The Gothic Elements in the Picture of Dorian Gray

Abstract In an attempt to find out the purposes of the gothic elements in The Picture of Dorian Gray, this essay takes a close look at the three most prevailing gothic elements in the novel: the portrait, decadence, and the gothic villain by first exploring their presence and development throughout, and then examining their contributions to the characters, the plot development and the themes. First of all, the unique properties and symbolic meanings of the portrait in this novel are discussed. The purpose of the portrait is then analyzed in terms of its effect on Dorian Gray. Then, the theme of decadence is identified in the personality of the protagonist. Its purpose is then investigated by comparing and analyzing the opinions of the†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , was clearly reflected in his portrait. Under Lord Henry’s influence, Dorian’s change in his mental state and moral values was dramatic. He learned to appreciate decadent art, to conform to the philoso phy of â€Å"to cure the soul by means of senses † by going to opium dens and eventually to completely submit to sin by murdering Basil Hallward. Although Dorian’s decay was hard to observe because his beauty remained intact and thus created an innocent image of him, the portrait recorded his inner change by altering his appearances, as we observe for the first time in the novel â€Å"the touch of cruelty round the warped lips † in the painting after the death of Sybil Vane. The painting provided Dorian a double life, as remarked in Into the Demon Universe: A Literary Exploration of Oscar Wilde: â€Å"The picture of his soul was locked safely away in a dark room while the innocent face he presented to respectable society was only a mask. † Indeed, the portrait became the spokesperson of Dorian’s true personality by altering his appearances according to his corruption of the mind. A more convincing evidence of the portrait being a reflection of Dorian’s moral decadence lies moments before the death of Dorian. At the night of his death, Dorian attempted to convince himself that he had indeed changed and had started committingShow MoreRelatedThe Picture Of Dorian Gray965 Words   |  4 Pages When looking at Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray, it is clear that Frankenstein is a novel that can be placed into both the gothic and horror genre, although it is a gothic novel secondary to it being a horror novel; The picture of Dorian Gray isn’t so clear in this regard. 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