The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only work that Oscar Wilde managed to publish. This novel was originally published in Lippincotts Mansley Magazine (July 1890). And only in 1891 was it published as a book. The novel, which was published, was somewhat changed: an addition was a preface written as a manifesto, and a few more additional chapters. Individual chapters have been radically changed. This is how the world saw the novel by Oscar Wilde, which later entered the treasury of world literature.

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" caused an extraordinary upheaval in society. Around this work there were many discussions and scandals. And indeed, because against the background of ordinary and “worn” literature, it stood out in a special contrast. Critics condemned The Picture of Dorian Gray for its depiction of highly immoral behavior at the time. The novel not only did not correspond to the English moral values ​​of that era, but, on the contrary, condemned them. One gets the impression that the author himself stood up to fight against the numerous stereotypes of a stiff society. English criticism was entirely against this novel and its author. In their opinion, the work should have been withdrawn from the circles of society as soon as possible, putting a big cross on its publication. The author should have been condemned and punished for the caustic abuse of public morality.

But readers did not support the English critics in any way in their desire to isolate society from reality as soon as possible. Firstly, people did not find anything excessively immoral in the novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray". It was a reality that there was no point in hiding. Secondly, the author approached the idea of ​​his work in a very original way. Each line felt a deep philosophical thought, to dispute the existence of which would be simply stupid. In addition, The Picture of Dorian Gray is endowed with numerous elements of symbolism (symbolism). Very often there is an identification of a person with a portrait. Thirdly, until the very end, the writer managed to keep interest and intrigue, which not everyone can achieve. Oscar Wilde managed to reach out to his readers, and this is probably the greatest happiness that the author of his creation can only feel. The novel was dominated by a decadent style.

The author was a very well-read person. This can be traced by comparing his creations with other, earlier ones. For example, Dorian Gray to some extent resembles Faust, already well known to us, who made a deal with the devil himself. However, instead of Mephistopheles, who denigrated the consciousness of Faust, another character appears before us. This is Lord Henry, because throughout the whole novel he tries to impose his vicious ideas about the essence of being on the innocent Dorian. His teachings do not instruct the young man on the path of truth, but rather the opposite. Without knowing it, Dorian turns into a vicious and insensitive monster. As for the idea of ​​a portrait, Maturin's novel Melmoth the Wanderer played an important role here. You can find in the "Portrait of Dorian Gray" shades and such works as the novels "On the contrary" (Huysmans) and "Shagreen leather" (Balzac).

Together with such an influence on the author of the world classic, The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of the most unique literary creations of all time, and remains recognized as such today.

The main idea of ​​Oscar Wilde's novel is connected with the emptiness of aestheticism. The author shows how empty beauty can be, how disgusting it can sometimes be from the inside. The book is just a tool with which the writer tells us: "Beauty is empty, beauty disappoints."

As mentioned earlier, the famous Faust was taken as the foundation for the novel. We are talking about how a handsome and talented young man wants, by all means, to preserve his beauty and youth forever. Basil Hallward, who is not indifferent to the beautiful Dorian, undertakes to paint his portrait. As a result, this portrait turns out to be so incomparable that even Dorian falls in love with him. However, admiration is replaced by disappointment, and the young man begins to understand that, unlike this portrait, his youth is not destined to be eternal. It was as if for the first time he looked at himself from the outside and only now realized how perfect his facial features were. Now, more than anything in the world, Dorian wants to change places with the damned portrait, which, with its incomparableness, seems to laugh at him.

And fate sends Dorian an acquaintance with Lord Henry, who became the personification of the author of the novel. The character of the lord is contagious to the extent that without noticing it, the young man quickly falls into the network of his influence. The newly made acquaintance only intensifies Dorian's longing for the passing of his youth.

Being subject to Lord Henry's passionate stories about the omnipotence of beauty, Dorian begins to lead an immoral lifestyle. His talent and mind are overshadowed by an endless stream of crimes and depravity. He no longer knows the meaning of moral values. Only Henry's phrase that beauty is not subject to any earthly laws sounds in his head.

Years pass, and Dorian is still as handsome and young as before, when Basil painted his portrait. However, now the portrait itself is mutilated. He becomes for Dorian his lost conscience, his voice of reason. So that no one can find out about the portrait that has changed to a disgrace, the young man plunges a knife into it. The servants found in his room a beautiful portrait created by the artist Basil, and the mutilated corpse of an old man. Only by the rings on the hands of the deceased could it be understood that he was the same Dorian Gray.

