lems o f contemporary life: morality, art and beauty. At the begin
ning o f ihe novel we see an inexperienced youth, a kind and
innocent young man. Dorian is influenced by two men with
sharply contrasting characters: Basil Hallward and Lord Henry
Wotton. The attitude o f these two towards the young man shows
their different approach to life, art and beauty. The author shows
the gradual degradation o f Dorian Gray. The end of the book is a
contradiction to Wilde’s decadent theory. The fact that the por
trait acquired its former beauty and Dorian Gray “withered,
wrinkled and loathsome o f visage” lay on the floor with a knife
in his heart, shows the triumph o f real beauty - a piece o f art
created by an artist, a unity of beautiful form and content. Be
sides tha:, it conveys the idea that real beauty cannot accompany
an immoral life.
Questions and Tasks
1. C)e:;cribe the Edwardian period in English literature.
2. What does the theory “art for art’s sake” mean in literature
and art? What is your own opinion on this subject?
in the sense that I meant to avoid the jewelled line. ...”
4. Who did Thomas Hardy write about in his novels?
5. Who was the leader o f the Aesthetic movement in English
literature?
6. Call the most popular works by Oscar Wilde.
7. What does Oscar Wilde describe in his “The Picture of
Dorian Gray?
8. What ki nd o f literary works were created at the end of the
19,h century and to what literary trends did they belong?
9. What vices in the society ofhis time does Oscar Wilde
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