Fault Of Reification, Fallacy Of Aestheticism

This paper probes into the split character of Dorian Gray, with its features, causes andmoral lesson taken into consideration. Dorian's split character is against both romanticism andtraditional morality, is influenced not only by Wilde's personal experiences, chronic diseases,but also the social consciousness and consumerist culture of the times. Dorian seeks after art,beauty and sensuous pleasure, but satirically gets lost and degenerate in this process. This hasreflected the paradox of aestheticism and the confines of "art for art's sake"doctrine. Thefallacy of modern aesthetes, to a certain degree, brings about Dorian's betrayal of his ownsoul and consequently his doom. Dorian Gray's split character evokes modern men to think.Morbid characters may find their way out in aesthetic redemption and ethical introspection.