The novel has been filmed more than 15 times.

Date of writing the article: 2010-02-23

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The Portrait of Dorian Gray": images, analysis

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Wilde's artistic searches are connected with the European ideals of "art for art's sake", which assert the self-sufficiency of artistic creativity, the independence of art from politics and social requirements.

In the preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde outlines the main points of aesthetic theory: “The artist is the one who creates beauty ... There are no books moral or immoral. There are books well written or badly written… The artist is not a moralist… In fact, art is not life at all… All art is completely useless.”

Since art is higher than life, it cannot be considered from the point of view of human morality. But this does not mean at all that the writer affirms “immoral art”. With a polemical statement, scandalous for the end of the 19th century, Wilde only emphasizes that art cannot be immoral. A “well-written book” as a work of art always contains a lesson in humanity, because it is written from the standpoint of an ideal and according to the laws of beauty, which is alien to everything immoral. A “poorly written book” is not a work of art and does not deserve attention, whether it contains a moral or not. For an artist, beauty is the highest criterion.

From the point of view of the aesthetic theory of Oscar Wilde, “Art is completely useless”: only a person who has a subtle feeling for beauty can understand a work of art, and a moral lesson is not needed for him, because he himself lives according to the laws of beauty (for example, Lord Henry). For others, such art will be inaccessible: "Art is a mirror that reflects the one who looks into it, and not life at all."

The novel The Picture of Dorian Gray organically combines the main aesthetic principles of Oscar Wilde's theory of art (preface to the novel) and their artistic realization (the novel itself).

Wilde's images are symbolic: Dorian Gray personifies eternal youth, Lord Henry is a preacher of the ideas of hedonism (the philosophy of unlimited pleasure), Basil Hallward is presented as a minister of Art, Sybil Vane is the embodiment of the theatricality of life, etc.

The novel recreates the unique atmosphere of beauty: beautiful people, brilliant statements, perfect works of art, although at times salon beauty turns into an empty embellishment.

The novel is dedicated to the non-identity of art and life, an illustration of which is the story of Dorian Gray: a portrait that absorbs traces of the vices of a real person, in the finale remains an impeccably beautiful masterpiece, while its dying "owner" acquires its true features.
Not wanting to say goodbye to youth and beauty, admiring his own image, Gray once exclaims: "If the portrait changed, but I could always remain the same as now!" The fantastic thought of the author allows this wish to come true: Dorian's appearance remains invariably beautiful, while monstrous crimes disfigure the portrait. The monstrous picture becomes a symbol of Gray's moral degradation.

Dorian's concepts of conscience and honor are thinning under the influence of Henry Wotton's "sermons", in which the theory of pleasure is presented in a devilishly seductive way.

The sayings of Lord Henry amaze the imagination, because they oppose ordinary, bourgeois morality, his thinking is unique and extraordinary, like that of the author who created an unforgettable image: "The only way to get rid of temptation is to give in to it", "Only mediocrity is the key to popularity", "Love feeds on repetition, and only repetition turns simple lust into art", "Every crime is vulgar, just like every vulgarity is a crime."

Wilde's passion for paradoxes is, in his own words, "a feast with panthers", the only chance to survive in a world of hypocrites. But we should not forget that any idea not only carries others along with it, but also leads them to death. Having mastered the philosophy of "new hedonism", Dorian Gray, in pursuit of pleasure, loses all idea of ​​good and evil with new impressions, because this is required in practice by an attempt to bring art to life. Works of art are more important to him than real life. For example, the love for the actress Sibile Vane turns out to be the love the hero feels for Shakespeare's heroines. Sybil's love was real, and this made it impossible for her to portray other people's passions, she lost the "art of lying", so valued by Dorian. The discrepancy between the ideals of the lovers led to the suicide of the girl (as the end of her own play), while Dorian suppressed the attempt to become a man - the ideas of the hedonist Henry Wotton won the battle between life and art: forgetting about the torments of conscience, he calmly goes to the opera to listen to the famous Italian singer Patty. Thus, the writer puts beauty above morality. However, the objective meaning of the novel refutes this assertion.

