This essay aims to examine how immortality and immoral behavior are represented in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. The claim in this essay is that an immortal life is not a desirable life and that it traps you in a paradoxical existence that cannot be desirable. The method used in this essay is close reading of the narrative focusing on the protagonist Dorian Gray examined through two theories, ‘The Makropulos case’ and the subsequent analysis regarding contingent and categorical desires introduced by Bernard Williams as well as a theory focusing on endless frustration by Aaron Smuts that evolved through critiquing Williams’ theory on contingent and categorical desires. By analyzing Dorian Gray’s behavior and comparing his choices to the theories presented by Williams and Smuts the results are unanimous and support the claim that an immortal life is undesirable. Dorian Gray ended up confined to a life without meaning as he left everything that held meaning to him behind in his pursuit of pleasure and youth.

This essay examines the role of ennui in Dorian Gray’s moral decline in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. By applying Charles Baudelaire’s concept of ennui as the malady of the modern age and his promotion of dandyism as an escape from the “immoral” modern utilitarian society, it argues that Wilde challenges Baudelaire’s philosophy since Dorian suffers from depression as a result of yielding to all of his desires. Drawing from Thomas De Quincey’s arguments that the cycle of restlessness and stimulation leads to violence, this essay suggests that, according to Wilde, dandyism may lead to moral decay. Therefore, Wilde questions both Baudelaire’s dandyism and the core of the Aesthetic Movement. Thus, Wilde highlights not only the dangers of sensation-seeking being promoted as an escape from monotony but also claims that dandyism can result in violence.

My aim with this study has been to examine how the fashion is a leading component in the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. I have studied the role fashion plays in the novel and in which way it can be seen as a way of letting the reader know the important role of fashion in 19tcentury England and the morals of Oscar Wilde. To prove my thesis I have used literature that shows how Oscar Wilde uses influences from his own life in his writing of The Picture of Dorian Gray. I have also used Judith Butler's theory of performativity in analyzing the characters in ordet to display their way of staging themselves and their lifestyles and their dependence of that performativity in their interactions. Even though the theory of performativity often is used to hold the importance of the sexes, I have concluded that it has an important role in the novel when Dorian Gray interacts with the character Sibyl Vane who is an actress. My results have shown that fashion in the novel is often a way of letting the reader know important elements of a character in the way that certain fabrics and items are mentioned when Wilde writes about his characters. I have also found that fashion is an important factor when the characters judge each when they speak about the way they dress. The way fashion is presented in the novel is important to my thesis and has shown me how fashion can be used in literature as symbolic elements guiding the narrative. Keywords: Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Fashion in literature, Performativity. Judith Butler

Orientador: Orna Messer Levin / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T16:26:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Toffoli_Tania_M.pdf: 4489343 bytes, checksum: 7ed0bd40c4c0b187ed4497cc828dfc8c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho é comparar o contexto de publicação do único romance de Oscar Wilde, \O Retrato de Dorian Gray", na Inglaterra e no Brasil. A obra aparece pela primeira vez no Reino Unido e EUA em 1890 na Lippincott's. É editada em livro em 1891. A tradução do texto para o português, feita por João do Rio, circula no Brasil em folhetim no jornal A Noite, em 1911. A publicação em livro é feita pela Garnier, em 1923, após a morte do tradutor. A partir dessas informações, se faz relevante considerar alguns tipos de leituras que são possibilitadas nos dois casos. Para compreende-las, analisei dois aspectos ligados á estrutura do romance: o uso do narrador, pelo viés da narratologia de Genette, e a presença de descrições / Abstract: The purpose of this study is to compare the context of publication of the only novel by Oscar Wilde, \The Picture of Dorian Gray", in England and in Brazil. The work appears for the first time in UK and US in 1890 at Lippincott's. It is edited as a book in 1891. The translation of the text in Portuguese, by Joao do Rio, circulates in Brazil as feuilleton at the newspaper A Noite, in 1911. The publication as book is made by Garnier, in 1923, after the death of the translator. From this information, it is relevant to consider some types of readings enabled by these two cases. To understand them, I've analyzed two aspects concerning the structure of the novel: the use of the narrator, by bias of narratology of Genette, and the presence of descriptions / Mestrado / Historia e Historiografia Literaria / Mestra em Teoria e História Literária

