How Is Oscar Wilde's Definition Of A Strong Character

1. The Picture of Dorian Gray exhibits several aspects of the Victorian era, such as the gentility and decorum associated with the “Gentleman”. There are also references to various Victorian era works of art and literature. One Victorian era conflict was the Opium epidemic. On pages 86-90, Dorian goes to an Opium den, which is a specific instance of the Victorian influence.

2. One example of a word that has changed meaning since the Victorian era is the word whim.

As used on page 9, “Dorian’s whims are laws to everybody. . .”, whims were a synonym for ideas. Today, the word whim is most often associated with a sudden desire or change of mind.

3. Oscar Wilde lived in London during the Victorian Era, but was very opinionated and even critical of English society at the time. One of the motifs present in the book is that beauty is not just superficial, along with the shortcomings of hedonism. These two major themes reveal Wilde’s view that the Victorian concepts of beauty, love, and pleasure were shallow and superficial (page 37).

6. One definition of a strong character is one who is able to influence and dictate the actions and

The Picture of Dorian Gray provides insight into Oscar Wilde’s personality through the characters he creates. It may suggest that he has an obsession with youthful beauty, much like Dorian Gray himself. The novel underscores the importance of physical allure and charm in Victorian society (page 11). We can infer that this hyperbolized influence on beauty in the novel represents a longing for physical beauty in Wilde himself. Another theme present in the novel that may portray Wilde’s psychological being is homosexuality. It seems that Basil is homosexual in Chapter 1 due to his obsession with Dorian, but there is also evidence that Lord Henry may be homosexual (page 3). However as the novel progresses, it becomes more evident that Dorian may be homosexual. These elements of sexuality suggest that Wilde may have been homosexual as