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The Picture of Dorian Gray

 Oscar Wilde
 

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?
 
 
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