Saturday, January 31, 2015

How is Dorian from "The Picture of Dorian Gray" similar to Victor Frankenstein from "Frankenstein" in bringing about his own destruction?

Dorian and Victor are similar in one key aspect —  they are brought to their demise by their respective choices. Dorian, on the one hand, is granted eternal youth in exchange for the aging of his likeness (in a portrait). As Dorian's hedonistic tendencies deepen, the portrait begins to show signs of aging that he himself, of course, does not show. The portrait ages in Dorian's place, growing more and more grotesque. His wish for youth prevents him, in a way, from feeling the effects of his self-destructive behavior, until the novel ends with him and the portrait switching places (that is, the portrait returns to its original state and he ages all at once, becoming unrecognizable).


Victor Frankenstein, on the other hand, is driven to reanimate a dead body. After successfully doing so, Victor realizes his mistake. The monster is an outcast, and Victor cannot deal with him. Victor shirks his responsibility to the monster, which leads the monster to resent him and take revenge. As with Dorian, Victor's irresponsible choices end up killing him. 

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