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Carly Woodring
Advanced English 12
October 7, 2013

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a gothic novel written by Oscar Wilde. The book is about
an innocent young man named Dorian, whose friend, Lord Henry, influences Dorian to pursue a
hedonistic life style. Over the course of the book, Dorian goes from being pure and innocent to
jagged and corrupt. By the end of the book, Dorian becomes so racked with guilt that he stabbed
the painting hoping to cleanse his soul, but ends up killing himself. Oscar Wildes The Picture of
Dorian Gray and Mary Shelleys Frankenstein contain many similar characters and elements.
The characters of Lord Henry and Victor Frankenstein are similar in many ways. Both
are the main influencers in the novels. Both experimented with human life, Lord Henry by his
significant influence of Dorian Gray, and Victor Frankenstein by his creation of his creature.
However, once Frankenstein completed his experiment to create life, he immediately abandoned
his project. Lord Henry, while he did not create Dorian, he influenced him and continued to
shape his views. He particularly enjoyed getting to see how his words swayed Dorians
decisions. He was conscious- and the thought brought a gleam of pleasure into his brown agate
eyes- that it was through certain words of his, musical words said with musical utterance, that
Dorian Grays soul had turned to this white girl and bowed in worship before her. To a large
extent, the lad was his own creation. Victor immediately regretted creating the creature,

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especially when the creature kept killing those he loved. For this [the creature] I had deprived
myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now
that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my
heart. Lord Henry never recognized the fact that he had created a monster. Frankenstein acted
out of revenge. When I reflected on his crimes and malice, my hatred and revenge burst all
bounds of moderation. Lord Henry, on the other hand, was full of talk. You don't mean a
single word of all that, Harry; you know you don't You are much better than you pretend to
be. While Lord Henry and Victor Frankenstein both play an influential role, there is some
variation in their characters.
Dorian Gray and Frankensteins creature also have many similarities and differences.
Both are the monster in the novels. They both started out innocent. Dorian started out with a
pure physical appearance and a pure soul. However, as his soul became corrupted, his outward
appearance stayed beautiful. The creature was outwardly monstrous, but inwardly, his soul was
pure. Eventually his soul became monstrous and evil also. Both Dorian and the creature
destroyed the lives of others. Dorian ruined reputations and was responsible for others deaths,
and the creature killed people. Dorian and the creature were both murdered at the end of the
book, Dorian by stabbing his portrait, and the creature by Frankenstein. However, Dorian lived
with the purpose of pleasing himself. I have never searched for happiness. Who wants
happiness? I have searched for pleasure. The creature lived with the purpose of making his
creators life miserable. Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, they creature, to whom thou
art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us. Dorian and the creature had
similar characters.

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There are several similar elements in The Picture of Dorian Gray and Frankenstein.
Both are gothic novels, so there are several similar stylistic techniques. For instance, in both
novels, several of the main characters are killed off by the monsters -- the creature or Dorian.
There is also a quite a bit foreshadowing in both novels. Yet, each novel shows foreshadowing in
a different way. In Frankenstein, Shelley uses the weather to foreshadow dreadful events to
come. It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils It
was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes In The Picture
of Dorian Gray, Wilde uses more subtle ways to foreshadow. He uses characters words. At the
beginning of the book, after Basil introduces Dorian to Lord Henry, they all go to the opera
together. Dorian says, I am so sorry, Basil, but there is only room for two in the brougham. You
must follow us in a hansom. That can be seen as a very subtle foreshadowing of the shift from
Dorians friendship with Basil to Dorians friendship with Lord Henry. The supernatural element
can also be seen in both novels. Victor Frankenstein creates life, and Basils portrait of Dorian
takes the physical appearance of Dorians soul.
Some of the characters and elements in Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray and
Mary Shelleys Frankenstein are analogous. Though quite similar, the two gothic novels are
fairly different in many other ways.