At the start of 1895, Oscar Wilde was the toast of London, widely feted for his most recent

stage
success, An Ideal Husband, But by May of the same year, Wilde was in Reading prison
sentenced to hard labour. 'De Profundis' is an epistolic account of Oscar Wilde's spiritual journey
while in prison, and describes his new, shocking conviction that 'the supreme vice is
shallowness'.

Aestheticism

Many Victorians passionately believed that literature and art fulfilled

important ethical roles. Literature provided models of correct
behavior: it allowed people to identify with situations in which good
actions were rewarded, or it provoked tender emotions. At best, the
sympathies stirred by art and literature would spur people to action
in the real world. The supporters of aestheticism, however,
disagreed, arguing that art had nothing to do with morality. Instead,
art was primarily about the elevation of taste and the pure pursuit of
beauty. More controversially, the aesthetes also saw these qualities
as guiding principles for life. They argued that the arts should be
judged on the basis of form rather than morality. The famous motto
‘art for art’s sake’ encapsulates this view. It meant prising the
sensual qualities of art and the sheer pleasure they provide. ‘Art for
art’s sake’ became identified with the energy and creativity of
aestheticism – but it also became a shorthand way of expressing
the fears of those who saw this uncoupling of art and morality as
dangerous. Aestheticism unsettled and challenged the values of
mainstream Victorian culture. As it percolated more widely into the
general culture, it was relentlessly satirised and condemned.

What crimes did Dorian commit?

His murder of Basil marks the beginning of his end: although in the past he has been
able to sweep infamies from his mind, he cannot shake the thought that he has killed
his friend. Dorian's guilt tortures him relentlessly until he is forced to do away with his
portrait.

Is Dorian in love with Henry?

On the other hand, as Dorian Gray becomes obsessed with Lord Henry's worldview,
he develops a deep attachment to his friend. The relationships between the three
characters are more than just friendship; however, it is difficult to claim they are
intimate.
What is Dorian afraid of?
Dorian's fear points to an important theme in the book: A life devoted solely to the
pursuit of selfish pleasure will always be marred by self-con-scious fear. Dorian has
what he wants — eternal youth and a life filled with pleasure — but he can't fully
enjoy his life for fear that his secret will be discovered.

“You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car,
but because they sing a song only you can hear.”

"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its
own shame." ―Oscar Wilde, THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY

ABOUT THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY

Entranced by the perfection of his recently painted portrait, the youthful Dorian
Gray expresses a wish that the figure on the canvas could age and change in his
place. When his wish comes true, the portrait becomes his hideous secret as he
follows a downward trajectory of decadence and cruelty that leaves its traces
only in the portrait’s degraded image. Wilde’s unforgettable portrayal of a
Faustian bargain and its consequences is narrated with his characteristic incisive
wit and diamond-sharp prose. The result is a novel that is as flamboyant and
controversial as its incomparable author.