A Study of the Aestheticism Paradox in The Picture of Dorian Gray
Journal: Arts Studies and Criticism DOI: 10.32629/asc.v6i5.4601
Abstract
Oscar Wilde, a leading 19th-century British proponent of aestheticism and "art for art's sake," embodies profound contradictions within his sole novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. This work intertwines aesthetic ideals with social morality, creating an ambivalence central to Wilde's aestheticism paradox. Analyzing the novel, this paper explores Wilde's paradoxical style through three lenses: paradoxes in protagonist portrayal, tensions between morality and aesthetic art, and conflicts between aesthetic ideals and social reality. It reveals how Wilde's self-contradictory writing critiques aestheticism's limitations and Victorian society, enriching the work's psychological and social depth beyond mere theoretical discourse.
Keywords
Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, aestheticism, paradox
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[4] Fan, X.Y. (2016) The contradiction of Oscar Wilde's aestheticism in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Master's Thesis, Harbin Normal University, Harbin.
[5] Guo, Y.S. & Xin, X. On Oscar Wilde's aestheticism and moral view of art. Literary and Art Criticism. 2020; (2): 26-32.
[6] Zhou, X.Y. Aestheticism and Consumer Culture. Beijing: Peking University Press; 2002.
[7] Zhou, X. Critique of Aesthetic Modernity. Beijing: The Commercial Press; 2005.
[8] Urbanovich, U. (2022) The coflict between hedonism and aestheticism in the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Master's Thesis, Southwest University, Chongqing.
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