61 pages 2 hours read

Oscar Wilde

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1890

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Essay Topics

1.

Perform a detailed character analysis of Dorian Gray. What thematic message does Wilde develop through both Dorian’s traits and his character arc?

2.

Perform a detailed analysis of Dorian Gray’s portrait. What message does Wilde assert through the visual and thematic presence of the painting?

3.

Use outside sources that give historical context for the homosexual male experience during the time period in which The Picture of Dorian Gray takes place. Then, situate Basil Hallward within this context. Through Basil, what is Wilde communicating about the homosexual male experience of the era?