Study Questions & Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. Discuss the
character of Lord Henry and his impact on Dorian.
2. Discuss
the role of homoeroticism in the novel.
3. “There is
no such thing as a moral or an immoral book,” Wilde says in the
Preface. “Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.”
Does the novel confirm this argument?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. Discuss the relationship
between Basil and Dorian.
2. Analyze the Gothic elements
in The Picture of Dorian Gray.
3. Discuss the role of Sibyl
Vane in the novel.
4. Discuss the parallels between
Dorian's story and the Faust legend. Does Dorian make a pact with
the devil?
5. Why does Dorian decide to
destroy the painting at the end of the novel?
6. Compare and contrast the characters
of Basil and Lord Henry. What is their relationship to one another?
To Dorian?
