The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde | Chapter 18

Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe provides an in-depth summary and analysis of Chapter 18 of Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray.


As both a morality tale and a horror story, The Picture of Dorian Gray traces the dissolution and destruction of the title character.

The devastatingly handsome Dorian Gray has his portrait painted as a youth and wishes that the painting, rather than his own visage, might reflect his increasing age. His idle wish comes true and his moral turpitude is reflected in his increasingly grisly likeness.

Whether this is an indictment of the character's unethical dealings or of Victorian society's disapproval of Gray's veiled homosexuality remains a topic of intense debate.

Wilde's own valorization of aesthetic beauty is well known and it seems likely that the story is in part an endorsement of that philosophy, which scandalized the ceaselessly practical Victorians.

Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray was first published in 1890. With characteristic savoir faire, Oscar Wilde weaves elements of the gothic and the aesthetic into the fabric of his best-known novel.

The novel The Picture of Dorian Gray contains many potent themes, including reputation versus character, as some find Dorian charming although his nature is dark and his reputation suffers; appearance versus reality, as the novel questions what is on the surface and what lies beneath it; and art versus life, as the difference between creating beauty and living beautifully is demonstrated. Important symbols include the painting, theater, and flowers.


About Course Hero:

Master Your Classes™ with Course Hero!

Get the latest updates:

[cluelesscactus]

Thank you for these videos they are very helpful!

[drematoyathedancer.]

Thanks for this I'm writing tomorrow

[AsangeLerabe-nnup]

thanks this was very helpful and am writing paper 2 tommorow

[tatendanicolechivauramadha]

They really are you won't need to read the book