The story of the life and death of Dorian Gray becomes a condemnation of hedonism, moral nihilism and individualism.
Trying to finally put an end to the pangs of conscience, the symbol of which is a portrait, the hero kills himself. The final conclusion of Wilde's work, in essence, lies in the words of a street preacher: "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world if he loses his own soul."

Oscar Wilde's novel, like the writer's life, caused a lot of controversy and conflicting opinions. Whatever epithets the work was awarded, where “immoral” and “corrupting” are still quite modest.

That is why the characterization of the image of Dorian Gray is a rather difficult task. This character is ambiguous, and many see only one of his sides, while others remain in the shadows.

About the novel

The work was created and published in an era that did not tolerate liberties. Immediately after its release, a controversy flared up among critics and writers. Many believed that the work should be destroyed, and its author should be punished and even imprisoned. However, the novel was understood and accepted by the reader.

The principles of aestheticism and hedonism, proclaimed in the novel, became a real manifesto, but also caused negative and protest. The anger of the scientific public subsided a little, when reviews and common sense began to appear here and there, that the author does not praise, but condemns his hero and shows what such a lifestyle leads to.

Why is the characterization of the main character difficult?

The characterization of the image of Dorian Gray is one of the most controversial issues about Wilde's work, since the hero is very ambiguous. It intertwines everyday and mystical, dark and light. A portrait as a mirror of the soul, a portrait as a punishment, and against its fantastic background the fate of Dorian develops, who, like his creator, is entangled in his own web of erroneous judgments and imaginary values.

History of creation

The characterization of the image of Dorian Gray will not be complete without an almost mystical background to the creation of both the protagonist and the novel.

Oscar Wilde was an original creator of his works and characters. All his images did not appear out of nowhere, but were created by life itself. So it was with his only published novel, the history of the conception of which is no less interesting than the work itself.

The writer was a friend of the then famous London artist Basil Ward. Once, while spending time in pleasant conversations in his studio, the writer saw a very handsome young man. Struck by the beauty of the sitter, the writer made a whole sad speech about how inexorable time is, which will soon leave its mark on the beautiful face of the young man. To this, the artist half-jokingly said that he would paint a portrait of a boy every year so that portraits would “grow old” instead.

Dorian Gray characterization plan

It will be easier for us and readers to recreate the image of Gray if we have a plan.

The classic characterization scheme in literature is appearance, character, actions, one's opinion. But, since we are talking about an extraordinary hero, it is worth doing differently.

1. Gray see you and Lord Henry.
2. Lord's influence on Dorian.
3. Portrait and permissiveness.
4. The death of Cybill and the first changes.
5. Eternal youth and imaginary impunity.
6. Awareness of the spell of the portrait.
7. Trying to change.
8. The murder of the artist as the apogee of destruction.
9. Attempts to get rid of the portrait and the final.

Dorian Gray - who is he?

The quotation of the image of Dorian Gray is a rather difficult task, since it is difficult to single out the most important points. A novel is like a song - every word in it has its place and has its own function. Therefore, we will give a description, according to the created plan.

Before meeting Henry, the young man did not realize the power of his beauty and, even worse, its transience. Harry's influence poisons his soul with doubts and anxieties. In Hallward's studio, he delivers a speech filled with bitterness like a spell, which he ends with the phrase: "Oh, if only this portrait would grow old instead of me!" Somehow, magically, this happens. From that moment on, the handsome young man no longer ages. But what will this eternal youth bring him?

Dorian's first offense is his rejection of his loving young actress Cybill. Unexpected twists are a striking feature of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The characterization of the image of Dorian Gray is seriously changing from this moment on. He learns about the death of his former lover, but he is completely untouched by this. And on the same evening he was destined to see changes in the portrait - his face twisted into an ominous cruel grin. Now the portrait is the judge and executioner of Dorian. His life is marked by a series of broken women's hearts and throwing in brothels. There he wants to forget about the horror lurking in the sinister portrait.

When Gray realizes that there is nowhere else to fall, he tries to change. But attempts do not lead to salvation. In a fit of fear that his secret will be revealed, he kills the artist.

The last affair in his life with a pure, sincere girl and the indicatively noble treatment of her gives Dorian hope that everything can still be changed. But the portrait is adamant, a soul poisoned by poison cannot be changed. In a fit of desperation, Gray plunges a knife into the portrait, but falls himself with a pierced heart.

