In, "The Picture of Dorian Gray," the main character Dorian acquires a thirst for youth that eventually dominates his life. ... Finally, if anything, The Picture of Dorian Gray proves to its readers that the need to be beautiful is a recurring concept of life. ... " In Dorian's case, the portrait comes to serve as an answer to Dorian's undeniable question of "Who am I?... The desperation to do anything in order to retain beauty not only presents itself in Dorian gray but in today's society as well, allowing beauty to undergo a bit of misconception. ... Thus, in The Pi...

• Word Count: 849
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

To the aesthete, the ideal life mimics art; it is beautiful, but quite useless beyond its beauty, concerned only with the individual living it" (Duggan, The Conflict Between Aestheticism and Morality in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray). ... Duggan also explains, "Rather than an advocate for pure aestheticism, then, Dorian Gray is a cautionary tale in which Wilde illustrates the dangers of the aesthetic philosophy when not practiced with prudence (Duggan, The Conflict Between Aestheticism and Morality in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray).... Duggan also explains,...

• Word Count: 1387
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate