Theme Of Au Lecteur And The Picture Of Dorian Gray

Oftentimes in life, it seems easier to comply in nefarious acts than to uphold honorable standards. In “Au Lecteur” by Charles Baudelaire and The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, the authors both convey their disappointment in humanity. By employing the themes of impulse, boredom, and hypocrisy during the Victorian era both Wilde and Baudelaire argue that a yearning desire for wickedness lies in all human beings and once evil becomes habit the only escape from consequence is death. Through the incorporation of symbolism, Baudelaire and Wilde both echo how sin innately drives human impulse. In “Au Lecteur” the author proclaims “There is one more ugly, more wicked, more filthy!... He would willingly make of the earth a shambles And, in

During the Victorian Era, society was obsessed with appearing virtuous. The term “Victorian morality” describes the strict set of values from the era such as a low crime tolerance and sexual restraint. Everything revolved around outward appearance, thus creating a hypocritical society where sin was done behind closed doors. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward states that “Every gentleman is interested in his good name,” (148). This assertion shows the obsession with the idea of becoming a mold of the perfect human being in order to appear worthy to others. Instead of stating “Every gentleman is interested in doing good” the emphasis on “name” shows that false representation is more important than reality. When Dorian Gray trades his soul for eternal youth and innocence, he is able to escape from punishment in regard to any sin he wishes to commit. For instance when Dorian murders Basil no one suspects him. Even when Dorian hypothetically asks Lord Henry if he thinks he killed Basil, Lord Henry does not even consider the possibility and laughs it off. Without the fear of society knowing the truth, appearing moral is no longer a concern of Dorian’s. In particular, when Dorian breaks Sibyl’s heart and she commits suicide, he feels no sense of responsibility because he knows no one will blame him. Wilde incorporates this element to stress the point that the only reason people choose to do righteous acts is because society is there to punish them and hold them accountable to their name. Therefore when humans have a free pass, iniquitous acts are done habitually. In “Au Lecteur”, Baudelaire accuses that human sorrow is artificial and that “repentances are vain.” Since the remorse is disloyal, the willpower to change is not sincerely there. Baudelaire goes on to address this human dishonesty with “You know him reader, that refined monster,— Hypocritish reader, — my fellow, —