Characteristics of the images ("The Picture of Dorian Gray")

In addition to Gray, the image of Lord Henry is very interesting in the novel. Many critics associate him with Wilde himself. The Lord is witty and cynical. He preaches the worship of pleasure in its purest form. However, is he happy? Rather, no, the lord is fed up with permissiveness, and there is little that brings him real pleasure and pleasure.

The artist Basil is also ambiguous. He lives in his work and only in it. His creation will kill him, but that doesn't make him any less brilliant. The artist-creator, the creator, from whose pen a miracle appeared - this is how the author sees a real man of art.

The characterization of the image of Dorian Gray is given above, and we will not dwell on it here.

The mystical and philosophical novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray" will seduce everyone who at least once in their thoughts or aloud wished to preserve their youth and beauty. But Oscar Wilde had no intention of sharing the secret of immortality at all; the author reflected in the work his own view of human morality, love and the world, where the desire for pleasure rules.

The plot is built around a young man who has a natural, sensual beauty. The young sitter poses for his friend, the painter Basil Hallward. In Basil's workshop, Dorian meets Henry Watton, a man who subsequently poisons the young man's mind with his sophistical speeches and cynical views. Henry shows regret that beauty is not eternal, and youth, in his opinion, is the only wealth worth cherishing. Well, the portrait of a beautiful hedonist is completed. The handsome man is delighted with his reflection, transferred to the canvas, but bitterness crept into his soul, caused by the words of a new acquaintance. The young man understands that time will take away his beauty, the freshness of his face, and he will turn into a wrinkled old man with an ugly figure. In excitement, he exclaims: “If only I always remained young, and this portrait grew old! For this... for this I would give anything in the world! Wouldn't regret anything! I would be ready to give my soul for it.” From this moment on, the description of the book "Dorian Gray" takes on a gloomy tone: the main character reincarnates as a perverted egoist, transferring all the consequences of his lifestyle to the picture. She ages for him.

His wish comes true. A man throws himself into the pool of vice, torturing his soul and body with pleasures and amusements. For many years, the hero remains young, and his portrait takes on all his sins and crimes, becoming repulsive. He destroys the lovely girl Sybil Vane, breaking her heart. He kills his devoted friend Basil, who was very attached to the young man and loved him. And in the finale, the distraught Dorian plunges a knife into the ill-fated image, wanting to end the past and find peace. But in this way he finds only his death.

History of creation

Oscar Wilde made a bet with his friend that he would write a novel that would drive London crazy. "Dorian Gray" was written in the shortest possible time, in a single burst of creative will. The writer won the dispute, but paid the price for the victory: he was tried for corrupting English morals. As a result, he received a real prison term.

The novel has a real basis behind it. Oscar Wilde actually had a friend, Basil, who was a talented artist. Once in his workshop the writer saw a very handsome young man. Wilde was delighted with the charming appearance of the sitter and bitterly noted that this beauty could not escape old age with its ugliness. But the artist was ready to paint the image of a handsome man every year, so that aging and wilting would be reflected only on the canvas.

"Portrait ..." is the only published novel that brought its creator success and almost scandalous fame. It was first published in July 1890 in the American Lippincott Monthly. After, in 1891, the book was published in a separate edition with six new chapters and with a special preface, which became the manifesto of aestheticism.

Genre

The Picture of Dorian Gray can be classified as an intellectual novel. In the work, the characters and the narrator are subject to introspection, comprehension of their actions and environment. Their conversations go beyond the plot, representing a debate of certain philosophical views. The book raises the most important aesthetic, moral and "eternal" problems.

According to the time of creation and style, the work can be attributed to the Victorian novel. So they called the English prose of the period of the reign of Queen Victoria - an era of calm, puritanism and hypocrisy. Its author gracefully ridicules Lord Henry in his remarks.

The definition of "allegorical parable" is also applicable to the book. The events taking place in it should not be taken literally. Heroes are not people, they denote philosophical views, magical pictures - vicious temptation, death and love - trials, copper pipes that open the veil over human nature.

The direction of the author's creative thought is at the junction between romantic, fantastic and realistic beginnings. Thus, the book reveals an element of fantasy (the magical power of a portrait), the psychological and social components of realism, and the romantic type of the protagonist.

