AQA (B): Paper 1 Literary genres: Aspects of comedy
In the first few chapters of Oscar Wilde’s 1891 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, a trio of central characters is established, reflecting the tensions within the author’s own contradictory personality. Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian Gray and Basil Hallward are three privileged fin de siècle intellectuals who represent different aspects of Wilde’s attitudes towards art and society, views that he either publicly expressed or more privately experienced. While the decadent Lord Henry and Dorian both flourish after a fashion, Basil diminishes, fades and is eventually disposed of. As a consequence, many readers miss his significance. But what if his decline is part of Wilde’s message?
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