of art for arts sake, helped to form society’s aesthetics in which they was more concerned with the self, than with popular movements like IndustrialismRead MoreThe Picture of Dorian Gray 1823 Words   |  8 PagesAestheticism is a philosophy in which its followers practice complete self-indulgence. Aesthetic principles teach that the arts, beauty, and youth are absolute over anything else. People who follow this philosophy are very egotistical, and are extremely concerned with appearances. It is often associated with jewelry, painting, music, and perfumes. (insert quote to prove) All followers of Aestheticism put activities pertainin g to beauty above anything else. Their priorities hold beauty above attributesRead MoreAbstract Aestheticism in Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray2148 Words   |  9 Pagesexpression, but also one of social advancement. With this idea at its forefront, art suddenly inundated places where art was never previously found, such as social education and morality. In contrast, Oscar Wilde was a key advocate of an idea known aestheticism, a concept that relied on art simply being art. Oscar Wilde played a major role in Victorian England, having a major influence through his writing. At its peak the movement had a disdain for any traditional, natural, political, or moral ideals;Read MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray Essay1871 Words   |  8 Pagesexception. In creating the story of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde used his experience of sitting in on a painting session, done by a Basil Ward. He then proceeded to comment on how it would be amazing if the painting aged while the subject of the painting did not. Throughout the novel, we notice this kind of lifestyle being lived out by Dorian and Lord Henry, but we also see how Dorian handles his conscience based on his actions. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel that, while it has its controversiesRead MoreAestheticism in The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay2257 Words   |  10 PagesAestheticism was a popular dogma in the late 1800s that centered on the belief that art should exist for beauty alone. This doctrine is defined as an â€Å"exaggerated devotion to art, music, or poetry, with indifference to practical matters† and â€Å"the acceptance of artistic beauty and taste as a fundamental standard, ethical and other standards being secondary† (â€Å"Aestheticism,† def. 1 and 2). In Oscar Wilde’s sole novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, aestheticism is a fashionable belief accepted by societyRead MoreThe Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde1967 Words   |  8 Pages In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde disputes the role and conflicts between Aestheticism and morality. He exposes his contradictions and inner struggles throughout his three main characters: Lord Henry, a nobleman who criticizes the moralism and hypocrisy of Victorian society and openly expresses his Aesthetic thoughts, Dorian Gray, a handsome model influenced by Lord Henry’s views on beauty and morality, and Basil Hallward, an artist captivated by Dorian’s beauty. The novel mainly dealsRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray1564 Words   |  7 PagesTheories and Ideas in The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray was published in 1891. The novel reflects the authors carelessness and hastiness. The plot of the story is simple, however, the issues that come about are very complex. The novel is about three characters: Basil Hallward, Lord Henry, and Dorian Gray. In the beginning of the story, Basil paints a portrait of Dorian and gives it to him as a present. Lord Henry talks about the importance of being young and