Main characters

1. Dorian Gray is a naive and beautiful young man who turned into a depraved and insensitive egoist under the influence of Lord Henry. He is a nobleman, a descendant of a noble family. His soul was eagerly looking for a mentor in a new secular world for him. Having chosen a sophisticated and vicious role model, the hero, being weak-willed and driven, hurries to try out all the cynical advice of his older comrade. From the very beginning it is clear that he is a sensual but cowardly egoist, because the thought of losing his own beauty (the only difference from other men in his circle) enslaves his mind, which has not yet had time to develop. He easily betrays love for other people, this speaks of the pettiness of his nature and the stinginess of his heart. Using his example, the author draws a parallel between internal and external wealth, which are not at all identical to each other. The writer has already embodied the image of Dorian Gray in the fairy tale "Star Boy". Wilde turns that hero into a freak, making it impossible to hide the disgrace. Therefore, he quickly transforms into a good and highly moral young man who is aware of his guilt. However, the novel is not a fairy tale, in it the creator truthfully told about what awaits the arrogant and self-obsessed character.
2. Lord Henry is a wealthy and refined nobleman, well received in high society. His sarcastic remarks and casuistic worldview (he professes hedonism) are liked by people around him who enjoy his wit. Every second of his quotes is an aphorism. However, he himself never follows his bold thought. He advises, cunningly, gradually corrupts the soul of Dorian, but he does nothing of the sort. His image is traditionally compared with the archetype of the devil in literature. Wotton is like Mephistopheles from Goethe's Faust: he only guides a person, skillfully shuffling hedonistic ideas, subtle humor and arrogant cynicism. The spirit of depravity emanating from this hero is attractive. He has refinement and loftiness, but this is only external beauty, which, like the beauty of the face, is only a fragile veil of a rotten sinful essence.
3. Sybil Vane - Dorian's lover, actress. The girl of rare beauty was also very talented. With her talent, she struck Gray. He fell in love with her for him, because the artist could never get bored: she reincarnated into other images every day. The real Sybil was ready to sacrifice her career, success, creativity itself for the sake of love, and, sensing this, the young man quickly became fed up with adoration. He liked the stage, far-fetched lady of the heart, as free and incomprehensible as himself. But the young woman was just kind, dreamy, naive and vulnerable. Therefore, the first disappointment in people made her commit suicide. Neither her mother nor her brother were able to dissuade her in time of bright hopes.
4. Basil Hallward is a painter, a friend of Dorian and Lord Henry, who introduces them. It was he who painted the fatal portrait. The artist sincerely admired the sitter and his beauty, and it was he who sensitively perceived the changes that had taken place in the young man. He saw the nascent viciousness in him and sounded the alarm, but Gray only moved away from him in response. Basil was a humanist and moralist, his moral principles contrast with Henry's refined immorality, and therefore annoy the protagonist. Hallward appreciates solitude, likes to reflect and philosophize, and is the bearer of the author's point of view in the novel. His sitter blames him for his fall, and then kills him, wanting to break the spell. He is unaware that the friend has been desperately trying to prevent his corruption all this time.
5. James Vane is Sybil's brother, a sailor. A sane and strong-willed young man. He is skeptical from the start about the wealthy nobleman's intentions regarding his sister. The man is used to relying on himself in everything, and not looking for easy ways up, so he warns his mother against excessive trust in a stranger from the nobility. He is a typical representative of the Victorian era, his social prejudices are unshakable. When Wayne learns about the death of his deceived sister, a desperate desire to take revenge on the heartless rich man wakes up in his heart. Since then, the sailor, firm in his convictions and purposeful, has been chasing the offender, but meets his death before he manages to present it to Gray.

The meaning of the book

Wilde's novel is as multifaceted as the creative embodiment of his idea is many-sided. The meaning of the work "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is to show us the superiority of the inner content of the human personality over the outer. Whatever the beauty of the face, the beautiful impulses of the soul cannot be replaced by it. The ugliness of thought and heart still mortifies the flesh, makes the beauty of forms lifeless and artificial. Even eternal youth will not bring happiness to ugliness.

The author also proves to the reader that art is eternal. The Creator paid for his love and devotion to ideals, but his creation is alive and beautiful. The portrait shows a charming young man in the prime of his charming youth and beauty. And a man who has devoted himself to the cult of pleasure, in love only with himself and his desires, is dead. His appearance is alive in the picture, alive in art, and the only way to save a moment for centuries is to depict it in all its glory.