Ce travail de thèse est une contribution à l’étude de la comédie dorienne du Vème siècle av. J.-C. à travers l’analyse des textes de son représentant majeur, Epicharme de Syracuse. Les fragments authentiques qu’on peut attribuer à un drame spécifique sont examinés et chaque texte est suivi d’un commentaire détaillé de ses particularités linguistiques, dramaturgiques et de contenu. Le but de la recherche a été savoir comme Epicharme s’inscrivait dans le panorama culturel sicilien où il vécut, d’étudier son utilisation de la variation linguistique et de rechercher les spécificités de ses drames.Pour répondre à ces questions, il a fallu adopter une approche interdisciplinaire car il n’est pas possible d’aborder l’ensemble de ces thématiques dans la seule littérature grecque du Vème siècle. Une contribution essentielle à ce travail vient des études d’histoire de la langue grecque et de la dialectologie, qui ont permis de définir les particularités linguistiques du dialecte dorien de Syracuse et de souligner d’éventuelles différences présentes dans les textes du comédien. Dans le commentaire, en effet, la confrontation est continue entre la forme linguistique adoptée par Epicharme et la forme correspondante en dialecte ionien-attique. S’avère également importante la contribution de la sociolinguistique, une théorie qui donne son importance à l’influence exercée sur la langue par ceux qui la parlent. L’étude des textes d’Epicharme examine, en même temps, s’il existe des éléments linguistiques permettant de caractériser un personnage selon son statut social, sa provenance et son genre sexuel. Les résultats obtenus de l’étude linguistique et textuelle sont considérables.Epicharme met en scène des sujets mythologiques, historiques et des situations de la vie quotidienne, en mélangeant de la parodie et du travestissement. Surtout deux personnages, Héraclès et Ulysse, apparaissent souvent dans les drames d’Epicharme, où ils deviennent les protagonistes d’un certain nombre d’événements. Par ailleurs, la quantité et la longueur des listes et des catalogues dans les fragments d’Epicharme est également importante car ils répondent à des objectifs comiques. Il est probable, en outre que, au moins dans certains drames, un choeur comique était prévu, même s’il est difficile de déterminer combien de personnes le composaient et quelle était sa fonction. Du point de vue linguistique, les textes du comédien sont composés en dialecte dorien de Syracuse, bien que certaines expressions spécifiques d’autres dialectes apparaissent quelquefois. En outre, les fragments semblent parfois témoigner d’une variation synchronique en acte dans la langue parlée. En conclusion, la production comique d’Epicharme montre un notable caractère régional, qui découle que ce soit de son choix d’écrire en dialecte dorien comme des nombreuses références aux produits traditionnels et aux histoires locales. Toutefois, la langue et les arguments du poète sont largement influencés par l’environnement culturel et politique de la Sicile du V siècle av.-J.Ch. et montrent les relations entre le comédien de Syracuse et les auteurs contemporains, dont le plus important est Eschyle. / This thesis is a contribution to the study of the Dorian comedy of the 5th century BC. J. - C. through the analysis of the texts of its major representative, Epicharme of Syracuse. The authentic fragments that can be attributed to a specific drama are examined and each text is followed by a detailed commentary on its linguistic, dramaturgical and content features. The aim of the research was to know how Epicharme was part of the Sicilian cultural panorama where he lived, to study his use of linguistic variation and to search for the specificities of his dramas.To answer these questions, it was necessary to adopt an interdisciplinary approach because it is not possible to tackle all these themes in the only Greek literature of the fifth century. An essential contribution to this work comes from studies of the history of the Greek language and dialectology, which made it possible to define the linguistic peculiarities of the Dorian dialect of Syracuse and to highlight any differences present in the actor's texts. In the commentary, in fact, the confrontation is present between the linguistic form adopted by Epicharme and the corresponding form in the Ionian-Attic dialect. Equally important is the contribution of sociolinguistics, a theory that gives importance to the influence exerted on the language by those who speak it. The study of Epicharme's texts examines, at the same time, whether there are linguistic elements making it possible to characterize a character according to his social status, his origin and his sexual gender. The results obtained from the linguistic and textual study are considerable. Epicharme portrays mythological, historical and everyday situations, mixing parody and travesty. Especially two characters, Heracles and Ulysses, often appear in the dramas of Epicharme, where they become the protagonists of a number of events. Moreover, the quantity and length of lists and catalogs in Epicharme's fragments is also important because they serve comic purposes. It is likely that, at least in some dramas, a comic choir was planned, although it is difficult to determine how many people composed it and what its function was. From the linguistic point of view, the comedian's texts are composed in Syracuse's Dorian dialect, although some specific expressions of other dialects sometimes appear. In addition, the fragments sometimes seem to testify to a synchronic variation in action in the spoken language. In conclusion, the comic production of Epicharme shows a notable regional character, which follows that it is his choice to write in Dorian dialect as many references to traditional products and local stories. However, the language and arguments of the poet are largely influenced by the cultural and political environment of Sicily in the fifth century BC. and show the relations between the comedian of Syracuse and the contemporary authors, the most important of which is Aeschylus.

<p>My twofold aim with this essay is, firstly, to examine the ideas about art expressed in the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray by the Victorian author Oscar Wilde. Secondly, I analyse how Oscar Wilde has implemented the philosophy of aestheticism throughout his novel. I achieve this by discussing the novel from the perspectives of the arts of painting, acting and literature. I examine the ideas expressed through the three main characters Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton. I give occurrences of alliteration, epigrams and theatrical traits of the novel as examples of how the novel in itself is a beautiful work of art. With this essay I wish to highlight the need for all types of art mentioned in The Picture of Dorian Gray to be included in any discussion about art in the novel. My thesis statement is that the philosophy of aestheticism is promoted throughout the novel. This philosophy states that art should only be seen as something beautiful. Art should not be expected to teach its audience any moral lessons. The over-all conclusion is that it is indeed the philosophy of aestheticism that is promoted in The Picture of Dorian Gray, and the ideal of male beauty in particular.</p>

Thèse de doctorat : ETUDES ANGLAISES : Metz : 1997. / 1997METZ015L. 396 ref.

This thesis has explored Irish influences on the author of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde. The study explored early family and peer influences on the author and has traced his Irish roots to reveal a knowledge of Irish folk lore which is apparent in this novel.In addition, the thesis has analyzed the novel with respect to characteristics of Irish folk lore which are called, in this study, Celtic magic. The paper also has presented the case that Oscar Wilde should be placed with Anglo-Irish writers instead of British authors.

Zugl.: Madrid, Univ. Complutense, Diss., 2006

Zugl.: Madrid, Universidad Complutense, Diss., 2006.