Concetti Chiave
- The Picture of Dorian Gray is an allegorical tale exploring the struggle between reality and appearance in Victorian society.
- Dorian Gray's life as a work of art contrasts with his portrait, which reveals the truth of his corrupted soul.
- The novel critiques Victorian hypocrisy, emphasizing that art is eternal and sin must lead to punishment.
- Wilde criticizes Victorian Utilitarianism, highlighting society's superficial focus on appearances.
- His aesthetic philosophy dismisses moral judgments in art, embracing beauty and the expression of every sensation.
What is The Allegory of Dorian Gray?
The Picture of Dorian Gray is an allegorical story which reveals human difficulties of accepting reality. Wilde depicts the contradictory relationship between truth and beauty, being and appearing. Dorian’s life becomes a work of art while the portrait represents his soul and his true self. The protagonist is the expression of the hypocrisy of Victorian society which was based on appearances; instead, the picture reveals the dark side of this corrupted context. The moral of the novel is that art is eternal, every sin must be punished and reality cannot be escaped. In fact, when the protagonist destroys the portrait, he kills himself. In that moment he becomes the horrible old man he actually is while the picture is restored in its original beauty.
Wilde criticizes the Utilitarianism of Victorian Age, showing the hypocrisy of society, based on appearances.
Aesthetic Conception of Wilde
His hedonistic view denounces the primacy of morality, utility and reality of art. According to the Aesthetic conception, there aren’t moral or immoral books; artists are creators of beautiful things, they aren’t morbid and they can express everything. Wilde’s works reveal a break with the Puritanism of Victorian Age, characterized by the repression of sexuality, in fact, aesthetes consider life as a work of art and they live every sensation without moral limits.
Domande da interrogazione
- What is the central allegory in "The Picture of Dorian Gray"?
- How does Wilde's aesthetic conception challenge Victorian values?
The central allegory in "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is the struggle between reality and appearance, where Dorian's life as a work of art contrasts with his portrait, which reveals his true self and soul. This reflects the hypocrisy of Victorian society, emphasizing that art is eternal and sins must be punished.
Wilde's aesthetic conception challenges Victorian values by rejecting the primacy of morality and utility in art. He promotes the idea that artists create beautiful things without moral constraints, opposing the Puritan repression of sexuality and advocating for living life as a work of art.
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