The preface to the novel consists of 25 aphorisms that proclaim the author's aesthetic ideals. Here are some of them: "The artist is the creator of the beautiful", "To reveal oneself and hide the creator - this is what art craves", "The chosen ones are those for whom beauty means only one thing - Beauty." “Vices and virtues for the creator are the material of art.” "The ethical preferences of the creator lead to mannerisms of style." Although Oscar Wilde was a supporter of the theory of aestheticism, the work clearly outlines the danger of separating ethical and aesthetic principles. Service leads to death, as happened to the hero of the novel. In order to feel and enjoy beauty, and at the same time preserve your face and virtue, you must always observe the norms of morality and not bring yourself to fanaticism, even if there is eternal life in reserve.

Morality

Of course, the most important moral law of being is not to elevate the visible to the status of the only significant. If a person is beautiful, this does not mean that his soul corresponds to the shell. On the contrary, many handsome people are selfish and foolish, but society continues to value them more than people gifted with genuine virtues. This erroneous worship leads to absurd cults of heartless and empty mannequins, and truly beautiful individuals remain misunderstood. Carnival falsehood, hypocritical adherence to decency and generally accepted attitudes were the immutable law of the Victorian era, in which the smart, courageous and original writer Oscar Wilde did not get along.

The worship of love ruined Sibyl Vane, love for beauty and admiration for it as an art, led the artist Hallward to the house where he found his death. The protagonist, who plunged into the vicious world of pleasure, fell by his own hand. The moral of The Picture of Dorian Gray is that any absolute worship is dangerous. You can love, create, enjoy, but at the same time leave room for a sober reflection on your actions. The characters are prone to impulsiveness, this is their misfortune: Sybil commits suicide after a breakup, Dorian, with triumphant anger, throws himself at the picture with a knife. And they all became victims of their ideals - such is the price of blindness. Within reasonable limits, cynicism helps people not to make such mistakes, which is what the author teaches when portraying Lord Henry.

Issues

The novel reveals the problem of "beautiful" and "ugly". These two extremes are necessary for understanding the wholeness of this world. The tragic and pure love of the actress Sybil, Basil's sincere affection for the young man and, of course, the protagonist himself, as the embodiment of true earthly beauty, belong to the "beautiful". “The ugly” is carried in his soul, with every vice and crime it smolders, rots, losing sensitivity and the ability to compassion. And all these metamorphoses are taken over by the mysterious canvas, turning the person depicted on it into an ugly vicious creature. But society is blind to the fine lines between beauty and ugliness, it fixes only the external attributes of the individual, completely forgetting about the internal ones. Everyone knows about Dorian's tricks, but this does not stop him from loving and respecting him. Some people are only cowardly afraid of losing their ostentatious virtue, so they do not accept it officially. In these circumstances, along with the promiscuity of people, there is their hypocrisy and cowardice - problems no less important.

The portrait of Dorian Gray is a reflection of his soul and conscience. It does not manage the life of its owner in any way, does not punish him, but only silently reflects all the baseness and immorality of the young man. Virtue is outraged, real feelings have given way to hypocrisy. The handsome man succumbed to temptation, and only his image will show the retribution for this temptation. There is a problem of impunity for a person from high society: he leads not only an immoral, but also an illegal lifestyle, and no one stops him. Of course, he is from the nobility, which means that he has the right not to reckon with the law until his behavior becomes public knowledge. Only then will everyone pretend that they are shocked by the news, but they did not suspect anything of the kind before. Thus, the author touches upon social and political issues, criticizing Victorian England for turning a blind eye to the crimes of its elite.

Subject

The theme of art was the most interesting for the writer. He talked about him in the dialogues of the main characters, he dedicated the finale of the novel to him, where the man died, and his portrait remained an eternal memory of him. The invisible power of the picture is an indicator that the most significant thing created by people is art, it overshadows and outlives its creator, perpetuating his name and skill. It also makes it truly attractive. Dorian admired the creative genius of Basil, the extraordinary talent of Sybil, the oratorical power of Henry. His uncorrupted soul was drawn to the light of the creative principle, and turned away from it, taking licentiousness and meanness for life guidelines.

