dorian

The portion titled "Alternate Self or Hidden Self" discusses the novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde. The story is about a young man named Dorian who becomes the center of attention and is obsessed with preserving his appearance. He hides his true character, including his age and actions, in a portrait that represents his real self. The techniques used in the writing are important for understanding Dorian's character and Wilde's intentions. The novel faced criticism at the time for its homoerotic undertones, which challenged the norms of the Victorian era. This may reflect Wilde's own experiences, as he had an affair with a man while pretending to be a conventional married man. The portrait in the story represents Dorian's hidden self, just as Wilde hid his true identity. This next portion is titled Alternate Self or Hidden Self. For this portion, I'll be utilizing the portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde in 1890. The story revolves around a young man, Dorian, who becomes the focal point of both the story and the lives of the people around them. Centered around the elegance and art, he drives himself into a need of preservation, viewing the world in a value of artistic purpose instead of moral value. This then goes to an extreme as he hides off the ugly in his character, which would include his age, real character, and death in the portrait, which many analysis would consider to be the real him and the real version of him. To expand on the understanding of this writing, it must first be understood the context and techniques utilized within, from the diction behind the description of characters throughout the story, from the description of the relationships between Basil, Lord Henry, and to Dorian, to the imagery of the portrait, and to many other techniques utilized within the writing. The techniques utilized become crucial to understanding Dorian's character and actions, but also the author, Oscar Wilde, published his work in London in 1890, during the Victorian era. During this era, it was unfit for any individual male to show any homosexual tendencies or traits. This writing itself at the time became quickly criticized for this exact reason, for its homoerotic allusions alluding to a relationship presented between Dorian and the rest of the male cast, specifically Lord Henry and Basil, exceeding from what would be considered normal for the time of the Victorian era and for a man. This can then be connected to the writing itself, with aspects such as the portrait itself being part of Dorian's character that he shames away, becoming a version of himself that is beloved and accepted by the people outside, by everybody else who views him. This may be an instance in which the artist includes a portion of themselves into the work itself. To find his representation, he mixes himself. From this time, Oscar Wilde was having an affair with a man while being married to a woman, to put up a front of being normal as a man of the Victorian era, to be macho and bravo in this time. The portrait of Dorian's real self, his age, character, and actions are kept hidden for years to maintain an appearance that is not him. This can then be compared and similar to Oscar Wilde's real self, where he hides off this affair and puts up a front where he is married with a woman, presenting himself to be the natural, normal Victorian man.