In addition, the theme of the work can be called a dramatic clash of the ideas of hedonism (an ethical doctrine, where pleasure is the highest good and the goal of life) and aestheticism (a movement in European literature and art, which was based on the predominance of aesthetic values ​​- the worship of art, graceful). Basil Hallward was in love with beauty, art and beauty were inseparable for him. Art is beauty. He sought to immortalize her features with a brush and exceptional talent. But the worship of the beautiful ruined the artist, his love and devotion to beauty were trampled on by the madness of a depraved soul. The hero chose the path of pleasure, in the center of which was himself. He reveled in his impunity and moral decline, because no one can deprive him of wealth - eternal youth. Such a way of life does not lead to true happiness, but only creates its illusion. Dorian at the end begins to regret the lost innocence, the former purity of his soul, but it is too late; sincere feelings, compassion, true love forever lost their meaning for him.

Criticism

The writer's contemporaries vehemently took up arms against "Dorian Gray" for ridiculing the prim Puritan society of that period. In addition, Wilde vividly described the immoral behavior of the protagonist, which was indecent to see even on the pages of the book. In the secret adventures of the secular lion, especially virtuous readers saw propaganda of a hedonistic position and vicious leisure. The enlightened and demanding public did not notice the gracefully hidden condemnation, because no one canceled the competition in ostentatious piety.

For desecration of morality, the writer was even convicted, and for a real prison term. Although his defense speech made a splash among sane people, it failed to convince everyone else. However, later this work was appreciated, and today it is one of the most significant not only in English, but also in world literature.

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Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation

Balashov Institute (branch)

State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education "Saratov State University

named after N.G. Chernyshevsky"

Analysis of the features of the figurative system and ways of its linguistic embodiment of Oscar Wilde's novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray"

graduate work

specialty 050303.65 "Foreign language"

The figurative system is perhaps the most interesting, complex and rich component of a work of art, the most difficult for the reader to understand and comprehend. Despite this, consideration of the figurative system and ways of its linguistic embodiment is of great value for linguists and literary critics, because the artistic style of the era, the author's style, the author's mood and worldview are reflected in the ways of the linguistic embodiment of the system of images.

This work is carried out in line with the study of the features of the figurative system and the ways of its linguistic embodiment of Oscar Wilde's novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray", which is item research.

“A real artist” (Bryusov), “a born writer” (Aldington) - this is how writers from different countries and different generations, a Russian and an Englishman, both endowed with a heightened aesthetic sense, spoke about Oscar Wilde. They were not mistaken in their opinion: Wilde's work entered the history of literature and theater, a living history that attracts not only researchers, but also readers and spectators, entered thanks to that part of it in which a born artist expressed himself, who did not replace art skill and brilliance of self-admiring wit.

As in any phenomenon, the merits and demerits in Wilde's work do not belong to independent spheres. In his works, they are brought together and connected in such a way that they almost do not leave boundary marks.

In this work, we will focus on the only novel by Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Dorian Gray came out with a scandal that was largely the work of Wilde himself. The Picture of Dorian Gray was first published in issues of the American magazine Lippincott'sMagazine and then revised (probably to remove a clear homosexual accent) before being released in hardcover. And yet this book was met with a storm of protest against the alleged immorality of the novel and, even more so, of Wilde's Preface to it. Indeed, the Preface has attracted so much attention over the years that sometimes the novel itself is taken as nothing more than a demonstration of its truth. One way or another, the interest of the Dorian Gray novel lies in its method of storytelling. The novel should be read carefully, with an eye alert for inconsistencies between author and character. Although Wilde himself admitted: “Basil Hallward is what I think I am; Lord Henry is what the world thinks I am; Dorian is what I would like to be - some other time, perhaps."

This work gives an analysis of the novel by Oscar Wilde "The Picture of Dorian Gray". An object research - the figurative system of Oscar Wilde's novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and its linguistic embodiment - is due to the fact that earlier the attention of researchers was not drawn to the system of images of Wilde's novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray", which is relevance research.

Target research - consists in a comprehensive, systematic description, analysis, scientific and theoretical understanding and classification of the system of images in the novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray".

Tasks research - to determine the essence of the concept of "system of images", to analyze the images in the novel, the stylistic devices used by the author to create certain images, to trace their influence on the style and narration of the novel.

Thus, we penetrate into the basis of the style and narrative manner of Wilde the prose writer.

Practical The significance of this work is determined by the fact that the results of the study can be used in courses on literary criticism, stylistics, in classes on the practice of English speech and text interpretation.

This work consists of an introduction, two chapters, a conclusion and a list of references.

In the introduction, the subject and purpose of the study are established, its tasks are formed, the relevance of the research topic is substantiated, and the practical significance of the results of the work is considered.

The first chapter establishes the theoretical basis of the study, gives the basis for the analysis of a literary text, defines the concept of a system of images, and considers the main canons of some artistic styles.

The second chapter is devoted to the study of the system of images of the novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray", the consideration of the stylistic devices used by the author.

The results of the study and the main results are reflected in the conclusion.

Chapter 1. Theoretical basis for the analysis of a work of art

1.1 Literary definition of image

To study the linguistic expression of the system of images in Wilde's novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray", it is necessary to clarify the concept of "image".

Image- one of the basic concepts of literature, which determines the nature, form and function of artistic and literary creativity. In the center of the artistic image is the image of human life, shown in an individualized form, but at the same time carrying a generalized principle, behind which one can guess those patterns of the life process that form people of this particular type.

The image is a universal category of artistic creativity, a form of reproduction, interpretation and development of life inherent in art by creating aesthetically affecting objects. An image is often understood as an element or part of an artistic whole, usually a fragment that has, as it were, an independent life and content. Since the image of a certain person becomes generalized, it is inherent in fiction (the writer discards random details, adds features that clarify what he considers important). Fiction reinforces the generalized meaning of the artistic image, which is inseparable from the writer's idea of ​​the ideal, emphasizes in it what helps the establishment of this ideal or contradicts it. An image is a fact of imaginary being, each time it is re-realized in the imagination of the addressee. In the aesthetic aspect, the image appears to be an expedient, life-like organism, in which there is no superfluous, random, mechanically auxiliary, and which gives the impression of beauty precisely because of the perfect unity and ultimate meaningfulness of its parts. But without the isolating power of fiction, the image could not achieve that concentration and coordination that liken it to a living formation. In other words, the "life-likeness" of an image is connected with its imaginary existence.

An image in literature is a character, a character. In general, any literary image is expressed in the word - although it is not reduced to the word, it is wider and deeper than the word. The term “image” is often used in both a narrower and a broader sense of the word. Often any colorful expression, each trope is called an image.

The artistic image is manifested in the work in a very versatile way. In prose, it is given in interaction with the author's speech. The image reflects life in all its complexity and versatility.

For further work, it is important to determine the genre of the work. A genre is a historically developing and developing type of work of art.

Novel- an epic genre in which the subject of the image is an unfinished, ongoing history or the past, comprehended through the prism of concepts, interests and aspirations that characterize modernity, perceived in its dynamics. The novel recreates the experience of the individual and the circle of her ideas, which are formed in continuous contact with reality, which, like the hero, is in the process of becoming. The constant changes taking place in it, its very incompleteness and unpredictability of potential development affect the self-awareness of the characters, as well as their destinies. The peculiarity of the construction of the novel determines the choice of characters, the movement of intrigue, the nature of the climactic episodes, the motivation of the denouement. In the course of literary evolution, the structure of the novel becomes more and more complicated. Varieties of the genre are emerging in which an original combination of intense intrigue and psychological sophistication is found, and the desire to recreate life authentically and recognizably is combined with the widespread use of fiction, gravitating towards science fiction.

Composition the novel includes the "arrangement" of characters, i.e. image system. The most important aspect of composition is the sequence of introducing images into the narrative, which contributes to the development of a literary text. The arrangement of characters takes place around the image of the protagonist, which is transformed throughout the novel.

1.2 Building a figurative system of a work of art

System images begins where, according to Pasternak, “the image enters the image”, where they overlap each other, interact with each other in one way or another - within the framework of one artistic text. In this case, a so-called hierarchy of images arises. "Hierarchy" in Greek means a multi-stage order of subordination and domination. It reigns everywhere, at any stage of being, and often these hierarchical relations are extremely complex, contradictory, incomprehensible.

The figurative system of a literary text can be built - from top to bottom - in the following order:

The image of the work itself as a whole;